Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-20
SEVEN CADETS
ARE DISMISSED
SECRETARY OF WAR APPROVES
EXPULSION
PRESIDENT TAFT SUPPORTS VIEW
OF HIS COUNSELOR
Students of West Point Expelled Be-
cause of 9eing Found Guilty
of Hazing Fellow
Officers
(Rv Associated Press.l

WEST POINT, n. Y, Aug. 19.-The
rumors of suspension and expulsion
heard about the United States mill
tary academy for the last two months
found official confirmation today in a
final order signed by the secretary of
war and approved by the president for
the dismissal of seven cadets
They were found guilty of hazing
cadet Rolando Sutton of Portland, Ore.
The cadets named are John II. Booker,
jr., of West Point, Ca, first class; Rich
ard w. Hooker, Kansas City, Mo-,
third class; Ear! w. Dunmore, Utica,
N. Y, third class; Chauncey N. Devore,
Wheeling, Va, third class; Gordon Le-
fevre, Richmond, Va, third class; AL
bert Crane, Hawarden, Ia, third class;
Jacob S. Fortner, Dothan, Ala, third
class.
Their dismissal is in accordance with
military academy regulation providing
that any cadet guilty of hazing shall
be summarily dismissed from the mill
tary academy"
on the morning of June IA last Cadet
Sutton of the fourth, or plebe class,
brother of Lieut.. Sutton of the marine
corps, whose death has been under In
vestigation by court of inquiry, re-
ported sick and was ordered to the
hospital badly bruised and suffering
from great pain. He did not report for
duty again until twenty-three days
later and his case Immediately became
the matter of concern to the upper
class men when it was seen that the
authorities intended to investigate.
Sutton Retlcent Witness
Before the board of investigation,
Sutton proved a most reticent wit
ness. His testimony has not been given
out, but the gossip has been that,
though he gave a complete narrative
of his adventures on the night of June
13, he professed to have been unable
to recognize his assailants.
One hundred and fifty-seVen wit
nesses7-a large fraction of the total
enrolment of the academy-are under
stood to have been commanded to tell
all they knew and in ways satisfac-
tory to itself, the board determined
what cadets were to blame. The find
ings were then forwarded to Washing
ton, where they were given the closest
attention and twice returned to West
Point for further elucidation as to spe-
ci1c details. When the last point of
doubt had been made clear the war de-
partment, with the approval of Presi-
dent Taft, took the decisive action an
nounced today. No comment on the al
fair is made by officers here, but 1t Is
understood that they approve heartily
Of a stiff front in even trivial cases Of
horse play.
since the last delinquents were rein
stated, it is believed the cadets thought
hazing was to be more lightly treated.
The order of dismissal, therefore, is
welcomed as wholesome.
The understanding here is that SUIT
ton was "booed" by a sheeted ghost
and that he defended his personal dig
nitv and his duty so effectively that
the ghost was glad to take to the
woods. A relief party Of "hob-goblins"
then descended on him with tent pegs
and beat him into subsection.
throughout the investigation Sutton's
tact and loyalty to his fellow cadets
have won him high popularity. me
upper classmen are supposed
TO have no hope of reinstatement as
the president is not likely to reverse
his decision.