Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-08-17
hOBSON AS A ROMEO.
Hero of the Merrimac Was Once Tried
for HueginG a Girl.

Hero OF tine McIT1maC W Ae ohSC AEACu
for HueGing n Girl.
Stories of Lieut. Hobson are now Ii
rder, and the following one Is related
" a lady in the city who attended
,chool with the hero Of the hour when
ae was a pupil at Marion. Ala. in the
a9hties. Marion, Ike most college
towns, had two fourishing schools. one
FOR each sex-the Judson seminary for
he girls and the Marion Military Inst-
:ute for their brothers. The Last named
was where young Hobson aended.
These schools were largely patronized
oy the States surrounding Alabama,
md the students boarded in the college
buildings, where Z strict surveillance
was kept over them. and anything Nike
1 Irritation between the boys and girls
was prohibited In the most rigid man.
oer.
Once a month, however. the Literary
society of the military school held an
open session at the church, to which
the girls were invited, and to which
they came under the chaperonage OF
their teachers. They formed IN q long
line In pairs and. with two teachers In
front and two in the rear, they filed
from the Judson grounds across the
square TO the church, which stood back
In the yard, and on each side Of the
Serpentine pathway leading to the door
were rows of elm trees. The boys wero
accustomed at the close of the open
meetings to rush from the church and
stand on each side Of the walk against
these elms and give a military salute to
the ..e-ls as they filed past them on their
way back to the seminary.
One evening, after one of these enter
tainments, and just as the procession
had started from the church. there was
a piercing scream heard coming from
the center of the line, where the utmost
confusion was found to prevail. The
lady teachers from both ends hurried
forward to see what could be the trou-
ole. The specialized professors of the
college also hurried forward and de-
manded what had happened. One Of
the prettiest girls of the school was In
tears, and declared that Dick" Hobson
had rushed out from the line Of boys
and hugged her. That was very seri-
ous accusation indeed. and shortly af-
forward the teachers of the Judson
school and several of the pupils were
asked to appear against Richmond p.
Hobson, who was to be tried by court
martial.
1t was an interesting trial, and much
interesting testimony was brought out
The girl In the case said that while she
could not see the face Of the one who
hUgged her she was sure 1t was Dick"
5ecauSe he had been slipping notes to
aer at Sunday school. Her companions
also agreed that they couldn't see the
face of the hugger In the darkness, but
from the way Dick had looked at
them when they were in the church
they were sure he was the guilty party.
Everything seemingly went to prove
the young mans guilt, and finally the
grave professor who was presiding over
the court asked the crlprit II he had
anything to say IN his own defense. The
future hero of Santiago Bay stood up
great sOlernnity said: Mr.. Professor, /
have only one thing to say. and that Is
II the court viii let me hug the young
lady now. and if she says it's the same
kind Of hug she received that evening.
then 1 am willing to he expelled" and
he took his seat amidst very audible
litter II is hardly necessary to say
that while he was not allowed the priv
llege of the test. Mr. HOhson escaped
xpulsion.-Washing Post