Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-14

eat tabasco sauce and other pleasant
condiments. from the effects of which.
it was charged. he contracted tuber-
culosis Of the throat.
Another pathetic case was that OF
Cadet Broatch of Nebraska. Broatch
objected to the haZing system. and life
was made SO miserable for him that he
left the academy. but not until he had
carried his complaints TO the superin-
tendent and even higher. During the
Spanish-Amerlcan war Broatch be-
came a volunteer officer and made a
record as q brave soldier. When be
was stationed in Cuba, however. he
was surrounded by West Point Off
GERS, who ostracized hirl to such de-
gree that be committed suicide.
The most recent haZing case at West
Point was that in which Cadet Sutton.
brother of the principal in the famous
Sutton case at Annapolis, was at
tackled by a gang of the cadets while
he was on sentinel duty. The jewellers,
clad in the robes Of night. were halted
by Sutton, and they proceeded to have
fun with him. Among their other
playful FRANKS they went after him
with two tent poles and left him In
condition that sent him TO the hospital
for twenty-oGe days.
The upsbot of this escapade was that
seven cadets were expelled from the
academy. Secretary Dickinson and
President Taft approved the sentence
of the court martial and congress re-
fused to reverse it. 1t was pathetic
scene when the seven took their last
supper In Grant hall. Although dis
graced. they were among the most
popular cadets in the institution. Now,
for one act of boyish folly they were
to go forth under n cloud, denied their
chosen career and perhaps handi-
capped for life
No demonstration occurred at the
tables or after. Handclasps and low
spoken words alone marked the last
act of the tragedy-for it was a trag
edy to the whole student body. Sutton
included. To be expelled from West
Point is as much of a blow to the ca
Diet as stripping off his epaulets and
breaking his sword is to an officer.
Rather a high price to pay for mid
night frolic. Yet an army without
discipline would be like Il government
without laws 1t would fall apart like
a rope OF sand.
In the old days-and the old days
were not as good as the present ones,
whatever sentimentalists. fossils and
pessimists may say TO the contrary
in the old days haZing was much more
prevalent at West Point than now.
For 'plebe," more fondly and fire.
quently called beast" his first year
answered literally TO General Sher-
mans definition of war The upper
class men went on the theory that 1t
was necessary to knock off the new
comer's rough edges. and they did il
with tborOughness that was positive
ly raw.
Torturing Schemes Numerous.
Among the most ordinary forms of
hazing was 'eaglinG," which consisted
in standing on ones toes. extending
the arms like wings and by bending
the knees and hips squatting success
sively-oh, say, a hundred times.
Another favorite form was the
wooden WILLIE" consisting of an in
HulNG uuH4DtI Oh ulluCuil tNOluLlOHS
with a gun, such as holding 1t out
straight at arms length and doing
other fearful and wonderful stunts
which would make ones muscles ache
even to think about. This was kept
up until the upper class men were sat
iSfed or the victim fell exhausted.
Among the more unusual methods
of torment was that Of gathering ants,
say 100. accounting for all of them.
then placing them in the victims lock-
er. Usually the plebe's cap was the
first receptacle of the ants, and. while
it was not stipulated that the can
must be worn. cadets are not suppos
ed to so about the parade grounds al
West Point bareheaded. This little
item of ant gathering was brought out
in an inquiry in 1908 when eight haz-
ers We're dismissed from the academy,
only TO be reinStated later by President
Roosevelt
There are two sides to the story.