The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-13
STEVENS "PREPS" FIGHT COPS
srrDENTS WE'RE SHOOTING UP
HOBOKEN FOR FUN.
,...nlt ed q Detective VINO Ordered Them
TO stop Firing and Beat Him Severely
Brighten Shoppers-One Acts rs
Counsel for Others - Several Held.


Detective Sergeant julius Nelson OF
Hohoken received a severe drubbing yes
,erdav from a crowd Of students from
!he nreparatory school of Stevens Institute.
Irho we're celebra ting the beginning Of their
vacation.
When the school closed the "preps' held
meeting on the campus and decided that
uoboken was dead town and needed
ealing up. Half hundred or more got
rerolvers and went marching up WASH
neton street the principal business thor
miphfare Of the city, firing them. The
street was crowded with shoppers, who
fed in all directions. The "preps' thought
the thing was great fun. and would occa-
siopally point their revolvers at man in a
doorway and discharge blank cartridges
At him.
A crowd OF 500 persons were following
the .preps" when they we're nearing First
street. Detective Sergeant Nelson conf
handed them to stop shooting. While he
was talking to one Of the ringleaders,
.ome one struck him from behind and
knocked him down. When he fell the
-prepe" began to punch and kick him.
Those who couldn't get near him kept
up the excitement by discharging their
reviewers.
The City Hall. in which police head
quarters are located is only block away,
and a score or more Of city officials and
cops were, soon h1Irying to the scene OF
face streaming with blood trying to defend
himself against the crowd Of 'preps, none
OF whom was more than 10 years old. III
cense Inspector Joseph McGovern, q big.
brawny chap, was the first to reach Mel
o on the h students and shouted to the crowd
in the rear Of them to pitch in and help
to subdue the disturbance. When the
police arrived they got to work with their
clubs and soon had the 'prepe' on the
Nelson arrested ono Of the 'prepe' who
had struck him. and McGovern grabbed
another. Two others were arrested by
business men and two more by the police
a. they we're boarding ferryboat to take
'" 4 lot Of t the re rest of the youngsters were
caught BY indignant Washington street
merchants and severely thrashed before
they were let 60. Some Of them tried to
f1shten of their ehastisers by displaying
their revolvers and got extra rough hand
ling One little fellow fred his gun in the
face of the man who was lambasting him.
The prisoners we're booked at police
headquarters as follows:
Christian Heidi. Is years old. OF SO Clifford
avenue; Edward Cone, 10 years old, Of $50
Bergen avenue; George D. Thayer, IS years
old, Of "a Monticello avenue; Walter Brown,
"a years old, OF 81 Bentley avenue. all OF
Jersey City. John Mitchell. IS years old. OF
1875 West 1O4th street, and Charles Rabbie,
10 years old. OF 4ss Grand street. Man
haitian.
Thayer acted az counsel for the 4preps'
when they were arraigned before Recorder
Stanton.
Thayer made an eloquent plea for the
-prepe," reminding the Recorder that he
must have been boy once himself and 90
casionally must have out up high jinks.
Nelson identified Heidi as one Of the 'prepe'
who struck him.
The Recorder held Heidi in $500 bail for
and Brown were fined IS each for carrying
revolvers without license. and the rest
Of the prisoners were discharged for lack Of
evidence.