Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-08-26
y .ken Cadets Had Hazed Brother
Of the Late Lieut.. Sutton,
u. s. M. 9.
he FOUGHT THEM STOUTLY
Was Daddy Used and in tho Hospital
= Days-Re fused to Tell Names
Of His Torme ntors but officers
Found Them out inter
Two Morths' Work.

"cSt oii'' ~ i - aug. ~ ne TN-
enors Of suspension ard expulsion that
have buzzed nbout the L. g. Military
Academy for the past two months found
pflicial confirmation here to-day in a
unal order signed by the secretary OF
war and approved by the President for
the dismissal Of seven cadets The text
OF the order has not yet been made pi,b-
Tic but II Is known that the cadets named
sre: John II. Booker, Jr OF West
Point. Ca, hrst-class. Richard w. Hook
er, Kansas City. Mo, third class: Earle
W. Dunmore, Utica. y. Y. third class:
Thauncey G, Devorc. Wheeling. W. Va.
third class; Gordon Lcfcbvre. Richmond.
va. third class Albert E. Crane, Haw-
arden. Ia. third class. Jacob 8. Fortner.
Dothan, Ala. thirS class.
The offcnse charged Is hazing or moro
specifically violation Of section one ar
ticie u OF the regulations of the military
academy.
On the morning of June IA. last.
Cadet sutton. the brother OF tho late
ELeut sutton. u. & NJ C.. reported
sick and was ordered to the hospital
badly bruised and suffering great
tpain. He dii not report FOR duty
again until 20 days later and his case
immediately became n matter Of con-
ecern TO the upper classmen when !.
vas seen tina; the authorities pro
posed - dig to tho bottom Of It.
Before the board OF investiga ton.
which was Immediately ordered, SUIT
ton. true to the unwritten code Of
the corps proved most reticcnt
witness. Sutton's testimony has not
been given out but the gossip Of the
tents has been that though he gave
. complete narrative OF his adven-
lures on the night of June 10 he pro-
3essed TO have been unable to rec
oxnixe any Of his assailants.
One hundred and ffty-seven W.T.
nesses. a large fraction OF tho total
enrolment OF the academy. are I'M
derStood TO hav. been commanded to
toll all they knew and in ways salts
factory to itself the board determined
without the aid of Sutton or the cadets
at fault. The findings were then for
warded 70 Washington where they
were given the closest attention and
twice returned to West Point for fur
ther elucidatior as to specific details.
When the last point OF doubt had beer
made clear the war department. with
the approval OF Presiden. Taft, took
the decisive action announced here to-
day.
OFFICERS APPROVE THE ACT.
No comment Is made by officers here
on the Presidents decision. but 1t is
we'll understood that they approve
heartily Of stiff front In even trivial
cases Of horseplay not serious enough
10 be called hazing by the public.
With no findings OF the board pub
lishcd and Sutton himself discrectly
mutc. conjecture as to precisely what
happened 10 him has to weigh
wh!spers and discriminate between
shadows The rumor here Is that Sutton
was "booed" by a sheeted ghost and
that when. like the stout-flsted young
westerncr that he Is he defended his
personal dignity and his duty 80 effec-
lively that the ghost was glad TO take
TO the woods, relief party OF hob
COLLINS descended on him with tent
pegs ana beat him into submission.
Throughout the investigation Sutton's
tact and loyalty to his fellow cadets
have won him high popularity The dis
missed upper classmcn are supposed Ia
nurse no hope OF reinstatement az the
President has already acted on their
case and is not likely TO reverse Ills
decision.
6TATEMENT BY CULPRITs.
The seven dismissed cadets left tho
military reservation tonight. Before
their departure they united in tho fol-
lowing Statement:
'On the night Of June 10 a large num-
Der OF cadets, nearly all OF the third
class, had little celebration There
wa no thought Of hazins anyone We
encountered n cadet sentry We did not
know It was Sutton or even that IT was
plehe. He ran after some of the men
and tackled them. There was n friendly
ekirm'sh and the sentry was hurt
AS We understood, It, there must be
deliberate or malicious intent TO con-
Stitute hazing. There was no such intent
on our part. But for the episode OF last
year and tho conditions aroused by
President Roosevelt's reinstatement of
eight cadets dismissed then we believe
we should not have been made to suffer
such penalty for what was merely In
hocsnt play. We intend to request the
secretary Of war 10 make public the
Pull findings OF the court of inquiry.
I'VE were summoned before that court
md zach man obliged to convict him
self by his own testimony. That seems
, little hard. Please state. however,
that We have the highest respect and
Admiration for thu commandment NJ