The Mankato free press., 1923-05-04
SITTING STUDENTS
DEATH TO BOTTOM
"U" Officials Determined
To Fix Responsibility
HAZING IS BANNED
Class Rushes Eliminated In
Future; School Issues
Statement
Associated Press Dispatch.l

Associated Press Dispatch.]
Chicago, May 3.-Grand jury in
vestigation into the death Of Leigh
ton Mount, Northwestern university
student who disappeared after a
class rush on the night Of Septem-
Der 81, 1921, was requested Of Ro-
bert E. Grove, states attorney. in
a formal statement issued jointly
last night by Walter Dill Scott,
president Of the university, and the
board of trustees.
The statement was made public
after a coroners inquest had been
found underneath pier on the lake
front in Evanston. the university's
home. and identified by bits Of
clothing and a silver belt buckle, as
the skeleton OF Mount. The identi-
fication was made by the missing
youths mother. Mrs. ]. L. Mount. =.
With the opening of the coroner's
inquest the Identification was given
a legal status. After a few perfume. :.
tory questions and the exhibition Of
the pieces of cloth, the silver
buckle, a pair of watersoaked shoes
and piece of rope, the inquest was
investigators to complete the list
of students who participated in the
hazing on the night Mount disap-
peared.
Coincident with the university's
formal statement came an an
nouncement from the schools stud
ent council that it had passed a
resolution that any student found
guilty by it Of organizing or parti-
cipating in any form Of class rush,
supervised or unsupervised, would
be recommended to the faculty for
expulsion. .... -. 3.
The university's statement said 1t
lis determined to ascertain the
cause zHeighten- Mounts death
md fix the responsibility therefore.D =
Fatal Injury Louis Aubere
While the statement dealt MANLY
with Mounts death, it took cogni :
zance of the fatal injury to Louis
Aubere, a Freshman. who was killed
In an automobile accident last during
a class fight between freshmen and
sophomores.
Regarding his death the statement
said; Those persons found guilty
of having broken their student
pledges and violating the rules of the
university against hazing will be
SumHldTlls punlSneQ.
Extending sympathy to the fami
lies of Mount and Aubere, the state
ment promised to cooperate in every
ing the deaths and fix the responsi =
bility.
Judge Harry Olson, a trustee of
the university, expressed his belief,
which agrees with that of investiga-
tors, that Mount was injured or kill
ed during, after or in connection
with the class hazing activities,
and that his body was hidden" He
said if the guilty ones had confessed
at the time a charge of manslaughter
might have been placed against them.
Now, he said, there is no telling
what the grand jury may do"
Call For Students Names
Oscar Wolff, coroner, stated last
night he would call upon president
Scott for the names of students dis :
missed after the 1921 hazing. 1t was
reported that fifteen students were
summarily dismissed from school at
that time.
While Coroner Wolff and the uni
versity were issuing statements in =
students known to have been in the
class of 1921 for questioning by
Coroner Wolff today.
Authorities said that the suicide
theory has been abandoned as a re =
suit of questioning Miss Doris Fuchs,
Mounts friend. She will be a wit ::
ness before the coroner's jury when
its sessions are resumed. Miss Fuchs
denied she received note from
Mount suggesting he planned to
commit suicide, the investigators.
said. The note she explained, said
IF | don't see you again good bye"
and referred to her intended de-
I'arture/ from Evanston.
Miss Fuchs said the letter was In
her mail box the morning after
Nount disappeared. 1t bore no stamp
and apparently was delivered per
sonally. Although the letter was un-
signed Miss Fuchs said she was sure
it was written by Mount.
J. L. Mount, said that the funeral
for Leighton would be postponed
until the nature Of his death Is deter
mined and those responsible brought
to trial