The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-25
Midnight Assault Upon N Stndent OF the
MsssRchusets Agricultural Cellege-A
Gamer Student.
[Oorrs.pondepc. Of be sprisrseld RspublIc.n. !

Correspondence of the Springfield Republican,
AMHERST, MASS, Jan. H. 1s6s.-On Fridiy
bridge Cook, Edward Spear and Timothy Deady,
and three students OF the Agricultural College,
Charles Rowland, Lemnel Hall and George
Graves, made a most dastardy attack in the
Agricultural College dOrmitory upon Clarence
+. Brown, both q member and janitor of the
institution. II appears that Cook was a member
of the college for about three weeks, when he was
removed by the faculty for general ineficieucy
For an unfounded reason Cook suspected Brown
had reported him to the president, and on this
account, when under the influence Of liquor, bad
made severe threats against Brown. The object
Of the attack was certainly to frighten Brown, If
not horsewhip him, as two rawhides were found
after the unsuccessful attack. The plan was TO
induce Brown to open his door, when the whole
psrty were 10 rush in and administer the punish
ment.
To this end the whole party went quietly up the
stairs, and one of them knocked at Browns door
under pretense of finding some individual in the
building. Brown was in bed, and refused admis.
sion 10 the ontsde party. Very soon he heard
whispering outside, and then suspected party Of
drunken rowdies. They went into the rear room
and, gaining access to his bedroom ventilstor
broke all the glass; but left it when they were un-
able TO open il. After this they again kicked aud
knocked at the door. but be again refused them
admission, and ordered them to leave.
Then, by a skeleton key, his own was forced
inside and the door thrown open. At this
(who were disguised in old clothes, mustaches
and cork blscking,) a stove wrench or handle,
and closed the door on them, when the whole
party were driven into an adjoining room. This
action only increased their attack, as they now
felt sure he had no pistol which they feared be-
fore. The door was kicked open again aud
broken, when Brown threw his stove poker at
the party and stepped out OF his door TO disperse
the crowd, at which he was struck and seized by
three on one side of him and one on another, who
soon brought him TO the floor at the bottom of the
pile. The only other weapon he had was a
csbinet-maker's chise, one-quarter OF an inch
wide, with which be slashed with a nervous
violence right and left, until he had stabbed How
lard four times, Ball three times, Cook once,
Deady once and Graves once. This dispersed
the party the second time, and as Graves was
turning 10 go down stairs, ten feet from where he
was stabbed, he slipped and brought his head TO
the floor with such violence that he has been in an
unconscious state nearly all the time since, and
now lies in critical condition. The other parties
are ali doing well.
Young Brown is q student Of excellent charac-
ter, from Florence, (Northampton,) and no blame
is attached TO him for his conduct in this affair by
President Clarke or any of the citizens of Am
berst II ought also 10 he stated that. some time
in The melee, Brown declared TO any OF the party
that il they crossed his threshold they were dead
men and also that, according TO the best of his
recollection, most Of the stabs were made do xn
upon the foor and so choked that he could ne
t6er speak nor breathe. How much influence
liquor had 10 do with the matter Is as vet uncer-
TAIN save that one of the party showed evidences
OF having used it within short time.