The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-12-22
Declares Its Opinion His Death
Was in No Way Induced by
siazing and Was Not Hazed
DR.. SCOTT AND W. & L.
MEN OFFER TESTIMONY
They ieil Of INJURIES on Boy S
Person - PainstaAing inves-
tisation Made With Numer,
GUS Witnesses Examined

't7A}f SAT sE ssf- &NAtkAEfNhQ : II EAgLLaffs}
Lexington. Va, Dec. 2i.-~-Ihe death
IT Cadet Taart er Sweet. of Chicago.
from uSent!s. Was IN no way induced
bt any ha&ipg or injury Of any Kind
received by h!fn ws.ile at the Virginia
4. Military lnSit1te ur from any cadet
4 or person connected thercwith. Not
only was adet sweets death in no
way connected with the result OF any
injury received at the institute. but
+ the evidence strongly shows that Cadet
SWEET was not Aazed in any way while
s. cadet The eFov" Is the Eist Of
I the conclusions reached by the board
of visitors at the special meeting held
yesterday and today In the Y. NJ /.
library.
This verdict was unanimous and
was reached after long and patient In
vestigation. The verdict agrees with
that reached by others who were pres
ent at the investigation. Numerous
witness were examined. including
! physicians who attended Cadet Sweet:
| the superintendent Of the V. NJ. J.
| hospital, cadets and others at the in
! stitute
On the other hand. DIR. w. H. Scott,
Jr., OF Richmond, a retired physician
who treated Cadet Sweet at the Morris
/ house after he deserted, together with
/ four Washington and Lee University
students, who saw Sweets back testi-
! fed that the young man had been mig
treated, and evidence of his injuries
was seen by them.
! The story Of hazing. however, was
/ told by Cadet Sweet alone althoue h
I he had given other explanations con-
corning his misfortunes.
| The board of visitors opened the in
Sesfigation to the public, and there
were present Mr.. Hugh A.. White, at
torney at law, representing the corps
| OF cadets; MIR. X. Il. Run. Common
Wealfh's attorney elect for Rockbridge
County. newspaper representatives and
committee from the corps OF cadets.
Witnesses were examined orally UNI
der oath. and written statements were
hied from others who could not be
present.
+ After most careful and painstak-
ing Investigation. covering all points
| In the case and including the state
ment OF every person who was known
or supposed to have any knowledge
bearing on the matter. the board o,
! visitors unanimously reached the fol-
lowing conclusions in part.
Verdict OF Board.
First. That the death of Cadet
sweet from myelitfs was In no way
uduced by any hazihg or injury of any
L
Sutute or from any cadet or person
connected herewith
Second. Not only was Cadet Sweet
death in no way the result of any in.
jury received at the institute, but the
evidence strongly shows that Cade,
Sweet was not hazed in any way while
a cadet.
Cadet Sweet did not enter the In
stftute until October 3, 1915. and de-
serted 0ptnher "a l.
his father on October II. and died in
the hospital on December o, 1915. The
! only evidence Rs to his being hazed
u mis- own statement to that effect
ana the marks shown on his body.
, Every Cadet says Was Not Hazed
= On the other hand. the board has
, the certificate or assertion that every
cadet In the corps that Cadet Sweet
! waa not hazed. He did not enter the
Institute until October S, or more than
- nonth after the session began The
a. corps of Cadets had taken firm stanc
. against hazing weeks before his en-
E france.
In September the court OF honor
con- posed entirely OF cadets, hac
:. adopted a resolution against hazina
ana this resolution had been adopted
!, by the first class and promulgated
y and accepted by the second and third
; classes.
. The concensus OF opinion among
. the cadets Is that no one, with one
exception only. has been hazed since
|, then. A violation OF the rule would
: me2n that the perpetrators position
=. in the corps would be SO uncomfert-
! able that ne would have to leave.
: TO show how rigid this rule, made
by the cadets themselves, is enforced
attention Is called TO the fact that an
old cadet, popular with his class
str 1ek "A new cadet lightly on his BACK
: TO hake him hold himself up, and
tie was found guilty OF violating the
: rule and compelled to leave.
This is The one exception. to the en-
forcing OF the rules since Its adoption
In September The resolution passed
late III September by the first class
prohibiting hazing was as follows:
First beating or striking a new
cadet for any purpose is hazing-
-SaeoAd- and. -nQncQnnni
= stored officers only are permitted 10
Try hands or new cadets and then Of
flctaliy for the purpose of correction,
Third Wa shiag belts. gloves, clean
ing platea swords. etc. is hazing.
Fourth Anything that will indict
bodlly Pain or discomfort upon Il new
caties Ia hazng.
Eifth--Causing one new cadet TO in :
fi.c, pain or discomfort upon another
is s2aziag.
lln6c NtNu0