The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-02-27
SAYS STUDENTS
we're ARRESTED
WITHOUT Cu5E
WcE-PREslpENr T. P. SCOTT OF
THE NORMAL COLLEGE GIVES
OUT STATEMENT.
ANXIOUS FOR INVESTIGATION
Says College Authorities Were Unable
to Obtain Trial for Accused Youns
Men-No Affidavit Made Until Thir
ty-six Hours After Their Arrest.

Vtce-Fresident T. P. Scott, OF the
Mississippi State Normal College. to-
day gave out the following signed
statement relative to the arrest OF
two students of the institution for al
legged hold-up of Motorman M. L. Nor
man:
'In view of the fact that the Missis-
sippi Normal College has come into
some notoriety in connection with the
reported hold-up of motorman in the |
vicinity of the College on Tuesday |
night last, we think it proper that the
public be informed of the facts in the
case.
about one o'clock Wednesday morn
ing, President Cooks household was
aroused by posse of officers, who, on
being informed that President Cook
was not at home, proceeded to the
vice-president's home and requested
that they be allowed to enter the
boys dormitory and arrest two of the
students who they claimed, had held
up the motorman at 10:45 Tuesday
night. On their statement that they
had positive proof against these young
men, the vice-president gave them per-
mission to make the search and ac-
companied them to the dormitory in
order to assist them in doing this
with as little inconvenience and de-
moralization as possible. This was
especially important on acemnt of
the fact that a portion of the building
was occupied by ladies Ito the num-
Der of about sixty, including the fam
lily of one of the instructors.
'It was assumed that the officers had
the authority to make this search,
and that they had the proof whicn
they claimed to have. The young
man who was named as one OF the
guilty parties was awakened and
asked to give an account OF himself
the preceding evening. 1t was learned
that he and another young man had
come in on the train from New Or
leans and had reached the College on
the 1O:15 car. He stated that he
. vent Immediately to the room OF one
4 : the instructors of the College and
ined there in conversation with
him until i1;0O o'clock. This instruc-
tor was awakened ind. without know
ing the purpose of the inquiries made,
corroborated In every detail the state
ment. of the accused young man. The
other young man implicated also pro
duced witnesses who testified to the
fact that he also was In the dormi'
tory from. 10: Is, to 11:00 o'clock that
night and, therefore, could. not have
been at the car station at 1o;45, the
time Of the alleged hold-up.
"It then transpired that the only evil
dence the officers had was the unsup
ported statement of the motorman
that he recognized these. two young
men as his assailants, although he
stated that +sese assailants were dis
guised By sing the lower portion Of
their II .es covered and their hats
pulled low over their eyes. He die
mot claim to know the young men. by
sight or name, but had assumed tina
they we're the ones who came out OF
the car with him at 1915.
"The vice-president was convinced
that a mistake had been made ant
that the accused young men had estan
likhed an alibi that could not be dis
proved. He was surprised, therefore
when the officers insisted on arrest
inIk these young men and taking then
to tAhe city. to lock them up for tn
night. This would have been don
had mot the yice-presideut and one 9
the Instructors offered to become surs
ties dbn the bond of the young mel
guara Jnteeing that they would appea
for tr ial the next day at 2 o'clock p. n
&QJn the following day, the youn
manI and the College authorities mad
keveIf fy effort to secure trial for u
II, hsed. but found themselveA han
iContinued on Page Thrse.)