The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-01
REBELLION IN A SEMINARY.
YOU7HTrL CONSpTRITORs' rfsCHTEF
~ IIfE HOOSIC VILLEY.
Planning to Have IN ESpicsion or Guupowder
In the Euiiding -tinndcstiuc Visits to Dis
reputable Resorts Many Youths E> PEELED.


Tho Mills Seminary, or. as II is better
known. the Grcylock Institute. ncstlcs In the
beautiful Itnosar valley. among the Berkshire
hills. and dire, uy under the shadow OF Grey
lo'k the highest mountain in Massachusetts.
The building is large and rambling. A large
gymnasium. TN ample playground. two dia-
mond fields for ball playing. pond for skating
and the for ut and trout streams on the noun
tain side render the plac" unusually attractive
To- the hundred boys, and many Of them prefer
remaining ut the school during vacations to
go.ng home. The boys range in age from 10 to
10 years. Among the elder ones there are. Of
course. some RESTLESS spirits. Recently they
created "A feeling OF characterization that. for
time. seriously threatened the prosperity II not
the very existence OF the school.
Last year. ut this time. the boys had dramatic
entertainments. Four weeks ago they asked
that those performances might be repeated this
year. Mr.. ills. the Principal granted the re-
quest; but when he learned that the entertain
mcnt WI q bc " the negro minstrel and variety
show order. he withdrew his permission and
ordered .lat the preparations be stopped Then
the boys were angry. Secret meetings were
held. Mt which the mischevous boys used every
means in their power 90 threats. taunts. aud
promises-to inrite spirit Of rebellion. It's
first manifestation was in the explosion Of
bunch oi llr"crackers, in the dead Of night. in
the upper entry ot ia" boys dormitOry. TO the
great alarm OF the whole establishment. On the
following morning quiet youth. rather cficmi-
nate IN manner hut who had always born" an
excellent reputation in the school. went to Mr..
Gee rye NJ lis. the Associate Principal. and. pro-
fcss ny to hnN" been much alarmed hv the cX-
posion. SAID that he hoped there WIS no blame
attaching to him. though the fire. rarkcrs had
been exploded in box known to have been
trust IA boy, that he WIS assured that they had
~ thnu- ut ~ ronnrrtiug nun. in any way with
the ailur. II WIS aft"rwnrd proved that he was
the principal nstigator Of the troubles.
A few nights after this demonstration the
glass globes oi the gas lights. in the upper en-
Try, werm Collected and hurled To the foot OF the
stairs. Then a barrel. filed with dust and
ashrs, WIS taken from one of the lower stories to
the upper entry and rolled down stairs. Some
live fowls wern smugglel into the building
and hndly frightened were let loos" NJ might in
the corridors. through which they flew with
Wild screams. In the meanwhile the masters
were on the alert. and were using every means
20 cat h the guilty boys. one day they received
Information from persons outside that two
ing. though without success, to buy powder in
south WiIliamstown and IN Wllinmstown four
mllts away. anu that an explosion might be-
looked tlr. At the same time they were led To-
tclisve that several ooys were secretly leaving
in Plti-ilcld. Wlliamstown. North ADAMS and
other towns. returning about daylight and he
Tint is considered the most h'inous uflrn -
that Gr"yo'S students can be guilty Of.
IN" two boys named rs having been the con-
called. admitted their guilt They said. in OK
cu-e that they intended no harm except t. Ill u
TN can with POWER sand. AMI gravel. attarh "A
ius'' ana ON some night explode their rN-
teupurin"d torp"do j" the upper entry. Their
"N u.s. WIS not n'r"prd ns "a pnlliguon of IN"
coutrnip'ui Il offence. and ON saturday last they
were "Np He'd from the school ami sent To- their
homes. They are W Hard Wheeler %, Brook
Ism. and Willard Milnrd Of Omaha. When on
Saturday morning they were told ~ the d-,.s-
Ion OF ~. mnstcrs, they received their sentence
with defiance. With cigars in thcir mouths
II ntf.l.t
they pa'kei their trunks. boastng loudly in
the mean while. Of what they and their fathers
would dc 10 nlure tn" school. vuoy leit the
building amid vo,ley Of cheers from thcir
coniTad'i and with th, air II cunuurrurs. TAI
Ing quarters in he only hotel in town. they an
nouncrd their mention Of remaining there ~
long rs they saw It, The services Of the town
constable Were called into requlsi and. tax
Ing the two drinquents with him in n buggy,
he carried them 10 Nilliamstown. aud placed
them aboard train bound for Troy WHITTIER
That week the masters nad quietly learned
night. week ago saturday. n Mr. schultz.
