The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-07-30
,OUSTED CADETS IN
DEFENSE or HAzlNG
/ WITH LIVE ANTS
Ask Secretary Wright to Dis
(. approve Their Punishment
? for Tormenting "Plebes."

- .LNM aSN.I tNANH n~1 &tHlhHMaH
washington, July 29-The eight West
Point cadets found guilty Of hazing and
dismissed called on Secretary Wright
and asked that the sentence OF dis
mlssal passed on them by the academy
authorities be not approved by him.
They made no p%retense Of denying that
they had done what was charged
against them-compelling the 'fplebes'
to put a hundred ants In their hats.
etc. In fact. they appeared before the
secretary respectfully admitting the
truth OF the charges.
Cadet Rosseli acted as spokesman,
and what he said was more in justin
cation of their course than explanations
eight Of them had gone through q
course OF sprouts similar to that to
which they had subjected the plebes
who had. ~'ssQuealed," and that they had
been greatly benefited. From their lof-
ty place as upper classmen they were
able to assure the secretary that the
hazing they had received had done
them good.
Catching one hundred black ants,
combining them In The cap OF the catch-
er, then counting them and placing
them In q locker, was the. novel form
of hazing invented by the upper class
men in the military academy, which
resulted in the dismissal of eight ca
diets who devised this torment for
'plebes."
Angle Worms, Too
The accused cadets when called upon
to answer the charges, were not obliged
to describe any hazing methods. con-
templated, but not put into practice.
All they had TO tell was just what they
did, and not what they had thought OF
doing. Nothing was brought out at the
inquiry, therefore, as to the suggestion
that the "rlebe should be compelled to
did angle worms at night, tie them up
in punches with blue ribbon and sub
nit them for example to their torment
ors.
Nor was anything said as to the prop
osition TO have the fourth class men
hunt for blades OF grass, five inches I'm
length. which were to be plucked from
the ground within twenty yards Of the
confines of the parade where the grass
is stubby, and rarely attains that
length.
The capture Of ants and their con-
flnement a regarded as a sufficiently
difficult task. and to this was added
the order that when the plebes were at
mess they should place their toes
against the under side OF the table and
In this position "a their meal. This
performance was almost impossible.
puL was fAiAotSbEa aNROit dIlu IdiIufG 10
obey was followed by punishment,
which consisted of running back and
forth about an eighth of a mile until
ordered to stop.
"Plebes" 10th TO Tell.
Colonel Howe, the commandment Of
the post, had not heard OF any of the
tentative plans which Were o adopt
ed. Neither he nor any OF the officers
would discuss the inquiry or the sum
mary dismissal except to say that the
board of officers had no ecourse ex-
cept to enforce the law as it stood.
They made the inquiry and the evil
dence was conclusive.
The "plebes" were unwilling Witness
es, but when placed on their honor, and
asked the question direct, they carried
out the accepted rule that has gov
erned the military academy since its
foundation; that was to tell the truth.
The carrying out OF the amt order
was difficult in the first place, for II
was specified that the ants must be
alive and uninjured. It was required
that there should be an even 100, which
the cadet must produce from his cap
in the presence of a committee OF
hazers. Not one Of the ten or IL hazers
could I'LL this requirement or the first
trial.
IT was not so hard to catch the
ants, but It was hard to count them as
they scurrfed to and fro on q piece of
white paper. The main perplexity,
however, came after the ants had been
deposited in the cadets cap and the
cap placed on his head.
Tickled Their ScaIps.
The wise little insects, seeking an
avenue of escape, would run through
the cadets hair and tickle his scalp.
Not infrequently they would bite and
squeeze through the cap band and the
wearer's head. If they do not fall to
the ground they would drop down the
back of his neck. Military usage and
etiquette forbid a cadet to scratch.
Fear that the ants would escape pre-
vented the cadet from removing his
headpiece to stop the itching that
nearly drove him frantic.
The tormentors a~rrogated to them
selves the right to say how long the
punishment tour" as the dog trot was
termed, should last. T'H
Not one of the "plebes" uttered a
word Of complaint. They had been
taught that they were going through a
Very mild form OF hazing, and which
was necessary to make them good
soldiers.
Although the cadet officers were sup
posed to be ccgnizant Of everything
that went IN within their purview, not
n OF them had the slightest inkling
of what was going 'on. They were
amazed and chagrined when the In
quiry by the board of officers disclosed
the act hat the hazing had gone on