Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-24

i
I said, Eyes, anything. I am willing
to die, if need be, for the Lord Jesus"
[ feel that have given all for Christ.
and He is my all to-day. He babe me
tell the people how great things the
to do so as far as have opportunity.
ELLEN G. SHERMAN.
THE TRAGEDY AT CORNELL.
UNIVERSITY NEW YoEEs.
4 STUDENT INITIATED INTO
THE MYSTERIES OF DE AEEs.
The Fatal Ceremony Of the kappa
Alpha SOciety-NounC aeEgetf led
BlinisOsded over a PrecipIce-
Verdict. ..Accidentally Killed by
Falling over n C1iff.,'
ITHACA, October 17.-The Coroners
inquest into the manner of NJ. NJ. Leg
gets death is ended, and the verdict
simply declares that he was Il student
at Cornell University, and that he was
accidentally killed by falling over a
cliff. There is, contrary to expecta-
ton, no censure OF anything or any
body, nor the slightest intimation of
blame Charles Ii. Lee and Charles
W. Wason, the fellow students who
also fell off the cliff, and who were so
badly injured that they are unable to
leave their beds, were examined in
their rooms. Lee swore qhat he was q
student Of the class of rs, and was
concerned in the initiation of Leggett
into the Kappa Alpha Society on the
night of the fatality. The members
met that night for the ceremony in a
field near the ravine, which is about
thirty feet deep. Leggett was led there
blindfolded. Ii was rather dark, and
they were met by six or seven other
members of the society. He and
| Wason helped Leggett over a fence,
SO that they would be out of the way
| of possible straggiers. After getting
| over the fence somebody else took hold
| of Leggett's arm and led him. He
says that he next saw Wason standing
having hold of Leggett, who was then
| leaning against a tree. Then he say
them suddenly slip of the bank. He
| continued
I was entirely ignorant that there
was precipice there, WAS greatly sur
prised to see them disappear, and i'm
agined they must have slipped down a
| bank. The idea of a precipice never
to help them, and acting upon it I ran
or moved diagonally off the cliff. |
was initiated into this society about
three weeks ago, and enjoyed it very
much. The initiation had not com
mcnced with Leggett. We were simp-
ly standing there. When 1 was init
ated I was h. ii all the time under the
arms b. two strong fellows, and felt
perfectly safe. They took me over
rough places, but did not stumble.
Wasons testimony agreed with that
of Lee. He was a more intimate
friend Of Leggett. and had immedi ATE
charge of him while he was blind
folded. As t. the accident itself,
WasOn SAYS :
I stood him against the tree, OF
rather be Leaned! anains: it. lie WAS
leaning against the tree ar.l | stood
about Il foot from Inn. or within
reaching distance. t. about three q
four minutes ! saw his body ihci:n:ne
to one side, as though his ;eat were
slipping and lie was going to fail Ht
! was Oh the right side OF the tree, 81
Ia her on the south side. I thought
he was merely falling to tie ground,
not down the precipice. I moved for.
ward to steady him, and il so doing
stepped on what l thought vas limb.
l believe now it was root of the tree
1t caused me to slip, and 1 fell owe,
the brink. In attempting to save him
[ fell myself. I was not conscious
while falling, but as soon as I struck
tried to cry out and couldn't. rolled
over two or three times. and heard
two distinct thuds, and knew that
somebody else had fallen with me.
All the witnesses were reti:cnt as tC
the method Of initiation or as to why
they took Leggett to that particular
spot. Further on IN Wason's tcsti
mony he said!
was blind1olded whcu | WAS I'M. a.
ted. Have assisted at tLrcc initia-
tions. A man on each side locks arms
with the candidate and holds him from,
falling. They probably thought | was
strong enough to hold Leggett, and
did not put two or three more TO guard
him The ceremonies Of initiating
into our society are very impressive,
at least they We're III my case. I was
very tired and quite hungry after 60
ing, through. / heard Leggett say,
'Oh, don't :" or something that
sounded like If. He was carried upon
Il gate. My object IN standing him up
by the tree WAS merely to rest him
Had 10 thought of the gulf at the
time. We went down there to escape
observation from the road. l had been
there in similar circumstances before
Henry Northr"p, another student
who was present III tie Fatal initiation,
WAS asked whether bottle of wlIisllcy
was taken {" "Yes," he replied.
est IS cJ>t.-!.. ~ L, take bottle aIon 2
on the mutations 10 have it at hand in