Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-22
U. OF P. FRESHMEN
SEIZE "SOPH" HEAD
IN DARING RAID
Nelson NJ. Mathews Is Kid
naped by Underclassmen
in Wee 'Sma' Hours of
Morning.

While absorbed in their books at an
early hour this morning Nelson NJ Math
ews, cf Chicago. president OF the sopho-
more class at the University OF Pennsyl-
vania and q half dozen classmates who
were guarding him were overpowcred by
n raiding party Of freshmen in the dorml-
tories ana the second-ycar class leader
was kidnapped. Mathews was hurried
away In an automobile while his class
mates wcro spreading the alarm, and
several hundred Of his friends are now
franticaIly searching the city In the hope
of finding him I'm time for the annual
bowl fight which Is 70 be held on the
campus tomorrow.
The kidnapping was carried out by the
first-ycar men with the greatest secrecy
and the only students recognized whetr
Mathews was hustled into the waiting
machine were Ernest Cole, Alexander
Mcdonald aud Jack Fceney Several po.
liccmen in the southern section Of the
city subsequently reported to the pursu-
ing sophs that a big touring car was seer
maldngba corner down In THE Neck"
shortly before daylight and this is the
only clue the seCond-year men have to
their missing leader.
Mathews lives with Harold N. Cudney.
also Chicagoan, and the two men, with
six others as guards, were studying hare
in preparation for the md-year cx-
animation.
II wonder If the fellows have got Mar
shall?' said Cudney, at about 1880 a. m.
referring to the president OF the freshman
class
IF they haven't they'll land him be-
fore the days over" said Mathews. and
the next moment there was a SUSPICIOUS
step on the stairway.
Cudney and the other guards leaped
to the door, but IL swung open suddenly
and half dozen husky freshmen
crowded In. The second-year men were
no match for the ntruders and Mathews
was hurried quietly out of the house be-
fore other sophomores could be called
to the rescue.
Mathews is now bound hand and foot
ana guarded in some deserted stable in
the southern part of the city.
At daylight. the news spread and the
city was soon alive with wrathful second
year men, anxious to vent their spIte
on their rivals. President Marshall. of
the freshmen class, had been safely hid
den, however, and Matthew'S cohorts
could not get clue as to his where
abouts.
The Eleeful freshmen are confident that
the "sophs" will never find their leader
Who they say, was slowed away from
prying eyes so quickly that he doesn't
know yet what happened to him, If his
hiding place is discovered the 'sopbs"
will have to put up a hard fight to re-
cover their leader as the freshmen have
a strong guard watching him.
The "sophs' will leave no stone I'M
turned to find their leader. If he is still
among the missing tonight they will re-
sort to desperate measures, even to irving
to kidnap Marshall, the freshman leader,
They are as good as beaten in the bowl
fight without the kidnapped president the
freshmen say, but If they can manage to
lay their hands on the leader of their
traditional enemies they will wipe out
some of today's stigma.
An extra guard was put over Marshall,
who Is said to be a safe distance from the
vicinity of the Univereity, as 1t is feared
there would be serious trouble If the rival
Classmen would clash today.