The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-03-27
Corvallis has always been $ town
of psations.-Eugene Guard.
It has never had a typhoid fever
epidemic. .n,.
DRIVEN TO REFUGE.

DRIVEN TO REFUGE.
Two Young Girls Pursued BY Hood
luns Sunday Mght-Much
Indigna ton.
There are lot of indignant peo-
pie about town. They have ample
| cause for their indigna ion. 1t is
probable that a movement for
abolishment of a certain practice
prevalent here will be inaugurated.
The practice alluded to is the hab-
it of boys and young men to con-
gregate at the Opera House and at
the doors of churches, and to spend
the time in pranks on the outside
while entertainments or worship is
in progress inside. The thing has
been in vogue for years. 1t is es-
pecially manifest now while the
evangelistic meetings are in prog
ress nightly at the Opera House
and the Methodist church. Sunday
night at least forty boys and young
men were congregated at the Meth
odist church corner. At the same
time there was a large bunch at the
Opera House corner. The scuff
ling, joshing and jostling disturbed
the services at both places, and the
police was called to disperse the
noisy mobs. A number of college
boys were in the crowd and when
ordered to leave by Chief LaHe.
they went away. Some of the 9TH
ers also disappeared, but others re.
fused to do so, and two were ar
rested. ~ '75.}f
Chased Quo YouPe Girls.
The main cause however, for the
indignation is the sequel of the facts
above related. Shortly after the
services were over, Chief Lane was
called up by telephone at his home
Mrs. Hurd, wife of the pastor Of
the United Evangelical church, was
the speaker. Two young girls were
at her house, asking for. protection
from two hoodlums who had dog
ged their footsteps from the time
they had left the church. The
girls had taken refuge in the Hurd
| home when the boys had been SO
persistent in their unwelcome at
tentions that they were afraid to
proceed the rest of the way home
without protection. Both girls live
in the outskirts of town, one in
Job addition and one north of
town, Both are eminen'lv res
| pectable you 6 women. When
Chief La arrived at the Hurds,
The young ruflans of coIrse. had
disappeared. The chief saw the
girls safely home snd has since
been engaged in rigid inquiry as
to the identity of the two hood
lums. Oaths, obscenity and every
variety of vile remark fell from
their lips as they dogged the foo
stepe of the girls 1t is their con-
duct that has aroused much public
indignation.
WarPiDe to Paropts.
Of course the dogging of the
footsteps was by two of the young
sters who congr-gated On the church
corners. Not all the boys who con
gregate there expect to chase girls
afterward, but some of thsm do.
Some of them did it Sunday night
The pursuit of ths girls was the
C nsequenee of the gathering ol
hoodlnms on the corner. Wher
the gi'ls stared home, the hoo4.
lums followed. Perhaps ths boys
had the plan in mind al.
the time they stood outside. Ex
cept for some mischief, they would
either have been inside the chu ch
or at home 10 bed The very pres.
ence of boys gathered on these
corners, and standing outside,
while other people go in, is sigr
of mischief. The father or mot her
who sees son there may bs very
sure that he is NOT out on a sensi
S Bile or good errand.
Ide1tity Of Hoodlums Dot Kpown
There are a lot of indignant -peo.
pie who want the practice stopped.
Chief Lane wants it stopped, and
it is at his request that these facts
about the matter are printed. 1t is
sort of warning to parents before
! hand of trouble that is ahead for
their youngsters WHO congregate
at places of entertainment and wo1
ship and dog the footsteps of de-
cent girls after ward. There is be-
lieved to be plenty of law to cover
the case. If there is not, law will
be made to 6tit, and that will mean
arrests and fines or jail sentences.
The whole business is nonsense, a
practice that ought TO be stopped,
and people ought to back up the
! pol ce 10 their efforts to mt an end