Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-21
NO MORE TOE-PULLING
STUDENTS AT RICHMOND COLLEGE
MUST REFRAIN FROM HAzING.
A LARGE NUMBER ARE SUSPENDED,
The Entire Corps ObIigate Them
selves To Observe the Rule of the
Faculty I'm Future--Excitemsnt OF
the Inst Two Days.

The faculty OF Richmond College have
placed the seal of their dlsapproval on
hazing. and the students have given the
| positive assurance that there shall be no
more toe-pulling at that institution.
! There has been considerable excitement
at the college during the past forty-eight
| hours as a result OF a number Of students
being reported for hazing. but President
| Boatwrght and his associates are firm In
| the determination that the thing shall
| be broken up, an understanding has been
reached, and no further trouble along this
| line is anticipated.
Considerable crepe hung about the doors
and windows OF the Cottage dormitory
yesterday morning, but 1t was tied about
| fragments of rope. and the explanation
| was that the days of usefulness Of these
| parts OF the hazing outfit were over. The
emblems OF mourning were only displayed
for few hours
HAD LONG BEEN PRACTICED.
Ever since the college was established
there has been some form of hazing car
ried on. OF late years IL has assumed
quite a mild form, except on rare occa-
sions. The only relic of the ancient bar
barism which has been kept alive is toe
pulling. This is practiced in the wee
small hours of the morning, when every
one is supposed 10 be in the arms of
Morpheus. on new studeuts-"rats." as
they are called-by some OF the boys who
have been In college one year or more.
This session "the knights of the rope"
as they chivalrously style themselves,
have been more active than for several
years. All of the boys in college, with
the exception of about half "a dozen. had
been carried through the trying ordeal
before the Christmas holidays. On Tues
day night--or early Wednesday morning.
rather-the knights of the rope assem-
bed themselves in the dormitory depart
ment of the third floor of the college
building for the purpose Of initiating in
the secret mysteries the half dozen
who had heretofore been left unmolested-
They proceeded with their solemn rites
and carried them out so successfully
that nearly every student in the building
was aroused from his peaceful slumbers.
one of the boys would not open his door
10 the night walkers, 50 they broke 1t
down, entered his domicile, and proceeded
10 bestow upon him the secrets OF the
august association which they represent.
THE FACULTY TAKE ACTION.
Some of the boys resented the noisiness
of the occasion. and not being in SYM
patty with the objects and motives of
the knights of the rope, reported the case
to President Boatwright, with the names
of about a dozen of the participants on
Wednesday morning two or three OF the
PRINCIPALS of the Toe-Pullers Association
reported their action in regard to break
ing down the door. and expressed a will
ingness TO pay for the door.
President Boatwright considered the
matter so grave an offence that meet
ing of the faculty was called. 1t was In
session for several hours before coming
to any definite conclusion. The trial was
conducted in a most impartial way, and
all the participants-thOse at both ends
of the rope--were heard. The faculty re-
served their decision until 1O:2o O'Clock
Yesterday morning, when a mass-meetins
of students and professors was held IN
the chapel. President Boatwright said
the faculty, after due and careful con-
sideration, had decided TO suspend for
three days the twelve students whose
names had been given them, and the five
additional ones whose names had been
voluntarily given by the participants
themselves. The President made
speech. in which he said the faculty re-
GREETED to have to adopt such course,
but acted with the best interests Of the
college at heart. When he sat down, Mr..
w. S. Mcneil arose and presented petit
ton. which asked the faculty TO re-
move the suspension OF the seventeen
students or TO include IN the suspension
every student in the college who had
ever been a participation in similar
offence. stating that if the seventeen
were released every one would refrain
from hazing in future. There were
about twenty names on the petition
THE FACULTY CONSENTS.
Another meeting Of the faculty was inn
mediately called and second students
meeting was held, at which Professor
Boatwright stated that in view of the !
pledge OF the young men that there |
should be no further hazing the faculty |
had decided 10 remove the suspensions.
Thus the matter very happily ended.