The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-16
CORNELL MEN IN REVOLT.
INNOCENT STUDENTS MAY BE DIS
CIPLINED By THE UNIVERSITY.
A Threat to Deprive Ftve or Them or Diplomas
at Comnencement ir tho Class Does Not ray
elbO for . . Garbage House Destroyed
by nm Tncendinrv Ffre In Frhrunry uast-

~ SuHaNANhNNuuFnt VI NaR NNlt4 D1N1 NV bby
eisO for q saB Garbago Houso Destroyed
by an Incendiary Fire In February last.
ITHACA, N. Y, juno ia disagreement, In
which the President, trustees, and the senior
class Of Cornell have been engaged since the
latter part Of February, threatens to cause
trouble at the commencement exercises on
Thursday next. 1t all arises over the payment
into the university treasury Of $780,, alleged
cost OF one garbage house burned in q mysteri.
GUS manner nearly four months ago. and tho re-
fusal OF tho university to give degrees 10 Ave
mon as the representatives OF the senior class
until it Is paid. One OF these mon Is +. d. Col
son, coxswain of tho varsity crow.
The garbage house stood on the edge of q gorge
close to the main walk 10 the university from
Cassadilla. 1t was an unsightly structure. and
used merely as a temporary storage for garbage.
During some grading the garbage was allowed
to accumulate for moro than ono day on several
occasions and tho presence OF tho building be-
came offensive to all those who had to pass II
day by day. SO the students decided TO burn IL.
The first attempt was mado about the middle of
February. It was unsuccessful, owing to the
a%lcrtncss of tho registrar. David +. Hoy. Armed
with those, he turned the water not on the nre.
but on tho flrebugs. They reiterated hastily be-
foro they had fairly started their work. 1t was
dark and the registrar did not learn their names.
The second attempt occurred about n week
later, and was successful. Tho sight OF u hun
drod or moro undergraduates dancing In front
OF the academy building gladdonsd tho eyes Of
those who looked out OF their windows near by.
When the fire was at Its height the local fire
company arrived. having dragged tho apparatus
up a steep hill half o mile long. The fremen
wero annoyed and out of breath. SO when there
ensued a disagreement as to tho propricty of ex.
tinguishing the flames the students rushed the
AHAp,an ~ tina ,,p manu- n,1 80 A.. a-.~ ,.,,
hurt some. Tho garbage house went up in
smoke, and its Offensive odor was gone forever.
Here was a case for immediate discipline, and
President Schurman promptly ummone half 4
dozen students and threatened them with sum-
mary expulsion. He knew they were at the
FIRE, he said, and insisted that they should tell
tho names OF their accompllces. They were all
guilty OF arson, he declared. DR.. Schurman
may have heard Of the action taken by Presi-
dent Andrew d. White nearly fifteen years ago.
when the students tore down q wooden bridge
over q deep cut close to tho gymnasium. That
was Q Halloween prank. President White
began an investigation at once. He got hold OF
tho names of about q dozen students,
some Of whom were innocent. and bundled
the whole lot out OF town on an indefinite sus-
pension. He said that more would 90 unless
that bridge was paid for in forty.eight hours.
d dSs st as g e %s' d Pa sson aaF s R.0%P'i and g n Inc a f fsw
days the suspended students, with the exception
VI %eF . a Fl s@ss' ee &c some b saSwn The lS s Ss sH ons;
came back after one terms suspension.
this fss sass. but see aid not S ssarye 4 out Sn mt Il il p saId "a a
clever student threatened TO take him into the
sop II. II he took ,k,s summary action According
amateur musician, had been out for the evening
with his violin. He happened along at the fire
is declared that, no matter what his past record
in student esScapedes had been. he was innocent
garbage house must Be paid aid 70 Within 'n .
certain time. or he would be dismissed.
would be consid cred as a hostage. The young
man wn A. wroth. 4. Is q bright g fellow and
H. ssoiSai'y To-, Seef Prsside Sx p thsf he Of w nish in sso.i9R.
and. moreover, < the President dismissed him,
ton to reinstate him, because he could prove
his Innocence. He forthwith left the President,
Then rumors dew about the ea aapai' as to the
Presidents probable action. Ono was that no
Pouehkeepsie. This was denied at once. An.
other was that he would not allow the senior
manitsesthi Unjust to the " Women ' st"den is 0s who
had "a oISvionsIy burned ned no garbage b, house, D.,
dent, the senior class appointed a of
Ave to confer with the trustees Of tho university.
The class afterward said 1t had no intention Of
his head. On the COMMITTEES We're those who
were not suspected of completely In the incen.
prominent member OF tho class, and Colson,
coxswain Of the crew.
sifH 6 a eHs's' ! !SsI ia,a: "1 said ne thu som mSEs
Zone hundred and fifty dollars" said the
trustees.
The committee gave a pledge to pay and de.
could be replaced for SOS. But $3.50 was better
than any ones expulsion. so subscription boxes
dents e espeSciaily 'f the ofend P'Hse we're aeu urged rye i' 10
contribute. After q reasonable time the boxes
msn, t e Sats sSSp there Rsy Wss rs. IssiaSf sS.%a H''0r''
The trustees and President were inccnsed at
what they considered an insult to the univer.
Bity. IL the money was not raised voluntarily,
they said. 1t would. DO raised Involuntary. To
that end q tax of so cents upon every member of
fee $3.50. The o-eds protested at once. Why
dre they had not even had the pleasure Of see.
ingi They ~revolted, and the plan was given UP
Weeks passed. and nothing was done. There
were no moro contributions. for two reasons
one; that the sut 1l Il, =, felt that. the matter HAVING
the offenders; the other. that to contribute
snd shs y aver SR GSs q .hs s' iniS or f SSslas SG nesa onis
employ spies to find defendants for an action in
But the trustees had no idea Of letting the
matter rest. Al power Of summary correction
q eia In the s hnaas 81 h5eaia aWe sdda a nut kh 5osy t dS
offenders and viii take no pains to fnd them
But We do know the names OF the members ol
that committee which came 10 sec us and
obiigingly. promised 70 pay for the structure
How about that $3.50 T.
The senior class again b~estirred itself. An
other committee WIS appointed which labored
faithfully for days. But tho students did moi
contribute with zeal. They held that It was al
outrage, that the trustees had played a game on
them, and that the garbage house was worth
S25 at the outside. II was simply an old shed
they said, and they were probably right. Whcr
the committee finished It's labors the sum Of
$8S had been raised.
Their work and the curt refusal OF the
trustees TO consider any sum less than $l6C
brought the action down to last week. There
30 far as the university was concerned. thu
matter stood through the lull which exists be
tween examination timS and the beginning Of
atipR class. They held meetings Of indignation
and tho word was generally passed that when tn,
President appeared on the commencement
platform to address the grad Mating class the,
should give him as a tribute TO his foul
years' authority over them "a prolongeo
kissing. One or two members OF tn
faculty heard Of tho plan and prompt!
advised that 1t be abandoned. But the student