Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-10-04
"A FRESH|ES ARE
HELD PRISONERS
Augustana Sophomores In1ict
Great Humiliation on Young
sters Last Night.

Freshmen of Augustana college suf-
fered the greatest humiliation in re-
cent years yesterday at the hands of
their enemies. the sophomores. The
freshies had planned their annual ban
Quet TO be held at the Hotel Davenport
last night. Sophomore scouts had over
heard two of the underclassmen dis
cussing the function, and so the secret
leaked out Accordingly, preparations
were made by the hated sophs to frus-
trate the plans Of their rivals.
The room of a sophomore on the
third floor of the boys dormitory was
chosen as temporary prison, and at
1 o'clock yesterday afternoon the
roundup of freshies began. Within an
hour six had been captured and lodged
in the Jail, some after considerable re-
! sistance, but others meekly submit
| ting.
Word quickly spread among the
| freshmen of the Imprisonment of their
classmates and rescue party was
soon formed. Bursting open the door
of the room in which the freshies were
held, they came into conflict with the
| sophomore guards. For almost 20 min
utse the battle ragged in the small
room, chairs and other articles of fur
niture being broken and clothes torn.
The gallant rescue party had expected
assistance from the captive freshmen,
but these had already promised not to
offer further resistance and could give
no aid.
The would-be rescuers, confronted
by a superior number of sophs and ex-
hausted from their hard struggle final
ly surrendered, and then there were
IA prisoners in the hands of the VIC
torious sophomores.
The freshmen girls, when they learn
ed of the discontinue of the knights
of their class, were up in arms, but
were unable to do anything to relieve
the situation. They gathered in groups
around the dormitory and sought to
communicate with the prisoners by
means of signals Efforts were also
made by the fair goods to have the
hostelry postpone the banquet, but this
plan also failed. Finally the girls de.
cided to proceed to the hotel alone
after getting word to the prisoners
that they would wait at the banquet
hall until midnight" for them in case
they were released by that time.
During the fight in the prison room
one of the freshies, Hampton Berg
strom, managed to conceal the rope
with which he should have been tied
under his coat Shortly after O'Clock
when the sophs relaxed their vigil
ane, Bergstrom managed to tie tn,
rope to chair in the room, and slipped
through the third story window. Tht
rope reached only to the second floor
but Bergstrom managed to climl
through a second story window ant
made his escape. He lost no time il
getting to the hotel in Davenport
where he was warmly welcomed by tn,
girls and five Of the boys who had no
been captured. Bergstrom made his en-
trance into the banquet hall wearing
sweater, but an upper classman kind.
loaned him a coat
About 7:30 O'Clock, the sophs.. cor
tent with the bitter humiliation the
had inflicted upon the freshies, relent
ed, and liberated their captives. TIL
latter Immediately Set out for the bar
quet, where a joyful class reunion wa
held and the sadly marred feast cal
ried out as scheduled. Paul Hult &C
ed as toastmaster, and the followin
responded:
THE Sophomores"-George Engdah
Our Girls"-Leo belong.
Our Boys"-Gladys Dunleavy.
Our Guardian Eleanor Magnusol
"Augustana"- w. Anderson.