Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-30
FRESHIES OUTWlT THE SOPHS.
Exciting Little Episode Among Cor
nell University Students.
AN ABDUCTION AND ESCAPE.
Sophomorcs Carry the Freshman
President Away Captive, hut Hc
Makes Daring and Successful
Break For Liberty.
Stirred Cp n Hornets Nest.

ITHACA, N. ", Jan. % Special Telegram
to the Bee. There was considerable ex-
citement in the college circles at Cornell uni
versty tonight over the capture, abduction
and remarkable aud daring escape last even-
ing of the president of the freshman class
from body of sophomorcs who had held
him in durcss for twenty -four hours. Tho
trouble between the sophomoros and fresh
men grows out of the approaching annual
banqucts of both classes within the next few
weeks. There had been peace ever since tho
allnight fight several months ago and the
first sign of u renewal of hostilities was
when Friday the sophomorcs came out with
pamphlet satriaing secret meeting Of tho
freshmen class and giving II four-page ac-
count of the proceedings. Tho sophomores
decided to carry the war into the enemy's
camp, and through the help of some of tho
seniors plan was formed for kidnapping tho
freshman president aud spriting him away,
to be held in captivity until the freshman
banquet, which comes off early next week.
Accordingly Friday night about midnight
body of seniors and sophomorcs went to
President Davis lodgings on East Hill, burst
open the door of his room, and after hand
to-hand scufile with Davis and his chum sue
cecdcd in capturing the president. The cap
tive was tied and blindfolded and then led
down stairs. A closed carriage, which had
been previously secured for the OCCASION
was in waiting, and into this the captors and
captive entered. The carriage was hu-redly
driven Off, leaving Davis chum to give tho
alarm to the freshmen. The carriage and
load of kidnappers was driven now one way
and now another, through streets and alleys,
in order to bcwildcr the captive and preclude
the possibility of discovering whittier ho
was going. After an hours ride the
party alghted. and then pedestrian tour be-
gun. The captors led their victim up the hill
and down, and walked him for long time SO
that he would not know the locality of his
prison home. The party, as it aftcrward
turned out, had secured quarters for Presi-
dent Davis in the upper story of n house kept
by one Rupert, on Geneva street, and into
this place he was taken, after which both
captors and captive went to sleep.
Davis was carefully guarded during the
whole day and had no idea at first where he
was. BY the striking of the church bells he
gathered a general idea of his location and re-
solved at noon to effect escape.
At half-past last evening tho
sophomore guards We're horror stricken to
sec their prisoner make Il rush toward one of
the windows. Before they could prevent
him Davis jumped, feet foremost, through
and disappeared from the sight of the guards.
Fortunately for him, in his fall of twenty
or more feet, he alightcd on his feet and in
small bank of snow Although scratched
and sl ghtly bruised, he took to his heels and
soon reached place of safety among his
friends. The young man was safely guarded
last night in a secret place by large body Of
freshmen
The affair will stir up regular hornets
nest here The freshmen banquet comes Off
early in the week and the sophomores BAN
quet on Friday at Auburn President Adams
has summoned one or two of the leaders to
his side and his action may put damper on
later proceedings,