The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-05-16
RnTOUS SIUDHlTS
Princeton College Men Raid a Wild
West Show Parade.
AsPEOTAToR FATALLY INJURED.

The Showmen Resisted the Assaults
OF the Students and Desperate Bat
tie Ensued, in Which Many of the
Participants Were Hurt.
Princeton, N. j., May 16.-Princeton
students and Pawnee Bills Wild West
employees INDUCED in pitched battle
yesterday, and continuous and serious
rfoting 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 mass meeting of all the
students. President Patton spoke in
condemnation of the attack on the pa
rade, and positively forbade any stu
dent to 60 to the show grounds at
night. AS a result Of the meeting the
show left town unmolested, but 1t lost
money, for word ha been passed
through the town that no one In sym
pathy was to enter the tent, and the
townspeople, who are in sympathy
with the students, were unit in refus-
ing to attend. The result was a very
slim audience.
For SO years it has been an UNIV It.
ten law OF Princeton that no circus pa
rade must pass through the streets.
Every show proprietor in making his
dates has always left Princeton from
the list. for it had been a matter OF
common knowledge that the students
would enforce the unwritten law. Yes
terday Pawnee Bills Wild West COM
bination violated traditions and pa
raded. The result was the hercsst
battle Princeton has seen in many
years. The town authorities, fearing
trouble, had advised the circus men
not to attempt a parade. This advice
was unheeded.
Things were proceeding in the usual
course in the university when the pa
rade started. The procession reached
the college campus without trouble,
but passed down Nassau street at
bad moment, for just as the bands
music was heard the students were in
the act of passing from the first morn
ing lectures to the second. The towns
people were out in force and waiting
for the parade, and the great ma
jority of them were massed near the
campus. Word passed all along the
line and within a few minutes 600
or 700 students had assembled
on Nassau street. Cannon crackers,
left over from previous celebrations,
eggs purchased at nearby stores and
vegetables bought or confiscated from
the stores were assembled quickly. Thu
men unable to obtain these missiles
armed themselves with clods of turf
hastily torn from the lawns.
The trouble started with the band
wagon. Cannon crackers were thrown,
and these exploding under the six
horses made them frantic. The mu-
sicians 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 mean
while kept up merciless lombard
ment with eggs and vegetables.
On the return the parade wheeled
into John lane, and the students made
grand rush to head off the process
sion. Again the employees of the circus
were rotten egged. The cowboys and
Indians finally charged the students
and used their whips freely. That was
the turning point of the affair. Stun
ned by the whips and bruised by the
riders running into them the students
became ugly, and In moment the
missiles that were annoying, but not
dangerous, were replaced by stones,
and the fight became serious. Revol.
yers were drawn, but fortunately the
owners were wise enough to fire over
the heads of the enemy. Some of the
Mexican and South American cow
boys unslung their bolas and used
these with great effect, the leaden COW
cred ends being exceedingly effective.
The cowboys charged the crowd sew
eral times, and rode down those who
could not get out of the way.
In this manner Edward Dillon, anold
colored man, was knocked down and
was kicked on the head by pony and
his skull fractured. Dillon Is still I'M
conscious, and will probably die. A
student was injured by a pony tramp
ling on him. Another was wounded
by bola, and another was struck by
an Indian with one Of the snake whips
Many students were less severely hurt.
The cowboys and Indians we're also
badly bruised and hurt.