The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-10
The ROW ON THE COLLEGE CAMPUS,
GEN. WANTS Makes "A STATE
MENT.

NIENT.
President Woodrow Worry PIainI,
Speaks His Mind--An Invcstiga
tion Will be Made.
The row on the campus of the Soutf
Carolina College, which took place or
the 18th Of May, has attracted u goot
deal Of attention. Adjutant Genera
Watts at first declined to make an,
statement in regard to the affair, bu,
afterwards doomed it his duty to Civ,
the facts In the case, and let the public
pass It's own Judgment. After stating
That death In his family had caused
tho inspection to be changed from the
Goth to the 2Sth of May, he says:
| saw Col. Willie Jones, who was tho
colonel Of the second regiment of in.
fantry, and who would be in command
on this occasion, the morning Of the
2Sth at tho Carolina National bank.
lie told me that the inspection would
in charge of the college. which are
used by the students for athletic pur.
poses (the time and place Of any inspec
tion is generally left to the command.
ing otficer). Col. Jones told me to take
my position in front Of the stand, which
was erecte d for ladies to occupy in or.
der that they could witness the games
that are usually played on these
grounds. The battalion was formed
aud the usua! line Of march was taken,
AS | reached the college grounds pro.
ceeded to take my position, indicated
by Col. Jones, but was informed by Mr..
Hagood, one of the students, that a
match game OF ball was in progress.
and hoped that would not Interfere,
or words ito that etfect. | then rode
from the ball grounds and was spoken
to by Prof. Sloan. He informed me
that the boys had permission to play
ball on the grounds and that u match
game was in progress. | replied to him
that L had no desire to interfere with
the game, but that | had been inform.
ed by Col. Jones that he had permis-
sion from the president to have the in
spcction on the grounds | then took
my position on tho left OF tho ball
grounds and did not think that | was
IN any way interfering win the game
OF Dali, as no opposition was raised as
TO my position. The review and inspec.
tlon was then started, aud everything
was going On very smoothly until tho
battalion was passing in review, when
ball was knocked, and as one of the
players was running otter it he ran in.
TO Capt. Bateman and knocked OFF his
cap, the crowd then began to cheer
the battalion moved on and nothing
was thought OF this incident. The bat
TALON then proceeded with their tiel,
| movements, and as they were march
| ing past the inspecting officer re
| quested u policeman to move back som,
| of the parties who we're in the line O
march, which he did without an,
trouble.
AT this time | was stationed to the
left OF the ball grounds. and as far as
thought was not in any way conflicting
with the game Of ball. 1t has been
stated that at this time a ball was
knocked over in that direction and
struck horse OF a Nom Der OF my sta If
knc% nothing OF the incident. About
this time the marshal of the college
came to me, followed by u crowd OF stu.
dents and ball players, and stated that
the boys had permission to play On the
ball grounds. ! told him | had moth
ing to say as to that, but only knew
that Colonel Jones told mo that he had
written permission from the president
OF the college to have the inspection
on the grounds. l then requested tho
policeman to keep the crowd back, and
he tried to do so. The crowd refused
to go back and began to defy and abuse
the policeman, who blew his whistle
Tor his colleague who was on another
part of the grounds, but still the crowd
would not move back and continued to
defy the policeman. | turned round
and spoke to the crowd and asked them
TO move back, but my request was
treated in the Same manner as that OF
the policemen. | saw there was going
to be trouble between the policemen
and the crowd, for by this time they
had become very much excited, and
seeing that u conflict was inevitable,
considered the best solution of the diff
iiculty would be to have the battalion
marched forward, press back the crowd
to the street, thereby rendering any
further conflict possible between the
students and the policemen. At the
time thcrc was no game OF ball going
on. | then gave Colonel Jones the or
which he did. The men advanced at
| right shoulder arms" and there was
no order to "charge," as has been
| stated. The troops advanced very
steadily and the majority OF the crowd
| moved back, but three or four students
| broke through the line, near where the
| cOl0rs were, and the policemen at
| tempted to interfere. The battalion
moved on to the front, leaving the pO-
licemen and those students in the rear.
Then a general encounter took place
between the students and the police
men.
These are the plain, unvarnshed
| fact5 IN the case, thstanding the
| repeated rumors that have been circu-
lated, many Of which have been absurd
| in the extreme.
j. GARY WATTS,
Adjutant and Inspector General.
DIR. WOODROW'S STATEMENT.
The president, DR.. James Woodrow
was absent from the city when the row