Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-11-30

! Dfe1JDIeSS SJllIncSS, Tie young man
replied: Il must decline to answer.
/ have no knowledge who were ac-
tual participants.
That is not the point, sir, nor the
question"
With some pallor in his face, for he
dreaded the situation, the young man
retorted:
"My answer is given, sir; | decline
to give you any names.
Sir said the President, "the rules
of this institution, which you engaged
to conform to, prescribe that each
student shall not only comply with
the rules and discipline of the college,
but make known and report any VIC
lation or intended violation of rules. p"
II don't think | violate that rule in
my refusal to answer"
''Your case will be considered, sir, y
said the President with a manner
that betokened he was in no mood TO
be trilled with or thwarted.
a faculty meeting was held, and
the next morning Stron5 was suspend
ed with All option to answer the ques-
tons propounded to him, fully, or to
be expelled.
1t was bitter doom to him, for he
was an eager student, and his slender
means would scarcely admit of his 60
| ing elsewhere. His understanding
was strong, and lie saw that he was
sacrificing his prospects upon col
! iege students notion of honor, hardly
true in its standard. But his sense Of
Justice rebeIled against the harshncss
which should thus select him for It's
victim, when he was so far from
guilty of any the least completely.
He resolved to stand his ground and
accept the consequences.
Meanwhile, developments of some
of the consequences of that nights
mischief made the guilty perpetrators
all the more anxious to be unknown.
Their fun had lost all its merriment.
They began to feel the sickly convic-
ton that they We're towards. A brave,
manly student was to be expelled to
shelter them, and yet they did not de
serve il. They dared not act their bet
ter impulses and relieve him from his
embarrassment for trouble followed
thick and fast in the train OF their
reckless mischief.
The good, old DR. Bacon had been
called out in the early morning be
| fore dawn on an errand of mercy to Il
sick patient. His vehicle had been up
set by Il horse block which the boys
had wantonly rolled into the street :;
he had been thrown out and dislocat-
ed his shoulder and sutfere-. a shock
which is dangerous at best to a man
beyond his slXtieth birthday. This
circumstance had reused the bittereSt
feeling III a community where the
doctor was held in high esteeA.
Another calamity was soon reported.
Capt. Gray, an old veteran who left
an arm at Gettysburg, while walk
! ing home from the residence of sick
comrade had stumbled over a step
which the boys" had purposely left
in dark place under some trees on
| the sidewalk, had fallen upon his
stump of an arm and shattered it SO
as to be compelled to submit re-ampu-
tation.
The fun of that nights work was all
gone Every one who had taken part
in it heartily despiSed himself There
was not one to laugh at their pranks
so deliberately contrived and Slyly exc
cuted. But there was general public
/ Indignation. And the brunt of it fell
on poor Strong. 1t had been reported
that he had b.en suspended for some
connection with the mischief, and pub
lie cenSure. too eager for victim, fell
/ upon him. The veterans, a determln
ed lot of fellows emraged at the suffer
4 iugs of their hero comrades, We're ser
iouSly debating the duty of taking
| this young Strong and shaving his
head and drumming him out of town
I There is no telling what might have
happened, rs am event soon tranSplred
which diverted public attention from
this affair.
Two or three evenings after this
| frolic one of the fire bells rang out
/ its wild alarm in the dark, moonlcsS
hours we'll past midnight. The vol
, untcer hremen were hesitant to turn
out in the foggy air, Supposing it to
be another trick of the miSchiet-lovimg
mad-capS at the college This miSgiv
/ ing caused some little delay in man
ming the force Meantime the fire
which had broken out in large hotel
gained fearful Roadway. When the
citizens gathered in front of the build
| ing the fire was roaring up through
its central Stairways cutting Oft all eS-
cape for the inmates of its upper
| chambers. The firemeu worked with
heroism, and ran up their ladders and
/ rescued most of the terror-Strlcken in
mates Two girls i'll one of the upper
rooms were all that remained, when
! to the horror of all beholderS, the on
/ ly ladder which would reach this up
per window. through some miscalcu-
lation, fell and was broken. 4 sick
/ ening sense of anguish fell upon the
agouized lookers-on; and the bale
full light showed apallor in the thous-
and upturned faces.
/ Just then young man in his .hirt
sleeves, with cord tied around his
waist and its coil in his hand was seen
to approach the building with one or
two hremen. Hastily he threw of
his boots and barred his feet while the
fireman assisting, raised pike pole
with large, strong hook upon one
end of it, and hooked il upon the sill
of the window OF the second story,
Up this pole the Young man climbed
with an agility that seemed a marvel
Reaching that window he smashed il
the sash and gained a foothold. I'm
mediately raising the pike pole he
hooked its strsng hook into the sill OF
the third story window and climbed
up TO that in the same way, with thai
tremendous energy which is the gift
of some natures in the presence ot
great peril. On, on, he climbed from
window to window, and soon en-
tered the window where the two
imprisoned girls were awaiting death
The wondering spectators then saw
him drawing up strong rope attach
ed by the small cord tleo
to his person. VIII he, can he
save them2 Men held their breath
and the awful suspense made som,
faint and turn away But soon-al
most sooner than these lines record i
the form of one of the girls, viii
the rope encircling her waist was seer
to descend as the strong-armed young
man paid out the rope hand owe
, hand from the window In less thar
a minute she was in the arms of the