Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-27
CLASS PRESIDENT ABUSED.
He Was kidnapped Late at Night, Taken to
the River Bank and Stripped, and Then
His Body Was Covered With Paint Mix
cd with Flaxseed to Make 1t Thick.

NEW BRUNSWICK, n. j., Jan. 27-There
| is trouble in store for some frolcsome Rut.
gers college students who kidnapped G. NJ
Ridgway of Trenton, president of the soph
omore class, while he was on his way tc
| one of the fraternity houses. Several
freshmen took him to the bank of the canal
| where his clothing was removed and his
body covered with green paint.
| Ridgway was compelled to suffer this in
| dignity on account of the actions of the
sophomores the night before. The fresh
| men had their annual dinner and had halt
| finished it before the sophomores, who
make practice of stealing the feast, had
| learned that the event was to take place.
| The outwitted sophomores attempted to
| get square by routing out of bed several
| freshmen in Winant's dormitory who had
not attended the feast and painting them
| green.
When the banqueters returned, there
was lively time in the dormitory, which
the senate, the controlling body of the hall,
finally quelled.
Planned For Revenge.
Then the freshmen decided to be reveng-
ed Many plans were discussed. 1t was no
| ordinary revenge that they wanted. They
finally decided that the leader of the Of
Tending sophomores should have coat OF
green paint, which should be thicker and
be harder to remove than those their own
classmates had received.
Ridgway, president of the sophomore
class, was the man they wanted. Some of
the freshmen lay in wait for him that night.
A close watch WAS kept by freshmen scouts,
who knew he would probably visit one OF
the fraternity houses during the night.
1t was dark and cold, and the wind was
high, but the freshmen did not seem to re-
alize it. They were willing to endure great
Or hardships than those which confronted
them so long as there was a prospect for
finding Ridgway. The victim was late in
appearing, but he appeared at last. AS he
passed the waiting freshmen they sur.
rounded him, and before he realized his
danger they had overpowered him and were
hustlinE him off toward the canal.
In a dark and lonely spot on the bluff
near the seminary buildings, overlooking
the canal, the procession halted A pot
filled with green paint was produced, and
the work of removing Ridgway's clothing
was begun. The high night wind chilled
young Ridgway as the freshmen disrobed
him.
GlOated Over His Agony.
The freshmen were obdurate The in
suit of the night before must be avenged,
they said. A half dozen Pickering Ian,
terms lent a Welro aspect TO the midnight
spectacle. The keen and nipping air tossed
Ridgeway's hair into a tangle. The poor
boy shrank from the paint brush, but it
was no use. When the freshmen got
through with him, he was covered with
green paint.
To make the paint stick they added lib
eral handouts of fiaxseed. Then they al
lowed Ridgeway to put on his clothes.
That was adding injury to insult. His
torturers gloated over his agony.
1t would have been only half the fun
with an ordinary sophomore, but Ridgway
WAS the president of the class. Finally he
was led back to Winant's dormitory to
spend the rest of the night trying to scrub
off the paint and flaxseed. In the morning
Ridgway looked as though he had lost 10
pounds during the night.
The sophomores are now determined that
they shall get square, but there is fair
prospect OF mysterious faculty meetings
and detective work among the professors
to locate the leading offenders. President
Austin Scott has ordered thorough in
vestigation