Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-02-01
A DETECTIVE AT COLLEGE.
The Boys Made His Sojourn Full Of Ad-
venture While 1t Lasted.

venture Whtle IL Lasteu.
II see that William and Robert
Pinkerton are in town." remarked a
gentleman in corridor in one of st.
Paul's hotels the other day to a re-
porter.
"Yes, remarked bystander, they
have a great detective agency, but l
can tell you of one of their men who
wasn't so clever, and whose case was
wor ked up for him before he could
find out anything about it."
"Well, let's hear the story"
''All right. But | don't caro- to use
names, for some of the boys are in
pulpits now, and they might feel hurt
70 call up one Of their shady pranks;
but here's the story:
down in the little city of Mead
vile, Pa, is Allegheny college, which
is practically a Methodist institution,
but which has had some of the bright
est and widest sets Of students ever
got together. At or just before COM
mencement for a number Of years
prior to, let us say '7S, a paper regu-
larly made its appearance in the most
mysterious manner.
1T was little four page sheet,
printed no one outside of half dozen
knew where, while the contributors
were known to equally as few. To
say that it was racy gives faint idea of
the contents of its columns. 1t called
a spade spade, and hit right and left
at students and townspeople alike. It
changed its name annually, and was
called on different occasions The
Scorpion, The Hornet and other SINH
lar suggestive titles. 1t usually made
its appearance in the night, hundred
or so copies being scattered in the
street. But once, ] remember, in the
middle of an Grafton at commence
ment, student found one under the
cushion of his seat. He waved it aloft,
and in twinkling, to the horror Of
the professors, half the cushions in the
church had been turned to unearth The
Wasp. The paper had been handed
down from generation to generation
among wild but close mouthed college
men. When The Hornet was issued,
however, it contained charges against
a leading lawyer, which caused the
college authorities to set about un-
earthing the editors in way they had
never done before, and since then no
paper has appeared.
with the opening of the next term
after the many sharp sings of The
Hornet, there appeared a new student
at Allegheny who gave the name of
Kennedy. He was a short, thick set
fellow of 26 or 90, blonde and quite
good looking. He had little to say of
himself, and when sized up by the
different fraternity men none of them
wanted him. 1t was soon discovered
that he didn't know the first thing
about Latin, or few other studies, for
that matter, that the professor knew
pocus between them. Why he wasn't
suspended at the end of the first week
was a mystery TO all but The Hornet
men. They were on guard, and
thought they were in danger The
man Kennedy got more than one stu
dent uproariously full, and when
neither showed up for recitations for a
day or two not a question was asked.
Some had greater capacity than
Kennedy, however, and would get
him drunk When he was off on one
of the carousals the trunk at his col
lege boarding house was opened. By
whOmi Dom ask too many questions
AS l say, the trunk was opened and
there were found his instructions from
the Pinkerton agency. He was a full
fedged detective after The Hornet
men.
THE life that Kennedy lived the
next two weeks must always live in
his memory. Those who knew his
occupation didn't give it away at
once, but had their revenge all to
themselves. Kennedy went over to
the county fair, and was most soundly
thrashed by some one unknown. He
went with party to lake eight miles
out, and had to foot it home. Money
was no object to him, and more than
one banquet he set up. The boys bled
him, abused him, and then, making
public who he was, Kennedy skipped
by the light of the moon. Editors of
The Hornet will know one Pinkerton
detective anywhere, if the man known
at Allegheny college as Kennedy is
still on their force.
What became of The Hornet
editorsl"
They were unearthed subsequently
One Of them squealed. One who stood
trial was acquitted of libel, and the
matter was dropped. But some of them
are prominent and wealthy men now.
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