The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-04-13
attempt BY PROVIDERS To
ENTER LOCKER ROOM
In This Apartment Are Fifty Springfield
Rifles and Two Thousand Rounds of
Cartridges; Bold Piece of Work Dis.
covered; Electric Plugs Pulled and
Lighting System Of Structure Put Out
Of Commission
From THURSDAYS Daily.

| lazy.
| Providers and night hawks who at
tempt to raise a disturbance in the
high school building will be met with
a warm reception by members of
the cadet corps who ere keeping a
close watch in all parts of the struc-
ture. This precaution was taken be-
cause an attempt was made Tuesday
night to gain an entrance to the ca
Diet guard room where fifty Spring
| field rifles and 1000 rounds of am
munition are kept. Although possible,
| it is not thought that this attempt
was made by any of the students or
members of the school. About $50
| in the evening two students, men,
beers of the Dramatic club, were ap
preaching the building when a shad
ed light was seen in the cadet locker
rooms. The boys stole quietly down
the lower corridor and hurriedly en-
tered the room. However, no one
was seen and to all appearances
nothing was disturbed. A search was
made in the locker room and later
! in the gymnasium balcony, but moth
ing in either place was mQlested.
Man Dashed Past Them.
AS the young men opened the door
, from the gym" leading to the up
| per hall, man dashed hurriedly
past them in the darkness and van
| ished in the hall below. An attempt
was made to pursue the fellow but
the electric switch plugs had been
removed and no light could be turn
ed on in any department below the
upper floor A moment of quiet lis
tening disclosed the providers where
abouts in the lumber room and later
in the domestic science kitchens.
After watching for some time the
boys returned to the upper floor to
practise their parts in the comedy,
Luck?" However, after the dramatic
club adjourned a close watch of the
building was kept till after eleven
O'Clock, but no one was seen about
and the boys returned home thinking
that no future trouble would occur
that night.
Lock Tempered With.
The next morning revealed the
fact that the lock on the guard room
door had been tempered with and
an attempt made to open the window
facing the alley. Further investiga-
ton showed marks in the dust where
two men dropped off from the gym
nasium balcony, fall of twelve feet,
to the floor below. 1t is thought that
as the locker room was entered by
the front door, the invaders dashed
out the back way and dropped off the
balcony to avoid detection. This
clearly indicated that the persons
were not well acquainted with the
building and in all probability were
not students.
Reported to Principal Bate.
The fact of the matter was re-
ported to Principal Bate the next
morning and it was his opinion that
persons other than students desired
knowledge of the arms and ammuni-
ton of the corps. The matter was
at once put in the hands of Major
Charles Richardson. A guarding
squad of six cadets was placed in
the building last night. The boys
served in two hour shifts, two men
on shift and all parts of the build
ing, old and new were patrolled thor
oughly. This system will be con-
tinued for the remainder of the year
and any person found about the
building will be Sternly dealt with
The guards are armed with the COM
pany's Springfield rifles and are de-
termined to get the first man who
attempts to force an entrance.