The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-04-04
A Hazed Students Device.

In 1892 some of the law-and-order
students of Bowdoin College undertook
to stop all hazipg and other like irregu-
larities. They sometimes used I" carnal
weapons, and used them pretty effect
iyely. too, to the grief Of those who
considered hazing Divine institution.
and all who interfered with il as having
no rights which a bazer was bound to
respect. Some Circumstances made one
of the leaders of the anti-hazinp party
especially obnoxious. and he was warned
that some terrible vengeance would be
executed mon him nv 3 leaoue formed
for that nurpose. He was not easily
frightened. and he did not even think
it NECESSARY to take esnecial precautions.
e1.o mig lIs, shout rnldnIgnJ, seven Ut the
hazers broke into his room and seized
him in his sleep. 1t did not take him
long to wake up sufficiently to compre-
bend the situation. Resistance was
useless. He instantly decided to play
"'pOssum" and feign death. He was
borne down two flights of stairs with a
rush, in no gentle hands. and, with
many a wrench and bruise, to the
pump. But he never moved: he lay
perfectly limp in their hands. The
device succeeded. When they reached
the pump, one of the assailants ex-
claimed: HE is deadr' the fright
ened students dropped him on the
ground and fled. The sight of the pump
and the wet platform revived the dead,
and he rose and pursued the fleeing
students. Fear added wings to their
flight; they were all masked, and they
all made good their escape. He went
back to bed, and, being naturally unex-
citable and cool, he went to sleep, woke
later than usual, ate his breakfast, and
went about his usual business, taking
no notice OF the affair. The students
held college meeting and passed
strong resolutions commendatory of his
course and character, and condemning
the perpetrators OF the act as unworthy
OF college fellowship. But they were
unknown, and the college Faculty was
unable to take any action in'the prem
ises, even If it had been minded so to do.
What were its inclination, or whether it
had any, we do not know.
The student, however, had decided
what course he would pursue before he
went to sleep the eventful night, and he
was well satisfied with his decision. He
has shown in after life, in many criti-
cal emergency. the same GOODNESS and
the same res0luteness OF purpose which
served him then. For six weeks he alb
soluteiy refused to talk about the affair,
even with his most intimate friends.
Every one thought it buried forever.
In consequence, the actors became com
municative: They "leaked." The stu
dent waited and watched till his evil
dence was accumulated and convincing.
Then, one morning, he waited on a
lawyer in the town and desired to re-
tain him for criminal prosecution for
assault and battery. The lawyer was
at first inclined to pooh-pooh at him.
The student pressed the question: Is
u an assault ana battery to break into
q mans room at night and carry him
down stairs to pump on himp
Is II an onense against the laws OF the
state! Is there any punishment pro-
vlded for such an ofiense? Will you
take the retainer! Or shall it go to
the lawyer over the wayP The case
was taken, the warrants were issued,
the seven perpetrators were all arrest
ed-i we are not mistaken, were
marched out OF their recitation room
one morning py the Constable, and
seventeen coneg1ans were summoned
e witnesses 70 prove the facts. The
wnole college was IN an uproar; the
excltement extended throughout the
Dwn ma we venture, 70 say thai the
omce q inc Jusuce OF the Peace wac
never tnronged, before or since, by
more INTERESTED ana excited crowd.
Inc Justice adjourned the case for