The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-10
Famous Yale Graduate Who Fought Hazing at West
 Point Kills Himself
 in Philippines.
MEMBER OF LIT. BOARD
Organized Platoon in Spanish Amcri. can War and Entered Marine Servlce-Wcll Known
 Here.

A cablegram was received in the city yesterday announcing the suicide In the Philippine Islands of Capt. James Wallace Broatch. Ph.D., of the marine corps, one of the best known grad uates of Yale who gained national reputation because of his efforts against hazing at West Point. and who later assisted in organizing the Yale platoon. No particulars have been re- ceived concerning the suicide. but it Is known here by his fellow members Of the class of 1891 that he has brooded for years over trouble he was In at West Point, and that this combined with the solitude and monotony of the Philippines, caused his final determin- alton to take his life.
 James Wallace Broatch was an omaha boy, the son of W. J, Broatch, Q prominent merchant there. He came Co Yale with the class of 1891 and was one of the most prominent men in the class. He Is said to have been easily the most brilliant man in '9l, though the fact that he held aloof from the majority of the members kept him from being especially popular, He made the Yale Literary Magazine and wrote some very beautiful prose and poetry which has since been printed in hook form.
 At the close of the junior year. sev- eral months after his election to the Lit, he decided to leave college and was given an appointment to Wes, Point His father had been military man, and his ancestors had served in the different wars. His first year al Wes, Point he was severely hazed, and he did not enter protest, but when he became an upper classman he refused ' to take part In the practice, and ac. lively opposed It, both with the stud ents and the faculty. This led to bit ter feeling between himself and thu other cadets, SO that he finally wal forced to leave.
 After leaving West Point he did moi give up his fight against hazing and supplied various congressman with facts which brought about the great change of feeling toward the brutal hazings in the nineties. Beside giving the facts to the congressman he wrote magazine articles against hazing, and the investigations which followed ir the next few years caused the expul sion of several of the cadets.
 After Broatch had been activ, against hazing and later in magazln, work. for several years, he returned t' Yale, did the necessary work to get hi A. B. degree and then took a thre years course for PhD. degree. H became very well known In New Ha ven and especially at the Graduate club. He finished his Ph D. work witt the class of 1898, but in the spring O that year came the opening of th war with Spain, and Broatch gettinI the fever helped organize the Yal platoon and went with 1t as membe to Mantle. At Mantle after fev weeks he saw that the platoon woul' probably never engage in active ser vice, so he left there and went into tn marine service. His work at West Poin hurt him with the officers, who ha, been in sympathy with the other fac ton at West Point, and so the rela 1, tions were very trying for him. H worked his way up. however, througl his devotion to duty and his persona bravery, and after the war became captain In the marine service. Whe lie came back from the front he wa sent to St. Louis for some time. H was then transferred to Guam, wher he spent several years, and lately ha been stationed in the Philippines
 Broatch is said to have brooded owe his treatment by his classmates a West Point and at his difference with other officers. While there wa active work he was able to keep hi mind off these troubles. but during tn {. past five years he had become nor and more melancholy until he fnall took his life.