The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-28
OWENTON TROUBLE
 ABOUT TERMINATED
Committee of Students Visit
 President Anson West
FACULTY MEETS MONDAY
rhirty.nlne Students of North Alabama Conference College Who Celebrated Washineton's Birthday By Tax
 ing Holiday Make Statement.

The indications are that differences be- tween the faculty and thirty-nine students of the North Alabama Conference college at Owenton will, or rather has. come 10 an end. The differences between the student body and the faculty resulted from the action of some of the students In absent ing themselves from school last Monday Washington birthday.
 Yesterday afternoon a committee of four of the students called at the residence of pr. Anson West, the president to confer with him about the matter. Later the committee was called to the residence of Professor Scott, a member of the faculty.
 As a result of the conferences 1t Is said the students will accept the penalty i'm posed upon them by the faculty for being absent from school last Monday without an excuse The faculty will meet Monday afternoon and if the proposition is accept ed the matter will be dropped.
 Since Thursday afternoon there has been some little excitement at the college. Dr. West and the members of the faculty do not seem disposed to make any statement about the matter
 Students Statements.
 Yesterday afternoon the students held an informal meeting in the dormitory at the college. The following statement was given out by the students:
 '"rhere was no direct request made of the faculty for holiday on Washington's birthday. Until this year. however, 1t has always been customary to dismiss school on this day although it does not appear in the catalogue as regular holiday
 Last Monday morning a majority of the students went to the college building, and after talking among ourselves we de- cided to take a holiday. Thirty-nine of the ninety-eight students in the school then left the grounds, going to the woods near by. None of the students came to Birmingham. We had no leader. After reaching the woods we built a fire and proceeded to enjoy the day in a quiet way. Several patriotic addresses were made.
 We came back to the college for dinner and in the afternoon went to the bali grounds, returning at night before sup per. We then went to work as If noth- ing had happened. ssf
 Nothing was9 said about the matter until Thursday morning at chapel ser vices. At that time pr. West made the announcement that the thirty-nine stu dents would be given. anywhere from s2 to 66 demerits each. Ten demerits calls for one hours duty on the campus.
 Concerning Punishment.
 At noon Thursday the thirty-nine stu dents held meeting in one of the literary society halls at the college, at which time they pledged themselves to stand together and let the crowd decide what was best to do. This agreement was reduced to writing and signed by the students The president was then presented with statement to the effect that the boys thought the punishment was excessive. The faculty was then called together, and they called the boys who took the holiday into the meeting in squads and told them that unless they decided to walk the cam pus they would be expelled.
 Thursday afternoon at second rool call in the chapel, Prof. Howard who was in charge. announced that all boys on extra campus duty should remain after tho classes were dismissed. None remained.
 Later that afternoon six of the thirty nine walked the campus for two hours each. Friday afternoon two of these six walked two hours more, and the other four three hours each. None of these six signed the pledge, and all of them are in the preparatory class.
 "All of the thirty-nine students who were not excused for some reason went to their classes Friday morning. Several committees have appeared before the fac- ulty"
 The best of feeling seems to exist be- tween the students and the faculty.