Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-20
COLLEGE HOAX ALARMS
WEsTHAMPT0N SECTION
Midnight Hunt Made In Woods for
student, Said to Have Keen
kidnapped.
BOY is FOUND IN HIS Roo,,
County Police Have long TRAMP.
Professors and Students Thrown i'm
Upronr by footing of Alarm
Whistle at Power-IIousc.

For the second time this session few
students of Greater Richmond Collnpo
nave succeeded In putting one over.
on tho student body and the county con
stabulary.
Ask County Officer Bendall and u.
VIII tell you that the Joke perpctratcd
Thursday night was certainly on bir,
Ask any student of the college and h.
will inform you that John !. Wicker
Jr., waS the goat"
And IL you persist in your question
Ing the student viii tell YOU a story
which runs somewhat after this fashion.
Members OF the Phi Kappa Sigma fra
ternity at the college have been plan.
ming TO test tho Wanted bravery and
audac!ty Of several members of tho fra
ternity for some time. They had planned
the coup to nicely, ana on Thursday
night. or more properly, early yeBtcr-
day morning. executed II with the re-
suit that officer Bcndall spent several
OF the early morning hours trampin1.
the road between his home and the
college, that one of the students sur
fered spell of Mysteries, and most OF
the students devoted q couple OF hours
TO searching the woods for Cary Battcn.
alleged victim OF gang Of Black
flanders.
BATrES RECEIVES LETTERS
FROM "rIiE MYSTERIOUS FIVE"
Young Batten received "A number OF
letters from The Mysterious Five"
during the two weeks preceding Thur
day night. and time after time was
threatened with all kinds OF disasters
unless he apoiogi2cd for insults which
he was said to have heapcd OH tie
heads OF the mysterious band. We'd
nesday he received a letter. inatructtng
him TO meet the Five" near the col
lcgc power house at 1870 O'Clock yes
terday morning
alarming circumstances to his friends
and they agreed TO follow him and 10
render any assistance in their power
II he were attacked. The party Sc,
out from tho college soon after lo:3p
O'Clock. Batten preceding the others by
about 100 yards, They passed Science
Hall and entered the woods which lead
TO the power house. All vvas dark and
nothing could he heard save the souu,i
OF their footsteps and the rustiing at
the foliage.
Suddchly they were startled by :,
weird. agonizinE shr,ck from ahead
on moaned Wicker. They've got
him" exclaimed Kennedy. Get help"
ordered Robertson, and the boys. yrIu
had followed their companion Into th.
college to get help. ''root the whistle
and arouse the men" demanded Cul-
bertson
Tho whistle was footed aud the col
itH' Wds alarmed president BBHi-
wright and numerous professors were
aroused from their siumbers, Willie
practically the entire student bod T..
Hooked to the campus. attiEed In pals
'nat There they were Informed ua
Batten had been captured bv Black
Handlers and that, bound and paggc,.
lie had been Kidnapped Several stu
dents were dispatched to the COUNTY
club OF Virginia TO telephone Otiico.
Bondall anu the city police, wiki.
searching parties We're organized from
among the remaining students.
The search WAS continued for ncarll
an hour, and the woods in the vicinIty
Of tn" college were thorouenly
searched. ci!iccr Ecndall in the mean
time, had started for the college. and
was ,ramping the weary miles IN an
effort 10 get on tho scene and appTc-
bend tho malefactors before they cs-
capped.
And then, just as he gained the col
leg" property. party met him and
informed MIN that Batten was safe in
his room. Some portions OF the hoax
were explained 10 the officer, while
others were not.