New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-23
sad Results at Hn Utilization Into "a
College Secret SUriety.

]
A brief dispatch to the Associated Press
Saturday afternoon reads thus "Mortmer
son Of M. d. Leggett, l.. :. Commissioner
of Patents, was killed last night by falling
over cliff near Ithaca, n. y" From an
informant, who was at Ithaca Saturday, we
learn that young Leggett was member of
Cornell University, in the Freshman class
and was undergoing an initiation into secret
society of the college, the ceremony taking
place in some house in the village, adjacent
to the precipitous banks of Six Mile Creek.
In the process OF the initiation it seems the
initiated Is led through many devious mazes
and over threatening difficulties, one of which
in this case was the precipitation of Young
Leggett off a high cliff TO the banks Of the
cliff below, together with his two attendants
That the reader may better get an inkling OF
the forms of initiation in college societies,
we clip from Cornell University letter in
the Buffalo Commercial some account Of
AN INITIATION.
But, that you may not be wearied by gem
eralitiea, take an example. Gill is a Fresh
man, a six-foOter, with hercuean girth of
shoulders, and always ready for an exploit.
He is approached by a Sophomore, who asks
him to join the Omicron Epsilon Society, or
some other outlandish title composed Of the
easy initiation, and then tells him what fun
it will be to see the other candidates initiated.
Gill, perhaps, has heard rumors about such
societies and their doings. He is itching
with curiosity to know all about them. He
may have been cautioned to keep clear of
them, but curiosity and the persuasives of the
Sophomores are too much to be resisted; so
he signs pledge to join the society The
night for the performance of the rites, which
is usually Friday night, has come around.
The members of the society meet in secret
lodge, in some remote room in an upper story
of the building, and prepare for the ceremo-
MES. The candidate sits in his room with
much trepedation as the hours drag by.
At the dead hour of night, when church
yards yawn and graves give up their dead, -
four knights incog. appear at his room blind
fold and pinion his arms, and lead him away
He is conducted along unknown streets, BY
ways, and winding alleys, over stony ground
and uneven surfaces, and never addressed
save in sepulchral tones. Having at length
assembled flight of stairs, Gill is now led By
unaccountable wanderings, through rooms
and halls, stumbling over chairs, scantlings
and pieces of wood on the floor, but never
allowed to fall, for two sturdy knights are at
his sides with firm hold Of his arms. Next a
rope is fastened around his body, and he is
drawn up into another apartment. He hears
the tramping of many feet about him, sup
pressed whispers and stern behests. He is
utterly confused. His escorts now let go Of
him, and he is compelled to grope alone for
awhile, though never daring to stop for an
instant, at the peril of being punched and
pushed and tripped; until, in his frenzy, he
runs against the wall, and knocks himself
down. He is Immediately seized and thrown
upon a " blanket" which is large canvass
with strap handles. This is held by ten
hardy fellows, who giveit twitch and send
him into the air as if he were u football. He
is to Sad in the blanket until it ceases to be
fun for his tormentors. Then he IL led into
damp place where be is subjected to the
process Of squirting some caustie liquid from