Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-06
COLLECIANS IN
A FIERCE CLASH
Augustana Sophs Finally Put 1t
Over on the Freshman
Glass.
IN STREETS OF DAVENPORT
A. e. Nelson Captured and Taken
Back to Rock Island-Banquet
Finally Held.

In one OF the ffercest class clash es
In the history of Augustana college,
the sophomores last night gained a
decisive point over their rivals, the
freshmen. AS a result of the clash,
the freshmen held their annual BAN
quet at the Hotel Davenport minus
one of their classmates, A. E. Nelson
of South Rock Island. While the
/ freshies were enjoying their spread, .
with as much enjoyment as they could
under the circumstances, Nelson was
in the tolls of the upper classmel and
eating a restaurant meal, the treat nf
the sophs in lieu of the missed ban
quet
The freshies made little or no at
tempt to conceal the fact yesterday
that banquet was to be held Conf
dent in their strength and superior
numbers and elated over their former
victories, the freshies boldly decided
TO throw down the gauntlet and offer
open battle to the sophs should the
latter attempt to interfere with their
plans. The freshies had all their
best Sunday clothes sent over the river
to the hotel by other students during
the course of the day, and dressed
themselves in toughest battle array for
the anticipated conflict
Excitement All Day.
There was excitement in the air all
day yesterday at the college, The
sophs were busy planning methods If
kidnapping the freshies, while the lat
ter laid clever plans to evade their
rivals. Up to o'clock, the time for
departure, no freshie had fallen a vic
tim. At that hour the freshies exc
cuted a quick and well-planned ma
neuver by which all the boys of the
class were gathered together in one
body and minute later they were off,
The move was made so quickly that
the sophs lost all trace of them and
for a time were at loss as to what
to do. 1t developed afterwards that
the freshmen proceeded to Forty-sec-
opd street, where their girls had as
sembled at the home of one of the
members of the class.
Blockade at Hotel.
The sophs meanwhile boarded a car
for Davenport and formed a blockade
around the hotel. Within a half an
hour the freshies made their appear
ance. marching in double column up
the street toward the hotel. The girls
came first in twos. and the boys
brought up the rear. The sophs per-
mitted the girls to pass by them into
the hotel and an instant later the fight
was on
The battle ragged in front of the
hotel at first, but sUon the scene of
conflict changed to the alley in the
rear. The sophs had succeeded in Sc
curing three freshies and were strug-
Cling desperately to carry them away
through the alley. The freshies who
had succeeded in getting into the
hotel Immediately missed their class
mates and heroically made a sally to
dark alley continued f1ercely for over
FIVE minutes, the freshies finally sue
ceeding in hbeTating two o ftheir men
The third one, however, was gone.
sophs Beaten Back.
The sophs made one more attack On
the freshies as they entered the hotel
the last time, but wer ebeaten back
thoroughly Exhausted. A large crowd
of people had been attracted by the
clash and the street in front of the
hotel was crowded. The members of
both classes presented a dismal APP
pearance, none of them wearing hats
and all showing more or less marks of
the battle It was not until the fresh
les began counting noses that the real
mourning commenced, for it was then
that Nelson was found missing.
The sophs. who had secured him in
the alley, hurried him struggling
through alleys and side streets away
from the hotel to the river. Nelson
called Justify for help, but the sophs
explained to pedestrians that it was a
college class affair and no one inter-
fered. They proceeded with their vic
tim across the river on the ferry and
tool, him to a Rock Island restaurant,
where he was given a feed" After
that they took him to the college dor
mitory, where he was kept a prisoner
in the room of sophomore until mid
night. when he was escorted to his
home in South Rock Island by the
sophs.
Banquet Proceeds.
The freshmen, meanwhile, proceed
ed with their banquet when the boys
had discarded their fighting toys and
donned their banquet attire. 1t de-
veloped that Roscoe Anderson was
president of the class, and he acted
in the capacity of POSTMASTER. Toasts
were responded to as follows:
"1S13"-S. L. Hanson.
"Ou- Motto''-P. A. Paulson.
"Class Spirit"--L. A. Johnson.
"The Girls'-A. W. Johnson.
@The Boys'-Signe Swendseen.
"The Sophomores Munson.
Observation-Disclosures L. Olsen.
After the spread, the freshies
amused themselves in the hotel par
lors until an early hour this morning,