Weekly journal-miner., 1915-06-23
THREE SENIORS
 KIDNAPPED BY JUNIORS
(From Thursdays Daily.)

the Cathedral caves just below Ash Fork, the graduation exercises at the High school last night did not run quite as smoothly as they would have otherwise.
 The three seniors who were kid mapped by band Of daring juniors and number Of the Prescott High school alumni were Tom Marks, Paul . Ketcherside and Oliver Nelson, leav- ing but three, Don Bell, Mary Rich ; ards and Anna Richards to be pre- sented with their sheepskins. All through the exercises prelim- mary to the presentation of the diplo- mas, Superintendent Baker and Prin- cipal Hart eagerly awaited the ar rival of the three boys thinking that at the last moment they might ap- pear, but long after the exercises they were still being held, and their hopes were in vain.
 The mothers of the boys who were to have been honored on this one occasion of their lives, in some of the cases were weeping and the sympathy of the entire audience was with them.
 About 4 o'clock yesterday after noon, according to the story, the boys who did the kidnapping appeared at the different homes of the seniors and asked them to go out for joy ride and take swim in Lake Wat son. All accepted the invitation except Don Bell, who was too busy at the time to think of it.
 The boys, started out in two ma chimes, Ford driven by Homer Clark and a Buick by Lee Thompson. The other boys in the Kidnapping party were Milo Deming, Leo Penn, Ernest Love, Jim Stewart and Chas. Born.
 The original intention of the sen iors and alumni members, it is said, was to take the seniors out to the dam. get them to go in swimming and then depart with their clothes, leav- ing them to return to the city in na- lures garb Upon arriving at the dam they decided to tie them up and make them captives and take them farther north.
 About o'clock yesterday evening the High school authorities were in formed of what had happened and a search was started, Don Bell leaving in a machine, Under Sheriff Marks i'll another and Sheriff Joe Young in his own car. A number of other cars took up the search to get the boys back into the city in time for the graduation exercises. None was sue cessful. The first two autos followed the kidnapping party as far as Je- rome Junction, but it developed there that they had gone on to Ash Fork. The searchers realized that it was too late for the seniors to get back in time for the commencement exercises so they returned to Prescott.
 James Farley and Howard Nor row, upon hearing of the kidnapping, also started in pursuit, but returned about 1O:3O o'clock and reported that the three boys were being held cap tives by the juniors and alumni among the rocks near the Cathedral caves.
 It is expected that Marks, Nelson and Ketcherside will be brought into the city during the day.
 It is also said that the juniors had another plot in mind which was to get the two girls who were to gradu- ate to go out auto riding around the loop and have the machine conven- iently break down. If this plot had gone through the entire graduation exercises would probably have been postponed.
 Given Their Diplomas.
 Despite the incident the eleventh annual commencement of the High school was a creditable success. The front of the stage on which three Of the seniors were presented their diplomas, was decorated with ferns and palms, presenting pretty effect. A picked bevy of pretty High school girls of all the classes sang two songs very tremendously under the direction of Miss Mabel Barnard. The High school orchestra also furnished al number of delightful selections. Two excellent solos were sung by Miss Gladys Fox in very pleasing man ner and she received a great deal of well deserved applause. Donald Francis Bell, Mary Rich ards and Anna Louise Richards were presented with diplomas by M. B. Hazeltine, president of the board of trustees. When the names of the other graduates were called applause equal to that given those present was given by the audience. MT. Hazel 1