Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-30
A BOLD FRESHMAN CHIEF
Jumps Through a Window and K caPes From His Sophomore Captors

Jumps Through a Window and Es-
 caPes From His Sophomore Captors.
 ITHACA, Jan. 29.-There is considerable excitement in college circles of Cornell uni versity over the capture, abduction and re- markable and daring escape of the president of the freshman class from body of sopho- mores, who had held him in duress for twenty-four hours. The trouble between the sophomores and freshmen grows out of the approaching annual banquets of both classes within the next few weeks. There had been peace ever since the all-night fight several months ago, and the first sign of a renewal of hostilities was when, on Friday, the sophomores came out with a pamphlet satirizing a secret meeting of the fresh man class and giving 8 four-page ac- count of the proceedings. The sopho- mores decided to carry the war into the enemy's camp, and through the help of some seniors the plan was formed of Kidnapping the freshman president and spiriting him away to be held in captivity until after the freshman banquet, which is to come off next week in Library Hall. Accordingly Friday night at about midnight body of seniors and sophomores went to President Davis' lodgings on East Hill, burst open the door of
 
 with Davis and his chum succeeded in cap- turing the president The captive was tied and blindfolded and then led down stairs A closed carriage, which had previously been secured for the occasion, was in waiting and into this the captols and captive entered The carriage was hurriedly driven of, leaving Davis chum to give the alarm to the fresh men.
 The carriage and its load of kidnappels s was driven now one way and now another. through streets and alleys, in order to be- wilder the captive and to preclude any possi- bility of his discovering whither he was go- ing. After an hours ride the party alighted and then pedestrian tour was begun. The captors led their victim up hill and down and walked him for 8 long time so that he would not know the locality of his prison house. The party, as it sfterward turned out, had secured quarters for President Davis in the upper story of house kept by one place he was taken, after which both captors and captive went to sleep. Davis was carefully guarded during the whole of yes terday and had no idea at first where he was. By the striking of the church bells he gath cred general idea of his location and re- solved at noon to effect an escape At 5:3O last evening the sophomore guards were horror stricken to see their prisoner make a rush toward one of the windows. Before they could prevent him Davis jumped feet l foremost through two heavy curtains and g plate glass window and disappeared from the sight of his guards. Fortu- l nately for him in his fall of twenty I or more feet he alighted on his feet aad in g small bank of snow. Although scratched and slightly bruised in the left hand, he took to his heels and soon reached place of safety | among his friends. The young man is safely guarded now in 8 secret place by large l body of freshmen. The affair will stir up E l regular hornets nest here. The freshman banquet comes off early in the week, and the | sophomores' banquet 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.