Sunday, July 28, 2013

Harvard AND Princeton you say? Well I'll be....

HARVARD STUDENTS START A RIOT.

College Boys Have a Conflict With Cambridge Policemen.

The Result of Exuberance Over a Baseball Victory.

Several of the Students Receive Severe Bruises in the Fight Which
Followed the Arrest of One of Their Number and Several Officers
Are Nursing Severe Wounds.

   BOSTON. June 10.—A riot took place In Harvard Square to-night, and as a result several Harvard students have severe bruises and several of the Cambridge policemen are nursing wounds. It all happened as a result of the students' exuberance over the victory the Harvard Baseball Club secured at Princeton. Three students were locked up. and one was so badly cut about the head that a physician was summoned to the Police Station. Twelve stitches were taken in the wound. He is Arthur T. Pilling, a sophomore. The other two students are Goldthwait H. Darr. a Junior, and day Briggs, special student.

   Patrolmen Corcoran, Murray, McElroy and Dynan wore roughly handled, and the coat of the first-named was Stripped from his back. The others were struck in the face with fists and sticks. This all occurred after the officers had attempted to arrest Briggs on the charge of discharging firearms on the street.

   Early in the evening the news was received of Princeton's defeat, and hundreds of students were standing around the crimson office awaiting the news. Immediately upon its receipt a wild cheer arose, and the students in their joy throw their hats in the air and gave the college yell many times. Chief Cloyes had many policemen on duty at Harvard Square and vicinity. Fire crackers and other fireworks were exploded, but there appeared no concerted action agreed upon until one student shouted that there would be a parade.

   Chief Cloyes cried at the top of his voice for the students to enter the college yard. Absolutely no heed was paid to the warning, and through sheer force of numbers the parade was formed and the men began to march down Massachusetts avenue to Putnam Square. Fifteen abreast they marched, and there were fully 2.000 of them, headed by students playing on horns, cornets and drums.

   Constantly the noise of firearms could be heard, but the police were unable to detect who had the revolvers. The students returned lo Harvard square without incident, where the yelling was continued. Then the parade started again, but in an instant all was uproar. Patrolmen Corcoran and Stevens had detected Clay Briggs discharging a revolver, and they made a grab for it. Briggs fought with all his might to retain the revolver, but it was wrested from him, and the two patrolmen started with him to Station No. 1, about 1,000 feet distant.

   With cries and yells the students and the other persons in the parade rushed for the officers, while other policemen fought their way through the crowd to their brother officers' rescue. When the arrest of Briggs became generally known about 300 of the students formed themselves into a veritable foot-ball wedge and ran down Brattle street at a tremendous rate. Officers Stevens and Corcoran had hold of Briggs by either arm, while Officers McElroy and Murray were in advance attempting to open a path, and the either officers were acting as a body guard.

   When in Brattle square Student Darr with his clenched fist struck Patrolman MeElroy a terrible blow in the face. He was grabbed by either officers, and then the crowd became even more frenzied than before. Darr was hustled along the street, and the two officers were surrounded by a hundred students, and in an instant they were upon the ground, and hundreds of persons were apparently cm top of them. The officers were kicked and pounded, their clothes torn and their faces Scratched, but they hung to Darr, and finally were able to arise, after using their clubs effectively.

   Meantime other officers were coming to their assistance, and then it was that Pilling emerged from the crowd that was kicking and hitting at Dynan and Coulter and assaulted, it is said, Patrolman Corcoran. He was grabbed by Officer Murray, and then ensued a fight such as has seldom been seen. Pilling, who is an athlete, fought like a tiger, while the cheers from the crowd egged him on. He was hit in the head with a club by one of the officers, but even then did not give up fighting.

   The officers, with their three prisoners, were then in front of the station, but the hardest battle was yet to come. The students and others ran ahead of the police and blocked the doorway to the Police Station, and the officers had  to fight their way into the building, many students receiving severe blows from the clubs during the melee. Briggs and Darr were hustled into the station, but Pilling had to be carried in. He fought to the very last to get away from the police.

   For half an hour the crowd remained in front of the station, threatening to effect an entrance. One of the officers mounted the steps and pleaded with the crowd to disperse. He was greeted with Cheers, and when he told the crowd to go to Holmsfield it slowly dispersed, to meet again at that place, where speeches were made condemning the police for their action. At first the speeches were loudly applauded, but later, when one or two students who had taken the side of the police and stated that the officers had told them they must keep inside of the college yard, and that they had only done their duty in arresting a man discharging firearms in the streets, they were cheered also.

   Briggs, Darr and Pilling were bailed out within an hour of their arrest. Pilling was sent to his room, where he will probably be laid up for a few days. Their cases will be heard to-morrow.

   Patrolman McElroy is seriously injured about the head, while Officers Murray and Corcoran are injured about the head and body.

[The Record-Union, Sacramento, Thursday Morning, June 11, 1896. Volume XCL.--No. 103. Pg. 8]

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