tine Instructor in mathematics. was walking:
homr. about midnight. from NilliamstuWn.
whrr. b" had spent the evening with some rol-
l"ge friends. two huggies were driven rapidly
past him. Although 1t was qu,t" dark hethought
that they ,oniained bows from Gr"ylo'N. md 30
toi Mr. Mills. That the boys recognized him
wns .Nii nt TOR on Monday two OF them went 10
Mr.. Mills and confessed that they had been TO
Mnlihnst9wn.mnd spent IN hour with some coll
loge friends. They pretended 10 be- aotuated Ia
max" thus Confession, on 10y a letter that he
hal received from MS mother and the other hy
his sunday school lesson NJ the day before. On
account Of this confession. and their proto-ta-
tons IF pHnitrnre. they were forgiven. few
days ait'rward Il was discovered that they had
not been tO lllamstown. but to Bennington,
' t.. clght miles further. where they had passed
the might ia TAI company. BY some means the
bows learned that the masters knew that they
hal not tpld the truth. aud, on sunday night
last. two of Thorn ran away from school. and
have not been heard from since. Another ran
AWAY on Monday night. and fourth was after
ward sent home. Thrsc boys are Edward Jcn-
nings of Rochester. Robert Hall Of Whitehall.
\. y, George Plumb of Westneld. y. Y. and
Frederick Downer of New York. Several more
are to be suspended.
Every evening. except Saturday the BOYS take
part in prayers and answer roll call but Sat.
urlny being bath day. and the time occupied
by 100 bows tak ne baths in eight bath rooms
evening. prayers and roll call are dispensed
with on that evening. and thus n boy who bathes
time that the boys lett on their excursion OF n
week ago Saturday. The same evening. the
roommate Of one of the boys had asked and re-
rooms and look utter the fire. When the cul-
Iriis made thc,r partial confession. they were
no but that another boy had As the boy named
had always borne an excellent reputation. the
masters doubted this statement until the boy
himself confessed that II was SO. Then they
were much glievcd. and h" rested under a
cloud until he could stand il no longer and in
turn confessed that he had lied, and that he had
been !rrcI 10y his "ompanlons, 10y dire threats,
% say thni hs had let them in. and thus become
lmllirut"d Win them. In TINS statement he was
corrpbutaed ~ several other boys. In speak
ing Of this. Mr. Mills said Why sir, YOU vo
no idea OF tn tremendous pressure that can be
brought To- bear upon boy in a = hool II hr sets
out 10 thWart his comrades in any evil design,
and they make up their minds that he shall as-
sist them. or become, in some way, implicated
with them
Now Mg. Mills has night wntohmnn patrol
the CORRIDOR, and there Is no danger Of "A ropc-
titon ol tn" late demonstrations. lie says that
he Is determined Ia weed the turbulent element
from tho school, even though half the boys be
expelled.
The boys are a lot Of sturdy. we'll, mean.
ing fellows, acting upon the impulse of
the moment, bat ready to listen, to rea;
son, and willing to admit il. II they find
Themselves in the wrong They were almost
unanimous IN saving that they did cheer the
expelled boys when they won't away. but that
now they Were sorry for IT, They also said that
SIN VI George had explained the matter to
thcn, they saw that he vas right. and were will
ing ia sustain him. one little fellow said he
liked the place. and wanted to stay there until
he WAS ready for college; but that his father
wouldn't have let him stay If those boys had not
been sent away.
COMMODORE VANDERBILT'S MILLIONS.
The Contestants Petition for SEQ 900 20 Pay
Expenses-No Compromise.