The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-09-26
BENSON FIELD NEW
SCENE OF STRUGGLE
Football Man Injured; Mt.
Vernon Boys Take Part
In Melee

Gambler Sept. 23-Freshmen of
Kenyon college were completely vic
torious, 81 to T. over the sophomores
in the annual cane rush which was held
this morning, for this first time, upon
Benson athletic field and thereby
gained the right to carry canes on
cane day--the first Sunday after Eas-
ter, 1917.
Lining up under the football goal
posts, the two classes rushed for the
cane which lay in the center of the
| field. Thirty-eight freshmen and %
sophomores participated and in the
melee, Love, star football performer,
broke his collarbone. Other injuries
were minor.
The cane was delivered to the cap
| tain of the freshmen shortly before II
o'clock by President w. F.. Peirce,
who told of its history and narrated
briefly past struggles for class su-
premacy The iirst-year men proceed
ed over the college hill to the athletic
field where the sophomores were in
waiting.
Coach Kelleher was judge of the
rush, while Spike" Welch acted for
the senior class. During the seven
minutes of the struggle, each side
seemed to gain and then lose the. ad-
vantage, the sophomores largely on
account of experience and knowledge
of who composed the class and fresh
men by their larger numbers and
more aggressive tactics.
The only real accident occurred
when Love, a sophomore, plunged in
to the mass of men fighting TO get
their hands on the cane. He over
shot his mark, catapulting entirely
over the sQuirming mass and alighting
on his shoulder the other side of the
pile. His injury will seriously hamper
Kenyon's football team.
The final count of hands showed
that the freshmen had 21 on the cane
: to Z of the sophomores. Russell East
man of Mt. Vernon had one hand on
the cane. Kenneth NJ Harper of this
city also participated. Fletcher M
Devin was ruled out on account of be
ing captured.
, By returning to college at 3 O'Clock
this morning and capturing nineteen
members of the sophomore class who
were soundly snoozing in preparation
for the annual cane rush between the
classes, the freshmen gained an un
! expected advantage over the upper
classmen, depicting their ranks sad
ly.
AT 8 o'clock last night the fresh
. men, in the tow of the juniors, were
taken about two miles north of BeX
ley and secreted in barn. BY the
a rules OF the cane rush, the sophomores
are allowed to start after the first
:, year men at 10 o'clock for the pur
" pose of capturing and thus ruling
them out.
The "sophs" this year decided tha
sleep was more valuable than an all
:. night still-hunt and took to their beds
early in the evening, not making any
attempt at all to find the freshmen
!. The juniors, returning after hidini
their young charges, surveyed The
situation and Immediately hied bacl
to the barn where the freshmen wer,
reposing, They organized the first
year men, laid all the plans and abou
= 3 o'clock led the march on the spoho
!, mores.
Taken completely by surprise an(
/, outnumbered in every case, the soph
omores fell easy prey to the fresh
men. Nineteen of their number were
10 tressed up and taken before Presi
g dent Frederick r. Cross of the col
~ leee assembly who according to can,
: rush rules, declared them out of the
. annual struggle.
)l Football men were not touched b!
the freshmen as they are considered
immune from any preliminary attack
The freshmen are very proud of thei
feat attrbuting much of their success
\ to their COunsellors the juniors