Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-24
co HOME IN DISGRACE
Eight West Point Cadets Dis
missed for Hazing.
COL. SCOTT TAKES ACTION
Bases Order on Report Of an In.
vestigating Board.
NO REAL BRUTALITY, BUT
Bracing, Tagging and Other Similar
Petty Tyrannies Said to Have
Been Practiced.

Been Practiced.
; WEST POINT. N. Y. July 24.-Eight
West Point cadets. two of them first
class men within ten months of their
shoulder straps and the rest yearlings
as they call the third-class men at the
Military Academy. having been dismiss
ed in disgrace for haZing. They started
for their homes yesterday by the order
of Col. Hugh L. Scott. superintendent
of the academy, and there they will
stay unless the Secretary of War per-
mits them to re-enter.
They are William T. Rossell, who
stood sixth in his class and who played
Il substitute tackle on last sason's foot
ball team and Harry G. Weaver Of the
first class. and George W. Chase. IT.,
William Nalle. jr.. Byron Quimby Jones,
William Wellington Prude jr., Isaac
Spalding and James A. Gillespie of the
yearlings. Rossell was appointed at
large, Weaver Is from Illinois. Chase
and Jones from New York, Nalle from
Virginia. Prude from Alabama. Spald-
ing from Oklahoma and Gillespie from
Pennsylvania.
No Downright Brutality, But
None Of them was guilty of down.
right brutality and none of the fourth
class was hurt in any way, but the
| eight treated the act of Congress Of
March. 1901. specifically designed to
prevent the roughing of plebes. as If
it were meant to be winked at. The
| haZing consisted in "bracing." an an
t~io \ IL
| the newcomers acutely uncomfortable:
| a modified system of Tagging" such as
exists in some English public schools,
and a variety Of petty tyrannies prac-
| ticed on the tender plebes
| Since 1901. when Congress sent a board
to West Point to investigate the ways of
the upper class men with the plebes and
| there was a great to do about the whole
business. leading finally to the passage of
the act referred to, there hasn't been any
real hazing at the Military Academy. The
officers in charge knew, of course, that
the fourth class men weren't handled with
gloves exactly by the older boys but SO
long as there were no complaints and
| actual injustice did not appear nothing
was said.
Neat System in Use.
For the first time in more than eight
years it became evident the first of this
month that a pretty neat system of haz-
| ing was in use. The cadets. all save the
second class men, who are on leave. are
| in camp, and from the plain at night came
the sQueaking of distressed plebes. In
vestigation developed nothing at first.
| Nhen Col. Scott put a board of investiga-
| ton to work.
| 1t was composed of Lieut.. Col Robert
| L. Howe, commandant of cadets and
instructor Of tactics; Capt. Morton F.
Smith of the Goth Infantry. who is senior
| instructor in calvary tactics: Capt
Charles p Summerall Of the Sd Field
Artillery. senior instructor in artillery tao
tics, and Capt. George 8. Smonds Of the
22d Infantry. assistant instructor of tao
tics.
| They learned enough at the outset to
| justify calling up almost the entire fourth
| class to testify, and the plebes weren't
at all backward about telling. Many
Weaver or some of the others "braced"
them for half an hour at a time. COM
| pellmg them to stand rigidly at attention
| with their chests out. their chns up and
| attitudinize to please their critics they
were knuckled in whatever part of their
body protruded too much to suit.
Plebes Made to Sing.
| Several of the eight, 1t was found by
the investigating board. had compelled by
threats Of a good licking some of the
| 6iCSA1'OAAo " Aoe AoA SAACAAi' 3AohC
beds, shine boots, darn socks. clean up
ual or unpleasant labor. Sometimes the
hazers made the plebes sing while they
| worked. and if a plebe wouldn't sing
why. he was made to sing.
| One Of the cadets in disgrace evolved a
set Of orders. all Of his own. for the dis
| officers at the academy were smiling
| grimly over those orders yesterday He
! forced the new cadets of his company
| and he was only high private-to fall In
| first roll of the drums although the regu-
| lations allow FIVE minutes between first
and second calls.
If plebe didn't scramble into the ranks
at the first mutter Of the drums that plebe
was reasoned with by the self-appointed
| superintendent of the Military Academy
and a corps Of very apable aids.
Some of his other orders which infuri-
ated the plebes concerned conduct during
drill the proper ways to handle a knife
proper ways at all-and the general duty
of fourth classmen to consider them.
selves worms of the earth.
No Attempt to Dodge Consequences.
Col. Howe and his board got enough
evidence to fasten the blame on the eight
that were sent home to their fathers and
mothers yesterday. When they were called
up and the charges against them were
read they didn't try to yarn out Of trouble
or to dodge the consequences. Man by
man, each pleaded guilty to whatever
specification concerned him. Not all OF
them were charged with the same
offense by any means
Now 1t is up to the Secretary OF War.
for Col. Scott has forwarded q copy Of the
charges and statement of his action to
Washington. 1t is known that Col. Scott
hated to take action SO stringent, but
there was nothing left for him to do. AS
one of the officers remarked: If Col. Scott
hadn't taken cognizance Of the hazing
somebody higher up might have taken
cognizance of him."
All of the men expelled were popular
among their associates and the cadets
were wondering yesterday what they
could do to help .Rossell, Weaver and the
rest out of their scrape. Writing letters
to important people like the President or
the Secretary Of War about matters of
this kind Is forbidden by the regulations
| but some of the boys thought their fathers
| had enough influence home to enlist some
congressmen and in that way get to the
head of the War Department.
OPINION Is DIVIDED.
Views Differ as to Powers Of Secre-
]