New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-22
GIRLS IN COLLEGE ROW.
Join an Melee Just Like the Boys
at an Indiana Institution.

Indianapolis. Nov. q (SpeciaD.-Students Of But
Ter College. TIE suburb of IrvngtOn. four miles
east Of this city. confess to fast and furious
time the other day. when the row between the
freshmen and sOphomores participated in by
some Of the young women students. and the more
discreet among the men declare that if another
contest takes place they want to be sure. not only
that the girls their rooms but that the doors
are locked and the keys In the hands OF the col
lege faculty. The desire for certain elimination
of the young women from such a contest grows
out Of the general admission that they are scrap
pers'' Of mean sort and when in melee
quickly develop that propensity for pulling hair
which is said be characteristic of women
when in fight
The young men say that they were tender OF their
fair companions when the row began in the chapel
hail. and at first assumed that the girls had be
come mixed up with the surging and tugging fresh
and sophomores through accident but they
discovered that the girls had entered into the
fight of their volition and determined TO
stay in II 10 the end. The more considerate among
the declare that it a mistaken policy on
their part to receive the kicks and cuffs Of the
girls and then. metaphorically speaking, turn the
other cheek. for it proved in the end that their
kindness was mistaken. and since the fight the
girls have boasted Of their exploits and have taken
70 themselves the credit of several 'knockoUts.''
which. in fact they were permitted to make out
of consideration for the sex and because OF the
mistaken impression that they were in the melee
by accident instead Of design.
The event will be Ions remembered by the Butler
students. who have enjoyed it immensely since
and much to the disgust Of some OF the young
women, who, when the excitement had subsidsd
and they realized that they had been in a rough
apd tumble fight and had rolled down the college
steps with OF the students, felt that
perhaps the limits Of strict propriety had been
exceeded. Some of them went to the president
and tried to explain their connection with the
incident but ne treated the matter good naturedly.
said boys would be boys. and IL must be expected
sometimes for girls to be girls, and when crit
icfsm came from him they were better prepared to
endure the covert insinuations and playful taunts
Of the students
The SCRAP began so suddenly that hardly any one
can give an intelligent account of its origin. One
Of the sophomores appeared in the chapel hall
wearing his class colors but it led comment
and the exercises passed of usual The fresh
men, as if by common impulse. hurried from the
hall. and vher. the sophomore appeared with his
class colors pinned to the lapel Of his coat there
rush of the freshmen 70 despoiI him of his
class insignia He taken Unawares, but
fought manfully. and In a moment dozen sopho-
mores at his side pulling and tugSinS at the
freshmen. BY this time all the students had
reached the hall and the melee became general.
fifty or more students being engaged on either
side
1t was at this juncture that the young women
took hand. One Of the "freshies' had ~soph'
in corner pressing him against the wall when
young woman member Of the sophomore class
went 10 the rescue OF her Classmate. a fresh
woman attempted to pun her away. and this was
the signal for other young women TO take part.
and soon a number of the members Of the two
classes were engaged with the enerSy ard deter
mination of the men and with good deal more
effectiveness than would be expected from the
tender sex.
President Butler mounted chair and shouted at
the students to desiSt and To their classes: the
class gong ringing furiously, the professors
were mixing in the crowd and trying TO pull the
more aggressive students away. and the boys and
girls were yelling and tUgging with all their might:
the one to secure the aggTaVatng class COlOrs OF
the sophomore and the other 20 protect MIN IN the
possession of his insignia Through the long cor
ridor the surging mass moved and showed. some
striking Others repellne the blows. with
their Clothing torn and bedra ggled. and all intent
upOn gaining a victory. despite the odds against
which they arrayed-
Pack and forth through the corridors they tuSged,
and finally came tho head of the long stairway
leading to the campus below BY some means the
main BODY Of the struggling students became massed
at the head of the steps. and suddenly there was
Keeling of bodies clutching at the stair rails and
then a tumbling down the steps in a homogeneous
heap the sophomore wearing the COlOrS beng in
the centre Of the crowd and being protected by
half dozen classmates, who went down with him.
Several Of the young women were in the falling
mass of humanity. and rolled down the steps lust
like the boys says eyewitness and. like the
boys. and continued the contest the campus
grounds.
continued the fight for few moments, bat the
tanitor and his assistants responding the calls
Of President Butler and some OF the professors ran