The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-04-30
TOWN AND GOWN ROW
The Origin OF an Ancient Dispute
at Oxford.
STALE FISH AND BAD BEER.

The University Authorities obieetsd -
These, and Then Came the oattis 81
o. sehelasties's Day and Open War.
fars, Massacre and Piliass.
surprising that town and gown rows
have not altogether ceased. Is q row
about nothing In particular. inspired
solely by the Joy OF battle aud the lust
for strife. The juniors 6ght. aud the
seniors separate the comhatants. In
the old days there was really some
thing to fight about. and the seniors
were as pugnacious as the juniors and
Joined as pugnaciously In the ARRAYS.
The dispute arose In the first instance
out Of disagreements between overlap
ping jurisdictions. The origin was in
the DIVERGENT views entertained by the
municipal and university authorities on
matters Of sanitation and hygiene. and
1t will not be denied that the univer-
sity authorities were In the right.
They objected to the sale OF sinking
fish and the brewing Of beer from wa
ter contaminated With sewage. The
townsmen thought such objections fas-
tidious and were very angry when the
university appealed to the king to In
terfere: hence constant chickering's and
frequent exchange of abusive Ian
guage; hence ultimately open war and
that battle Of st. Scholastica's day.
which takes rank In history as the
earliest OF the recorded town and gown
rows.
The trouble begun In q tavern on
Feb. 10, 1854. Some scholars who were
drinking there found fault with the
wine, and the vintner said that q was
quite good enough wine for them. The
scholars threw the vino at the vint-
ner's head. and the vintner summoned
his friends and neighbour to the rss-
cue. They rang the bell of the Church
Of st. Martin at Carfax. and tho pop
ulace. summoned by, this tocsin. shot
at the scholars with bows aud arrows.
The chancellor Of the university an
peared upon the scene. ingemiuating
peace where there was no peace. and
he also WAS shot at. Then the bell Of
tho university Church OF st. Mary was
started ringing. and the melee became
general and lasted until the setting Of
the sun. No one was killed. The
gowasmen got the best Of It. ana the
chancellor was under the impression
that the riot was over. He issued q
proclamation bidding the scholars 10
to their lectures ~ usual ON the fol-
lowing day.
They went ~ he bade them, bat not
with the impunity which he expected.
The townsmen had vowed and PLANNED
vengeance and were lying In wait
Tor them. INSTRUMENTATION PEAS
ants carrying an omnibus black nag
swarmed into the city from Cowley,
Headington and Hinkssy The Carfax
tocsin pealed out SECOND time. just
after the midday dinner hour, and the
tocsin OF st. Mary's responded % BE-
fore. The townsmen not only assailed
the scholars in the streets, but. when
they 0ed before superior forces, pur.
sued them into their lodgings, inns
and halls. killing all that they could
and stealing or destroying all the prop
erty that they could lay their hands
on.
Peacemakers were badly needed, ana.
the chancellor having called for peace
In vain. the monks tried what they
could do. There sailed forth . VAIL
ant band OF frIars, carrying their cru
ctfx and seeking to compose the strife
by chanting litanies. without avail.
They themselves became the objects
Of the popular fury: Z scholar was
struck down while actually clinging
to the crucinx. Other scholars wero
followed into the churches and massa.
cred ut the foot Of the altar. Dead
bodies were hung on to dunghills: the
wounded were haled to prison. and
even torture was not spared. The
crowns Of some chaplains," SAYS the
chronicler-"vix, al the skin. % far %
the tonsure went-these diabolicaj
lmps nayed Oh IN scorn Of their
clergy"
At last the university could resist
no more. The gownsmen began to De-
into the country. ali Of them eave the
scholars OF Merton. who alone had
solid walls behind which they could
retire. Withdrawing to their colleee.
while the town triumphed outside, tie
sole representatives Of learning IN .
deserted city which the bishop had
laid under an interdict. the scholars
u Merton waited Tor the day OF venee-
lnce and redress Of grievances.
1t came. The king sent down q spo-
rial commission TO tnvestigafe The
mayor OF Oxford and his baiIins wxee
Ient to prison, the sheriff was removed
from ONCE. ana presently the town
Was further Inundated By the be-