Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-05-18

Princeton, y. j., May 16.-Princeton
students and Pawnee Bills Wild West
employees INDUCED in a pitched battle
yesterday and continuous and serious
rioting was prevented only by the
presence of men with cool heads and
the action of President Patton OF
Princeton university later in the DAY
in calling a mass meeting of all the
students. For fifty years it has been
an unWritten law in Princeton that no
circus parade must pass through the
streets. Every show proprietor max
ing his dates always left Princeton
from the list, for it has been a matter
of common knowledge that the stu
dents would enforce the unwritten law.
Monday morning PaWnee Bills Wild
West combination violated the tradi-
tions and paraded. The result was the
fiercest battle Princeton has seen in
many years. When posters were hung
up a few days ago announcing the ad-
vent of PaWnee Bill it was at first con-
sidered a joke. Finally when it be-
came known that the management Of
the show was really in earnest, the
town authorities, fearing trouble, ad-
Vised the circus men not to attempt d
parade. Things were proceeding in
their usual course at the university
when the parade started. The process
sion reached the college campus with
out trouble, but passed down Nassau
street at bad moment, for just as the
bands of music were heard the stu
dents were in the act of passing from
the first morning lectures to the sec
Ond. Word was passed all along the
line and within a few minutes 900 or
700 students had assembled on Nassau
street. Cannon crackers left over from
previous celebrations, eggs purchased
at nearby stores and vegetables
bought or cOnfscated from stores, were
quickly assembled. The men unable
to obtain these missiles armed them,
selves with clOds of turf hastily torn
from the lawns.
The trouble started with the band
wagon. Cannon crackers were thrown,
and, exploding under the six horses,
made them frantic. The musicians
were on top of the wagon. A serious
runaway might have resulted had not
one of the leaders stumbled and fell
dragging down the other horses with
him. The students meanwhile kept
up a merciless bombardment of eggs
and vegetables. On the return the pa
rade wheeled into John lane and the
students made a grand rush to head
off the procession. Again the en-
plOyes Of the circus were rOtten-egged
The cowboys and Indians finally
charged the students and used thei1
whips freely. That was the turning
point of the affair. Stung by the
whips and bruised by the riders run
ming among them, the students became
ugly and in a moment missiles that
were annoying but not dangerous were
replaced With stones and the fight be-
came serious. Revolvers were drawn
but fortunately the owners were wise
enough to fire over the heads of the
enemy. Some of the Mexican or
South American cowboys unslung their
bOlas and used these with great effect
the leaden covered ends being exceed
ingly effective. The cowboys charged
the crowd several times and rode down
those who could not get out of the
way. In this manner Edward Dillon
(colored) was knocked down and
kicked in the head by pony and his
skull fractured. A student was injured
by a pony trampling upon him. An
other was wounded by a bola and an
other struck by an Indian with a snake
whip. Several students were less Sc
verely hurt. The cowboys and Indians
also were badly bruised and hurt. That
the show would be upset at night
seemed a certainty until late in the
afternoon when President Patton
called mass meeting of all the I'M
dergraduates and faculty, and the re-
suit of the meeting indicates that the
show will leave the town unmolested
Hundreds of students went to
the show at night in spite of President
PattOn's order, but there was no dis
turbance. 1t is said the disobedient
students will be disciplined.