The St. Louis Republic., 1901-09-27
SHuRTlEFF ''SOPHS"
GIVE GHOST DANCE.
Their Bugler Sounds Fire Alarm
at Military Academy, Arous-
ing Cadets From Bed.

Thirty sophomores at Shurtieff College
observed the annual ghost dance Wednes-
day night. and in the early morning hours
of Thursday were in complete possession OF
the village OF Upper Alton.
The lark began after the annual recep-
ton of the members of the Sigma Phi So
ciety to the new students.
Shortly after midnight thirty boys emerged
from the mems dormitory. with niShtgowns
over their regular clothing and their heads
enwrapped with pillow cases They were
Just starting on their annual ghost dance" ."
which continued until nearly dawn
The first act of the sophonores was the
unfurIing Of green flag on the electric
light wires between the dormitory and
chapel hall. On the flag was written the
word "Freshmen." Well satisfied with the
success OF their first effort the sophs
marched to the Martha Wood Cottage. the
dormitory for the girls. and under the glare
OF the electric lights danced and sang a
number of their class songs. Several OF
the girls had assembled in one OF the upper
rooms. and after the boys had finished their
songs they sang one in answer. This
brought forth the class yell from the sophs.
after which they started for the Western
Military Academy.
One of the sophomores Is said to have
formerly belonged to military company in
Chicago. At any rate he had a bugle con-
cealed under his night gown. and when the
Western campus was reached he blew the
fire alarm" Instantly a. light appeared IN
the room of every cadet. The ''tire-alarm"
call was followed quickly by the assembly
call" and the cadets rolled and tumbled out
of their barracks in their eagerneSS 10
answer the summons
Major Lowe, the commandant. was one
of the first to hear the fire alarm. and as
he rushed out of his room. half dressed.
he gave the command Fall In" in stem
torian tones. Within less than two minutes
march at the word of the commanding Off
Ger. But just as they were on the point of
marchins to the supposed fire the bugle.r.
and the cadets realized they had been
tricked.
This was Immediately confirmed by the
"ghost dancers" who gave the shHrtletf aI II
by Westerns night watchman. The latter
soon gave uo the chase, and after few
marches ana counter-narches the dancers
returned to their dormitory.
The noise awakened several hundred resi-
dents of the village. and the telephone at
Western rang with calls from all parts OF
broke yesterday and the freshmen at Shurt-
left saw the green flag bearing their names
floating to the breeze. they called class
meeting before breakfast and a committee
was at once delegated 10 take II down.
The flag was Immediately replaced with
a freshman flag OF crimson and silver. This
remained until chapel hour. at 10 o'clock.
During the services; one of the freshmen
stood guard over the flag. but three sopho-
mores bad also remained away. and. steal
ing up to the lower class man, they bound
and gagged him before he was able to make
more than single yell. This yell. however.
was heard in the chapel.
The Reverend Doctor Ransom Harvey was
Just in the midst of the prayer service, but
the freshmen were on their feet in an in
slant and rushed down the chapel stairs
to grapple with the sophomores. A sharp
skirmish Of several minutes ensued. ending
when it was discovered that freshman had
stolen away with the flag.
Yesterday afternoon the flag was re-
placed and last evening the crimson and
gold was floating over the shurtlefr campus.