Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-04-17
COLLEGE BOYS START
SOMETHING At STRONG
Following a Disturbance in The
atre a Sophomore Spends a
Half Hour in Jail While Stu
dent Body Threatens to Storm
the Place

| College boys from the university gave
"The Million Dollar DOLL" a girl and
music production playing a overnight
stand at The Strong last evening, some
rather unlooked-for free advertising, and
before the end of the performance good
share of the audience was minus, one COL
lege man had spent half an hour in the
county Jail, and the whole personnel of
/ the university was vowing vengeance
upon Bernard Whalen. a son of the man
ager of The Strong theatre. The sequel
will come I'm the city court to-day. when It
Ia understood the conflicting parties will
appear.
| There was a goodly sprnkling Of col
lege men at the show last night. In fact,
judging from appearances, they made up
a large part of the audience The trouble
started when the performance was about
half over. There are conflicting reports
about the details Of the matter. Some
claim that the college boys were throwing
peanuts on to the stage, thus dstracting
the performance and causing annoyance to
the spectators. Others say that more OBJ
noxlous things were happening. All seem
to agree that the man who was taken
out of the theatre was not one Of the real
offenders. IL there were such. as II Is said
that he had been very quiet throughout
the performance.
However this may be, when the
| show had progressed about midway,
it is said that Bernard whalen started
down the aisle toward a certain Sec
| ton of the theatre to where college
sophomore named Herrick was sitting.
! when two officers of the law were
called and Herrick was removed.
At this stage of the game, things
broke loose. according to eyewlt-
nesses of the affair. This particular
sophomore being a popular man in
college, the fellows objected to hav-
ing him removed from the theatre.
especially as 1t is claimed both by
the boys and by people who sat near
him that he had made no distur-
bance.
At about $50 the college men
swarmed out of the theatre, 900 strong,
yelling and shouting for their pal
They rushed down the street to the
police station, where the two or three
policemen present failed to keep them
from entering. They demanded the re-
lease of the college man. but were
! told that he was not there. After
standing in massed formation for
, about a quarter of an hour shouting
we want Herrick" and let's go get
whalen," the psychological spirit of
> the occasion led them back to the
, | theatre where they pushed by two or
three policemen at the entrance and
packed into the orchestra seats
The curtain was down at this time
and remained so while the boys were
there. More calls for the fellow who
E had been arrested and whom they had
not yet located. more denunciations
of Whalen. few college yells and
the boys uuieted down to listen to one
of the representatives Of the troupe.
who spoke to them over the foot
lights and seemed to create favor
able impression.
, Then one of the leaders made a
speech in which he told the boys that
, they could gain nothing by remain
ing there, but that it would he better
to get out then and keep out let
. ting the show go on. but boycottine
it from that time forth. These senti-
>, ments proved unanimous and they
=. filed out.
The next move was to storm the JAIL
It having been learned that the captive
= | was confined there. From the way the
y fellows rushed into the Jail yard, it really
', looked as though something was goinf
" to happen. The heavy iron doors were
:. | closed however. and Sheriff Allen stooc
- lust inside while two policemen guarded
the outer entrance.
At the piazza. the storming part!
E,alted and were addressed by one of thu
| older college men. evidently a medi'
h who had been in former affairs OF TIM
nature. He advised that they would gail
| nothing by violence at this stage OF tn
8 game, that the mayor and the chief o
u police were inside Strengthening matter
out and that the college man who wa
II being detained would soon be released
This proved to be the case. and the col
i lege man was released on bail few
minutes later. This quoted the disturb
u ance around the Jail. Some OF the fel
' lows went back to see the finish or tn
show, while others headed downtown t
'e make a night OF it.
70 Later in the evening. the famlia
- snake dance" was seen winding u
i Church street. and the boys were in evi
> dence more or less during the remainde
= of the evening
:, p G. Herrick. 81, who was release
;" on $50 bail furnished by d. y. Spragu'
10. of Bristol. will appear in city cour
to-day 1t is reported that warrant
have been issued for others Of the col
lege men. although this report has no
been substantiated.
r. Shortly after II o'clock a messenge
,g came to the police station saying tina
the students were en- route to the HON
of Mr. Whalen at PAT South Winoosl
avenue and intended to do all sorts g
r dire things TO the manager of TIL
., Strong.
LII Deputy Chief Patrick Cosgrove MAJ
ei shaled a dozen of officers into the patr'
lie and quick time was made to the seen
Ia of the proposed demonstration of mo
NJ rule but none of the students were to b
o" seen.
H. The surrounding territory was care
fully searched, after which the patrc
with the officers came back up Winoosl
.r, avenue. At The Strong they found abor
", 80 students and citizens gathered bot
L. at the stage entrance and at he mai
Ir. entrance. These were ordered to NOV
I'D on and after threats of arrest for nor
compliance they did so. Then thes
delinquents Joined the main body Of st,
dents at a lunch room.