The Topeka state journal., 1902-05-01
CHURCH 4 PRISON
Two Washburn Students Locked
in seabr00k Ediflce.
Left There All Night With
Hands Tied.
BURNED OFF THONGS.
By This Means Escaped Early in
the Morning.
Usual May Pole Fight Followed
the Return.
BURNED OFF THONGS.

RAo AASGAAAa
Two sophomores OF Washburn college,
bound hand and foot with ropes. spent
most Of last night as prisoners in Sea-
brook Congregational church, and only
escaped this morning by burning the
ropes off their hands by the fame Of a
lamp which their eaptors left burning.
The captives were Frank Aldrich and
Walter White, and the eaptors party
OF freshmen. White is cousin or
Shakespeare White. the we'll known
football man.
This was one of the unusual incidents
of this years annual May pole fight at
Washburn college The fight occurred
this morning at O'Clock, and ended
in victory for the freshmen. Their
May pole, with a green 1905 flag at the
top, still stands undisturbed in front
of Holbrook hall. The efforts of the
sophomores to overcome the freshmen
and take down the pole were unaya1l-
ing.
The young lady members Of the
freshman class served an elaborate
picnic breakfast early this morning to
their classmates who had put up the
May pole and defended it.
Aldrich and White, the ''sophs" who
fell into the hands of the enemy, were
captured about midnight last night
They were, with other sOphomores, out
scouting over the college campus, try
ing to find out what the freshmen We're
doing. The May pole had not been put
up at that time, and the SophOmOres
had reason to believe that it was hidden
somewhere near the college So they
divided their force into small squads
and organized a thorough search of the
campus. Aldrich and White were as
signed to the wide stretch of prairie
land southwest of the college, where
the golf links are situated. At the
further side of this prairie is deep
favine, and that was where White and
A E-1H
Down IN the ravine the freshmen
had their May pole. Fifteen freshmen
We're there guarding it. The freshmen
laid low till White and Aldrich were
them. The captives did not even have
time to blow their signal whistles.
which would have called the whole
sophomore horde to their rescue.
AldTieh and White were gagged,
bound and placed in a buggy. The only
safe place the freshmen could think Of
to confine their captives was in the Sea-
brook church. This is about a mile and
a half west of Washburn. They were
taken there, and made as comfortab BILE
as possible. and the freshmen kindly
left light burning TO relieve the lone
liness.
At about 2 o'clock this morning the
freshmen, without any opposition on
the part of the sophomores, planted
their pole in front of Holbrook hall 1t
is a pole about fifteen feet tall and is
Z
peeled of its bark. The pole Is covered
with strips of quarter-inch iron up to
height of six feet, to prevent 1t being
cut down. On the top of the pole Is a
large green flag, with the inscription
1906" on it in white. Green is the
freshman color
All of the male members of the fresh
man class We're arrayed in old clothes
or football suits, and from till this
morning they loafed around their pole,
waiting for trouble. The windows Of
Hoibrook hall. where the young ladies'
room. were filled with the faces Of
/ freshman girls. waiting for the combat.
! The charge came at 5 O'Clock. The
/ two captured SopohOmores, White and
/ Aldrich, had by that time escaped from
/ the church and were with the SOphO-
mores, thirsting for revenge. Aldrich
/ had succeeded in knocking the chimney
1 off the lamp at the church, and then
! had burned the ropes which held his
hands. He then was able to release
1 White. In burning off the ropes Aid
! rich burned his hands severely. but did
/ not let that interfere with his desire for
trouble.
The freshmen outnumbered the So
phomores by several fighting men, and
SO the struggle for supremacy did not
! remain long in doubt. One after anoth-
/ er the Sophomores We're laid out on
their backs, and either tied up or held
( down. depending on the amount of re-
4 sIstenee offered. When the battle was
decided, after a half hours rough work,
! the freshmen We're literally on top
One by one the Sophomores were then
/ allowed to get up and depart.
Then the young ladies who had been
occupying grand stand seats at the
arena. were permitted by the preeept-
| ress to come out and give the fresh
| men something to eat.
There is good story about three
! young men who went cut from town
as spectat tors at the prospective battle.
They waited patiently around on the
almost deserted can pus till midnight,
and then went into vacant room in
one Of the college buildings, ate some
sandwiches they had brought out, and
thought they would take q little nan
while waiting for the fun to begin,
They went to sleep, and did not wake
UP till O'Clock this morning. when ev-
erything had been over for about two
/ hours
This is the second time that the class
Of 1904 has been defeated in the Nay
pole fight Last year. the freshmen
they erected a huge telephone pole in
the corner of the Athletic park, and af-
ter a struggle. the SophoHnores succeed
ed IN cutting it down This year. as
SOphomores, they failed to get rid of the
1905 DOie