The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-03-11
UNIVERSITY RIOT.
MISSOURI STUDENTS DIS
GRACE THEMSELVES.
RaIded n Freshman Reception, Cut Eiec-
trio Wires, Fired Building, Fought
with Policemen and Turned Hose In
to Ladies' neutrality-suspicious. Likely.

COLUMBIA, Mo-, March 5.-The dis
:ipline committee of the University OF
Missouri is hard at work investigating
the class riot of Monday evening. AS
the investigation proceeds, the riot is
shown to be more serious than was at
first supposed, and prospects are good
for the expulsion of fifteen or twenty
students who were ringieaders The
trouble was the first exhibition in
Missouri of the class rush, which has
been such fruitful source of trouble
in Eastern colleges, and which re-
suited in the hazing, under one form
or another, of younger students.
The discipline committee has devel-
oped these facts: The disturbance
occurred Monday evening, February
2s The freshman class of the uni
versity, composed of young ladies and
young men OF the academic depart
ment, had received permission from
the university authorities to use the
ladies' parlors of the academic hall
for class reception. Mrs. Fitch, ma
tron Of the university, was to attend
as chaperon. Late Monday afternoon
the president of the freshman class, Is.
+. Miller called at the office of Presl-
dent II. H. Jesse, and informed
him that it was noised abroad among
the students that unruly spirits in the
senior Junior and sophomore classes
had com bined 10 break up the enter
tainment, to kidnap the president OF
the class and otherwise TO modest the
freshmen. Mr.. Miller asked, on be-
half of the ladies of the class, for
whom he spoke, that President Jesse
protect them from molestation. The
protection had not been asked earlier
because not until then had interior
ence appeared certain.
Judge Alexander Martin, dean OF
the law department, President Jesse
and all other members of the faculty
who could be consulted in the brief
time agreed that the young ladies
must be protected from molestation
and the state property from damage,
at all hazards. 10 this end it was
unanimously agreed that policemen
should be stationed within
the academic hall to eject or
arrest anyone who disturbed the
entertainment This was done. Pres
ident Jesse posted on all the university
bulletin boards notices asking that
the good name of the university stu
dents be preserved and rioting be re-
Trained from. Judging from later
developments the precautions were
not unwarranted
At o'clock a large crowd of STU
dents, the ringleaders masked, dis
charging firearms, charged upon the
academic hall. Finding the doors
carefully guarded By marshals they
went to remote side door, broke it in,
and rushed bowling into the building.
The mob was again met by the police
men at the entrance to the ladies'
rooms and prevented from raiding the
rooms The boisterous students had,
before entering, cut the electric light
wires, turned off the gas, and plunged
the building into darkness. The
freshmen, however, brought in lamps
and went on with their reception.
The disturbing element went to the
athletic grounds, south of the univer.
sity building, and burned down a
frame building erected by the univer-
sity for gymnasium purposes When
the university hose was brought to
put out the flames, they captured the
hose and turned it on the ladies' rooms
in the university Several windows
were broken by the water, and many
wraps and hats in the ladies' cloak
rooms drenched. While this attack
was in progress the policemen cap
tured the hose, arrested the student
who held it-a postgraduate law stu
dent-and put him in the calaboose.
President Jesse, when appraised of
the distur bance, made a vigorous
speech to the rioters, urging them to
dispense, and, though there was much
shouting, the students soon afterward
left the campus. Down town they
stormed the calaboose stoned the
police, broke out windows and endeav-
ored to rescue their companion. Fail
ing in this, they secured his release
on bond. His case will come up in
the police court next week
1t is reported that only about forty
of the 600 students were engaged in
the disturbance. The ringleaders
claim that the state property is the
property of all the people, and that
neither the board of curators nor
other university authorities can pre-
vent their free use or destruction.
They are all over 81 years of age, and
argue that the presence of policemen
to guard the building was an insult
to them which they resented. They
declare that if any of their number
are punished, they will break up the
university, appealing to their
parents, guardians and the
people of the state to indorse
their action. They expect immediate
messages by telegraph and letter from
home commencing them and urging
them to repeat their exhibition OF
independence. They assert that they
were plainly within their rights in
doing as they did. The great body OF
students, however, are emphatic in