Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-18
WELL, WHAT NEXT!
Brunswick Police Officer Ar
rests a Bowdoin Student
On Alleged Violation Of One Of the
Towns Sacred Bylaws.
JUDGE Takes Sensible View and Remits
Fine and Costs.

Brunswick, Me-, March 1.-THE
Brunswick municipal court room was
crowded to the doors, this morning, the
majority of those present being Bow
doin College students who had come to
attend the trial of one of their number
who was arrested, last evening, charg-
ed with obstructing the sidewalk by
standing in Il crowd.
Sunday evening about $50, the fresh
men of the various fraternitieS at Bow
doin began to gather in front of the
Town building, prepared to stand in line
all night waiting for the sale of seats
for the annual indoor meet which
comes off next Friday evening, the sale
being scheduled to open at O'Clock
this morning.
The first of the evening there was
some singing and more or less jollying
on the part of the boys. Nothing that
they said or did was however, especi-
ally obnoxious, but it caused a little
disturbance, it being Sunday evening
and many were passing by on heir way
TO church.
The boys were asked to stop singing
which they did. Later in the evening
Chief of Police David e. Coombs order
ed the students to return to the camp
us, claiming that they had no right to
stand in line on account of Article =
Section 3 of the town bylaws, which
provides that ii is unlawful for three Oh
more persons to stand together on d
sidewalk, in the street or in the door
nf Dllh1tc hllil1
ings in the town.
Most of the boys Immediately began
to move, with the intention of walking
back and forth until the trouble had
blown over and then to return to the
line. Several students had only lately
arrived, some of the number being Oh
their way to church.
Special Officer Robertson approached
these boys, who had stopped to see the
fun, and ordered them to move on. One
of the number stopped to ask him why
they should be required to move when
there were a number of town boys stand
ing on the sidewalk and nothing was said
to them. After being asked a second
time the student again asked why he
should be required to move on. There
upon Chief of Police Coombs came Ill
and arrested him.
Hon. Frederic II. Wilson and Russell
w. Eaton, two prominent men in town
were appealed to by the students ant
they secured his release, promising to b,
responsible for his appearance in court
this morning The boys agreed to e
back to the campus and not to come down
again until o'clock this morning.
At the trial the student pleaded guilty
but explained the case, saying that h
was not one of the crowd who was stand
ing in line and so did not see why h'
should be classed with them and require.
to move, when he was simply standing
there, while on his way to church, to sc
what was going to happen.
The judge looked at it from that point
and after saying that the Bowdoin stu
dents caused the Brunswick police less
trouble than the students of almost any
other college in the country, and thai
while the boy was in reality guilty, YET
he did not Intentionally break one of the
bylaws of the town, fined him 81 and costs
and then RENTED both the fine and the
costs.
The decision of the judge was received
with applause by the students present.