The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-28
A Riot is On in the Kansas City
High School.
Seniors Yelled While Freshmen
Were Enrolling.
SEVERAL SUSPENDED.
Case of A. w. Coffelt Continued
at Winfield.
Attorneys Wanted to Attend
Kansas Day Banquet.

hanSdS City, Mas, JAM Ca
ton is threatened in the high school.
and yesterday morning the situation
was so serious that four boys who had
been suspended the week before for
alleged misconduct were reinstated,
without investiga ton. Their reinstate-
ment was demanded by about fifty
students, most of whom were members
of the senior class. The students. it is
reported, threatened to quit school un-
less the charges against their COM
panions were withdrawn.
George E. Rose, principal of the high
school, and L. E. Wolfe, superintendent
of the city schools, deny any knowledge
of the disturbance although the story
is substantiated by members of the
senior class. The suspended pupils
were Burt Varney, Oscar Huber,
Averin Daily and Ross Hopkins. all
members of the senior class. The
trouble originated last Thursday MORN
ing, when the new freshman class,
which was recently graduated from the
ward schools, was taken into the high
school auditorium and prepared for en-
rollment. During this proceeding the
seniors were shut out. Time grew te-
dious and the seniors decided to enjoy
their freedom to the fullest extent.
Having been shut out of the study hall,
they gained an entrance to the base
ment by sliding through cellar win
dow. There were about thirty of them,
and once on the inside they commenced
to give the yell of the Kansas City,
Kas., high school.
Prof Julius E. Kammeyer went to
the basement and routed the noisy stu
dents. AS the boys filed out of the
building one of them yelled:
What's the matter with Kammeyer?'
He's all right" yelled the chorus of
students.
Whats the matter with Rose?" ask
ed several, in a high tone of voice.
&c 1ear In IrrsI
and this query met with a storm of
Kisses. Superintendent Wolfe heard the
yelling and reported the matter to Pro-
feSSor Rose who was on the second
floor of the high school building. Rose
demonstrated with the students. He was
very angry.
Last Friday Professor Rose suspend
ed Varney, Huber, Daily and Hopkins.
He told Varney that he understood that
he was 1.-THE leader of the rowdies," and
told him to go home.
The seniors We're in the study hall at
the time and when 10 news of the sus-
pension reached them they started%an-
other clamor. There were more Kisses
for Rose and cheers for Varney. Var
suspension, but on the steps of the high
school he met Edith Shirley and told her
about his troubles. Rose came to the
door and exclaimed:
Burt, 1 thought I told you to go
home?"
Varney didn't seem inclined to heed
the professor ana ne was ordered IN
side
go to my office" said Rose.
Varney did as instructed, the profess
sor following him, and closing the door,
The students heard of Varney's impris-
onment and no fewer than fifty of them
rushed for Professor Roses Office. They
raped on the door and demanded the
release of their imprisoned classmate
>Varney was allowed to leave the room,
and all the seniors, with Varney at the
head of the procession, marched to the
study room. The high school building
resounded with yells of the seniors, who
gave yells for Varney and Kisses for the
professors.
Late Friday afternoon the majority
of the students waited on Professor
Rose and demanded that the suspended
boys be reinstated. Yesterday this de-
mand was obeyed
The seniors claim that they had
good rig t tc yell and make merry last
week. TEcT say it is an annual custom
at the Kansas City, Kan, high school.
The freshmen from the ward schools are
always enl oiled during the third week
in January end for years it has been
customary for the seniors to stand by
and ridicule the new men. The remarks
are always friendly, although the fresh
men don't always think so, but being
outnumbered by the other students,
they have to grin and bear the ridicule.
The seniors say that Professor Rose OBJ
jectS to this display of feeling.
The students are angry at Professor
Rose for other reasons. For long time
they have desired to establish a class
fraternity, but Professor Rose, as prin
cipal of the high school, they say has
objected.