The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-03
FRAT NIGHT AT DEPAUW
MINDS AND BODIES OF GREEK CAN
DIDATES CRUELTY TORTURED.
BlindfOIded and Tied to Rails in
Front of Trains, Showed from Tall
Buildings or DucIxed in Ponds.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

GREENCASTLE, Ind, Oct. 2.-The Sec
ond Saturday night of the school year at
De Paw is generally known as frat
night. Upon this occasion the initiates CT
the different fraternitiesI especially the
mems societies, are put Through the SUI
preme tests that make them Greek. This
year has been no exception, except from
the fact that the fun has been more fast
and furious than usual Yesterday afternoon
the limitations began and they continued
we'll through the night. The most promi-
nent of the fraternities were the Delta
Upsilons, the Phi Cams and the Betas. The
brain of the student is taxed each year to
devise some new test of bravery endur-
ance to which the novice is put, and sew
eral novelties were sprung last night. One
of the pranks was developed early in the
afternoon. A long. lank student dressed in
the height of fashion, and who halls from
one of the best families of Indianapolis, was
the recipient of many honors as he was
driven about town in a fashionable trap.
He wore a plug hat of the vintage of SO,
and was apparently the lion of the day.
Soon his feathers began to fall as boot
blacks kit was handed him, with stern in
structions to obey orders. His duty, as out
lined by his bosses" was to black the
who hailed him for a "shine" The mem
bers of his prospective fraternity stationed
themselves at different points about the
city and were anxious for shine" They
got it, and the young man in question put
in the afternoon polishing black and tans
in the latest improved style. He was dead
game and won his spurs fairly, and is now
member of his chosen frat
The Phi Cams instituted new feature
"a nAi Aof 70 he
Valdalia railway tracks, about a mile east
OF the city, shortly after dark. The novices
as USUAL s3lt on such occasions; We're blindfold-
ed: The men were securely bound to the
railway track and left to their fate. The
fast west-bouRd mail train reaches this city
at O'Clock, and it usually has a speed of
limits The initiates heard the rumble of
the train, and as it approached their posi-
train was to strike them their tormentors
struck them sounding whack with espe-
cially prepared paddles, which, with the
confusion and roar of the train, was to lead
them to believe they were being run over.
The fun of it was that the initiates were on
a sidetrack. safely out of harm, but near
enough to the train to make them feel that
every minute was to be their last. This
particular fraternity also took their novces
them to a stout rope. dragged them back
and forth through the dark and cold waters.
The new men We're all reported dead
wearing the coveted badge of the fraternity
The. Beta Upsilons placed their soft
mark" in a. wheelbarrow. He was dressed
in blood-red tights and was a sight. He
was wheeled about the streets and finally
dumped into a handy puddle of muddy
water. No complaint escaped him, and he
was finally taken into the fold
A new feature of initiation introduced
this year was the application of the Cow
Itch" to the initiates. This torture came
nearly breaking up the initiation. The cow
itch is a species of weed that is found about
the pastures, and, when it fastens itself
upon cow, sets her wild with pain Some
of this weed was applied to the bare bodies
of the candidates, with the result that a
bath and rubbing down was necessary be-
fore the work could go on.
One of the advertisements INDUCED in was
to take candidate to the roof of a high
building and tell him that he is walking ON
the edge of the wall, fifty feet from the
ground. In truth he is but two or three
feet from a friendly roof. and the path he
is treading is but a fire wall between two
high buildings. At the right moment he is
pushed off into space and lands the near
est roof This test generally brings the
moan of fear or protest which is so much
desired by the tormentors. Last nights
work will be remembered for years by sew
eral of the most promising fraternity cam
didateS.