The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-06-08
The ROW ON The COLLEGE CAMPUS,
GEN. WATTS MAKES n STATE
DIENT.
President Woodrow Very PIainl,
Speaks His Mind--An invcstiga
ton VIII be Made

President Woodrow Very PIainI,
, Speaks His Mind--An invcstiga
tion viii be Made.
The row on the campus Of tho South
Carolina College, which took place on
the 18th Of May, has attracted GOOD
deal OF attention. Adjutant Genera
Watts at first declireu to make any
statement in regard To the affair, but
afterwards deemed it his duty to give
the facts In the case, aud let the public
pass its own judgment After stating
that death In his family had caused
the inspection to be Cuanged from the
Doth to the 2Sth of May, he says
| saw Col. Willie Jones, who was the
colonel Of the second regiment Of in
fantry, and who would be in command
on this occasion, the morning OF the
18th at the Carolina National bank.
lie told me that the Inspection would
be held at the usual place, tho grounds
in charge OF the college, which are
used by the students for athletic pur-
poses (the time and place Of uuy ins pee
tion Is generally left TO the command
ing Otliccr). Col. Jones told me to take
my position in front of the stand, which
was erect d for ladies to occupy in Or
der that they could witness the games
that arc usually played 90 these
| grounds. The battalion was formed
aud the usual line of march was taken.
AS | reached the college grounds pro.
! ceedeu to take my position, indicated
| by Col. Jones, but wa, Informed by Mr..
Ha20od, Une of the students, that a
match game Of ball was in progress.
J aud hoped that | would not Interfere,
or words Ito that effect. | then rode
| from the ball grounds and was spoken
u by Prof. Sloan. He informed me
that the boys had permission to play
! ball on the grounds and that Il match
game was in progress | replied to him
tnat | 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
spection on the grounds. | then took
my position on the left Of the ball
grounds and did not think that was
In any way interfering win the game
OF ball, rs no opposition was raised Us
to my position. The review and inspec.
tlon was then started, and everything
was going On very smoothly until the
battalion was passing in review, when
bail was knocked, and ~ one OF the
players was running 3fLer it he ran in
to Capt. Bateman and knocked of his
cap, tho crowd then hegan TO cheer,
the battalion moved on and nothing
was thought OF this incident. The bat
talon then proceeded with thcir field
movements and AS they wera march
ing past the inspecting officer | re-
quested policeman TO move back some
of the parties who we're in the line OF
march, which he did without any
trouble.
At this time | was stationed to the
left OF the ball grounds, anu IA far as
thought was not in any way conflicting
with the game Of ball. 1t has been
stated that at this time ball was
knocked over in that direction and
struck Il horse OF a mem Der of my staff
| kne" nothing Of the incident. A bout
this time the marshal OF the college
came to me, followed by 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 me that he had
written permission from the president
of the college to have the inspection
on the grounds. | then requested the
policeman to keep the crowd back, and
he tried to do SO. Tho 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 grou lds, 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 timo they
had become very mucn excited, and
seeing that a conflict was inevitable |
considered the best solution of the diff
hcuity would be to have the battalion
marched forward, press back the crowd
TO the street, thereby rendering any
further conflict possible nstween the
students and the policemen. At the
time there was no game OF ball going
on. | then gavo Colonel Jones the or
der to move his command forward,
which he did. The men advanced lat
right shoulder arms" and there was
no order to "charge," as has been
stated. The troops advanced very
steadily and the ma ajority of the crowd
moved back, but three or four students
broke through the line, near whore the
colors 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 general encounter took place
between the students and the police
men.
These are the plain, unvarnished
facts In the case, notwithstanding the
repeated rumors that have been crcu-
lated, many OF which have been absurd
In the extreme.
j. GARY WATTS,
Adjutant and Inspector General.
DIR. WooDROWS STATEMENT.