The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-07
LOCKED IN A CAR.
Washburn Freshmen Made Cap
tiyes by SOphomores.
Taken from Their Boarding
Houses at Midnight.
SIX BOUND AND GAGGED
Planned to Ship Prisoners to
Kansas City.
One Escaped and Brought a
Rescuing Party.
SIX BOUND AND GAGGED

OSStltlatlOn, Kansas city Dill OF rare,
baled hay: route, the Santa Fe: fas-
tened with shackles, bound in chains
and guarded by keepers; this was the
plight and gloomy prospect that con-
fronted Harold Sault. Seth Cox, War
rem Dunaway, Irwin Cook, William
Hoheisel and Ralph Schnakke, six
members of the Freshman. class of
Washburn college at midnight last
night.
Their captors were Sophomores in the
college who had determined to keep
some of their opponents out of the an
nual cane-rush, which contest is to be
held this year as usual on the time
honored spot, the steps of McVicar
chapel tonight. For several days the
Sophomores were laying plans to kid
nap the strongest of the men who VIII
oppose them tonight and spirit them
away to some secret rendezvous until
tonight's battle was fought. But it did
not develop until an early hour last
night what shape these plans would
take.
About O'Clock the shadowy forms of
dozen sophomores from out of the
way places had gathered in conclave.
Then they proceeded to the rooms OF
Harold Sault of 1415 Lincoln street,
There has been for several weeks q live
ly war between the two college liter
airy societies to secure distinctive caps
of their organizations and the sopho-
freshman a scheme whereby the caps OF
the rival society could all be taken at
one swoop. Sault did not see through
the ruse and did not realize that he had
been trapped until he was seized and
tightly bound by the strong, deter
mined sophomores. Then he was picked
up bodily and carried to a moving van
that had been hired for the occasion by
the ready witted sOphomores. This was
sample of the methods of the sopho
mOres in securing their prisoners. From
Sault's room the party of about a dozen
soDhs went to other houses and made
captures at every stop till they had the
six freshmen named above.
The van had, been quite well filled
with the six forms stretched out full
length in the bottom of the bed and
load to a. freight car that was in wait
ing at the fair grounds. Here the
Sophs betrayed unusual cunning. Elden
Tice one of their number. had bar
gained with the Santa Fe railway re-
Gently for a freight car for the trans
portation of freight today to Kansas
City: They had anticipated cold
weather and had prepared for it by
purchasing several bales of hay. OF
course it is now clear that this hay was
provided for the comfort of the Fresh I
les en- route. On their arrival at the
fair grounds the Freshies were taken |
from the van, manacleS were clamped
to their ankles and they were fastened
to huge chain for safekeeping. Then
parted, leaving Eldon Tice and Frank
Gephart. two of their number as
guards, all well pleased with their
nights work. The van was dismissed
but small parties continued to make
forays during the whole night
The Sophs had not fastened their
captives as securely as they had
thought The captives were placed in
the car about 10 o'clock. At about one
O'Clock this morning, Sault, the first
man put in bonds. removed his shoes
and slipped the shackles off his feet
He made a dash for liberty and with
the assistance of his fellows in chains,
made his escape, leaving behind sundry
articles of wearing apparel. In his
somewhat dishabille condition, he made
his way to the lodging places of certain
of his freshmen friends and thus herd
ed together quite a body of indignant
students. When the mob had reached
respectable proportions.it moved on the
works of the enemy in the fair grounds
and at once laid siege Capitulaton
was sudden and the five men who lay
stretched on their backs were liberated.
The Sophomore guards, Eldon Tice and
Frank Gephart, who had been left to
look after the prisoners in the absence
of the rest of the SophS were seized and
bound with the very same chains that
had been used on the freshmen them
selves. The freshmen next secured a
buggy and drove with the two sentinels
Into the country where they have since
At this stage the Freshies were
thirsting for blood and they began
ranging about among the houses south
of the Shunganunga. The whole Sopho
more force arrived about ten minutes
after the jail delivery and perceiving
that their plans were frustrated began
looking about for their victims. 1t was
broad daylight by this time and pe0ole
were apprised that something out of
the ordinary was happening. The col
ored population was out en- masse.
The Sophs soon got wind of their enc
mics in the direction of the Shunga-
nunga. They followed and the two
forces engaged in a pitched battle at
Twenty first and Topeka avenue Here
the Sophs outnumbered their adversar-
les and forced the Freshies to conpro-
mise with the understanding that two
Freshies were to stand as hostages for
the safe return of the two Soph pris-
oner guards. Then the Sophs narrated
their scheme of hiking about a dozen
of the Freshies to Kansas City until the
hostiIitfes of tonight were over.
The fight tonight will likely be very
fierce There is bad blood" between the
powers that be and both sides will go into
the struggle for gore. The Fresnies will /
endeavor to carry the canes up to the
top of the chapel steps, where hostilities
programme of the Washburn College LIT |
erary society Then the fight Will be made |
down the stairs and out the doors, pro-
Vided the Freshies still retain possession !
of the canes. The battle is scheduled 90
begin at 7:30 o'clock. but it is possible
charge before 8 or even later