The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-16
STUDENTS FIGHT
WILD WEST MEN
PrinCetOnS Mix Things
With PaWnee Bill.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

PRINCETON. n. j.. May 15.-Princeton
students and Pawnee Bits Wild West
employees INDUCED in a pitched battle
to-day and serious foting was prevented
only by the presence of men with cool
heads and the action of President Patton
Of Princeton University later in the day
i'm calling a mass-meeting of all the stu
dents. For fifty years it has been an I'M
written law of Princeton that no circus
parade must pass through the streets.
Every show proprietor in making his
dates has always left Princeton from the
list, for it has been a matter of common
knowledge that the students would en-
force the unwritten law. This morning
Pawnee Bits Wild West combination vio-
lated tradition and paraded. The result
was the tiercest battle Princeton has seen
in many years.
When posters were hung up a few days
ago announcing the advent of Pawnee
Bill il was at first considered a joke.
Finally when it became known that the
management of the show was really in
earnest the town authorities. fearing
trouble, advised the circus men not to
attempt q parade. This advice was I'M
needed As a result Of to-days fight one
man is unconscious and may die and
number OI students and employees OF the
show are nursing wounds received in the
fray. That the show would be upset at
night seemed certainty until late this
afternoon, when President Patton called
a maSS-meeting of all the undergraduates
and the faculty and the result of the
meeting indicates that the show will leave
town uumOleSted. but it Will have lost
money. for word has been passed through
the town that no one is TO enter the tent,
and the townspeople, who are in sympa-
Thy with the students, are unit IN re-
Iusing to attend.
Things We're proceeding in the usual
course in the university when the parade
started. The procession reached the col
lege 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 morning lectures to the second.
The townspeople 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 few minutes 500 or 200 stu
dents had assembled on Nassau street.
Cannon crackers left over from previous
occasions, eggs purchased at nearby
stores and vegetables bought or cOnfiS-
Gated from the stores were assembled
quickly. The men unable to obtain these
missiles armed themselves with clodS or
turf hastily torn from the lawns. Inc
trouble started with the band wagon.
Cannon crackers were thrown, and these,
exploding under the SIX horses, made
them frantic. The musicians were on top
Of the wagons. 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 mer-
CHESS DOINDdTQIntnl Will eggs anu NeSt-
tables. On the return the parade wheeled
into John Lane and the students made a
grand rush to head off the procession.
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. Stung by the whips
and bruised by the riders running into
them, the students became ugly and in a
moment missiles that were annoying but
not dangerous We're replaced by stones,
and the fight became serious.
ReVolVers were drawn, but fortunately
their owners were wise enough to ire
over the heads of the enemy. Some OF the
Mexican or South American cowboys un-
sIung their bolas and used these with
ing exceedingly effective, and the cow
bows charged the crowd several times and
rode down those who could not get out OF
the way In this manner Edward Dlmon,
q coored man. was knocked down ana
kicked in the head by pony ana ms
skull fractured. A student was injured
by a pony trampling upon him. Another
wa injured by a bola and another was
struck by an Indian with one OF the
snake whips. Many students were less
severely hurt The cowboys and Indians
were also badly bruised and hurt =
A mass meeting Of students was called
this afternoon. attended by the whole un-
deTgraduate body, at which President
Patton spoke in condemnation of the at
tack on the parade, positively forbiddinS
any student to 90 to the show grounds at
night. At the same time the college au-
thOrties arranged to have the proctor
and large force of assistants on duty
there.