Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-01-09
Military 1azing in Germany

I haZing cadets whose appetite verges
on glUSttony is called bacon swallow
I ing" The plebes to be victimized are
lined up on the grounds surrounded
! by group of second year men. A.
slice of raw bacon is tied to piece
Of string, and the plebe whose name is
drawn first is made to swallow the
unappetizing morsel. When the sick
ening sensation of the Irvine tickling
his throat threatens to nauseate him
the bacon is pulled out The name OF
another unfortunate is drawn, and he
is in t3lrn obliged TO swallow the ba-
con, the appearance of which has not
been improved by the first mans
chewing. On it goes along the line
10 the next man and up to the last one.
and foG days and days the sight of
bacon. n staple article in German
cuisine, will. if it does not spoil the
healthy youngsters appetites, at least
remind them that undue haste in as
Stimulating food lacks refinement.
After a few hours spent in frogs
squat the most diCnified and snob-
bish plebes assume the good natured
and perfectly chummy attitude which
means that they have been tanned
Swelled heads are quickly noted and
their owners made TO sit on the floor
with their chins resting on their knees,
and their ankles and wrists are bound
together. A solid stick passed under
the knee joints and forcing the fore
arm back prevents them from moving
arms or legs. and they are left there
facing one another in an unnatural,
Cramped and ridiculous position.
Other forms Of hazing are the stom-
ach dance, with or without obstacles;
finding the keyhole, tossing in a blan-
ket and star gazing. In the stomach
dance the cadet is put fat on his
stomach on a high table and four tor
mentors take him by the hands and
feet and whirI him around on the
table. In the case of serious offenses
a few hard objects or obstacles are
scattered over the table, making the
"dance" rather painful.
Then comes finding the keyhole. The
cadet stands in front of a locker and
is blfndfoIded. He has to feel for the
keyhole with his forefinger. Then an
other cadet places his head between
the locker and the finger, opens his
mouth and bites the finger till its own
er howls
Star gazing consists in being made to
watch the stars at night through a
coat sleeve held like a telescope by
two cadets. A third cadet then pours
glass OF muddy water In at top of
the sleeve.
When a cadet is guilty OF behavior
unbecomfng 10 a gentleman, disgraces
his class by some breach of etiquette
or commits some petty theft he is
generally sentenced by the holy
vehm." or court OF honor" to the
rod. The penalty is applied ruthless
Iy, a gag being placed in the punished /
mans mouth to stff1e his cries for /
help.
OF all the forms Of haZing the most |
brutal perhaps is the gauntlet Of fire."
The freshman upon whom that punish
ment is to be visited is kept In dark
room astride wooden chair, TO which
he is securely fastened. In the next
room his tormentors ara twisting news
papers into imitation torches. which at I
a given signal they light with matches.
When the torches are burning brightly
they form themselves in two lines;
another signal is sounded, the door Of
the dark room is thrown open, and the Il
freshman IS ordered to ride between
the lines. while he is mercilessly I
dashed with flaming brands.
However quickly he may run the
gantlet, by the time he has reached
the end of the blazing pathway his
hair. his eyebrows and lashes have
been singed TO the skin, his eyelids are
scared and swollen. his lips blistered,
his uniform hopelessly damaged.
One Of the surgeons in attendance
covers mp the sores with bandages
md sends the singed plebe TO the in
Urinary for q couple Of days. The Of
icial report mentions the explosion of
IN alcohol lamp or some other acct
lent of like nature
Not infrequenrly those "boyish
FRANKS have tragic ending More
han once cadets have been crippled
Tor life. and there are two cases on
record wher, death was the direct re-
'ult Of horseplay carried too far.-New
FORK Tribune.