"HAZING” A CADET

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1508, 24 January 1901, Page 16

"HAZING” A CADET

STRANGE COLLEGE PRACTICES RESUIT IN DEATH. WASHINGTON, Dee. 4. Mr Priggs, a member for Ne‘w York, introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to-day, calling for an inquiry into the case of Oscar Booz, a former cadet of the West Point Military Academy, whose death is said to ha 'e been caused by a. brutal “hazing” inflicted by bis comrades. Booz died at his home in Bristol, Pennsylvania, yesterday, from tuberculosis of the throat and lungs. For several days he had been unable to swallow food, and was literally starved to death. He died raving about “hazing," apd the attendant physicians declare that tne to.rture to which he. was subjected at the academy was directly responsible for Ins death. He entered West Point in June 1898, a magnificent specimen o ? young manhood, but returned borne four months later, broken in health and spirits. He confided to his parents that ne was forced to fight a bully twice his size, wu severely thrashed, and then seized and forced to swallow a large dose of Tabasco sauce! mixed with ketchup and cayenne pepper. It is said that pepper was thrown in liis eyes and hot grease poured over his bare feet. A tooth was knocked out, and he was subjected to other fiendish tortures. lie refused the names of his tormentors, simply saying, “It’s a matter of honour.” A fiery draught which he was forced to swallow dventually caused inflammation of the throat and lungs, and led to the fatal malady. The West Point officials claim to know nothing about the “hazing,” and say the record's show that Booz resigned on account of weak eyes. Colonel Mills, the superintendent, says : “Booz lacked courage, and when challenged to fight another cadet he wept and ran away; he was aiterwards despised and shunned, and compelled to> resign. I never heard of any ill-treatment.’ [ In spite of the denial of the authorities, several cadets admit the l truth of Booz’s story : they say he was cowardly, and deserved all he- got. The cayenne pepper treatmef.it, they say, has been employed, at West Point from the earliest times as a punishment for cadets who refuse to fight when challenged. . The Booz case is attracting wide-spread notice, and there is a universal demand for a rigorous investigation of the stories of the shocking cruelties inflicted on new cadets at West Point, winch have frequently appeared in the newspapers, and are always officially denied, very little attention being paid l to them.