The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-06-02
MOTHERS HOPE DIES AS MOUNT DEATH MYSTERY
BATTLES ALL ATTEMPTS OF COURT INVESTIGATORS
Beacon Light Burned in Win
dow for Nearly Two
Years,
BY GEORGE BRITT
NEA Service Writer

II VANSTON. Ill. June 1.-The
light that burned for love is
out. Leighton Mount is dead.
Moaning out all alone along the
wooded lakeshore campus of North
western University here. his skele.
ton pleads for some one to interpret
the mystery of it's weird story
For nearly two years. a broken
hearted mother. wasting away with
worry. kept a beacon light burning
for her missing boy
For nearly two years she kept his
room in order. Put his school books
on his desk. Kept his clothes mended
and neatly pressed.
Night after night she stole into
that stilled room to see that the light
still burned Night after night she
knelt beside the bed For Leighton
was coming back, she said.
But fate ruled otherwise
Boy Found Skeleton
Early this spring, a school boy
playing pirate along the lake shore
crawled through hole in the pier
near the Evanston breakwater. a mile
south of the university campus.
He reached a point about twenty
FIVE feet from the opening. There.
half covered by stones, washed over
by waves. lay human skeleton.
Every indication pointed to the fact
that the bones We're those Of Mount.
21-year-Old freshman, who disappeared
on the night Of the annual class rush
in September, 1921.
With the bones were piece Of
rope such as students used during
the rush to tie their captives. pieces
Of cloth similar 20 the clothing Mount
had worn and furnished belt buckle
bearing the initials Il NJ"
An Evanston dentist testified the
teeth correspondent to Mounts.
And medical authorities added tc
the confederation Of the missing lads
1 mother there could be no doubt but
death had at last ended her search
The beacon light sputtered and
went out.
Grand Jury Fails
Authorities set TO work 10 solve
the riddle But after weeks Of in
vestigation the Cook County granc
jury had nothing to report"
TWO theories were followed:
That Mount met death at the
hands OF hazers.
That he took MS own life. Doris
I Fuchs 2 nursemaid with whom he
/ had boyish love affair. told Of note
} Mount had written II said he would
/ not see her again.
/ But later Miss Fuchs declared the
( suicide theory untenable.
/ Official inquiry proceeded for nearly
two months. More than 800 students
participating in the class rush" were
/ subpoenaed. J. Allen Mills. leader OF
the freshmen was brought from
Akron, Ohio.
Arthur ?. Persinger, rescued By
fishermen after he was tied head
downward to a breakwater off Calvary
cemetery during the 'rleh," was
grilled.
So were Mounts parents. Doris
Fuchs. President Walter Dill Scott
VI lne university, trustees and alumni
Took Part in Hazing
Only one fact stands out today
That is Mount did take part in the
hazing activities.
But now the grand jury investiea
ton has failed. just as police and
coroner's inquiries did. authorities
admit they are no nearer z. solution
tban they we're when the lake gave Ut
its secret
Meanwhile a mother is praying to
know how her only son spent his
last moments.
Il want the world to know my boy
did not kill himself" she whispers.
But 7 hold no vindictiveness toward
any one"
Campus social functions are barred
at Northwestern. Collegiate seclusion
IL disregarded. A volume of loyal
pledges has poured in from alumni.
renewing devotion to the purple
colors and promising help in arriving
ar an answer to the question on thou.
sands Of tongues:
How did Leighton Mount die?"