A High School Initiation

The Sigma Sigma high school fraternity held au initiation on the fair ground last night. It took place in the octagonal building on the gouth side of the round, where one or two noctural "jamborees" have been held before. The CoüRIee and two other press represeutatives went up to take iu the exeri'ises and were not accorded that degree oï hospitality and welcome that ís supposed to be the just due of the presa. Ln f act their preeeoce was looked upou as an intrusión. ïhe fraternity applied several daya go to the management of the fair round, asking for permission to inake se of the octagonal house last evening. 'hey were refused. When asked why ïey wanted that particular building, no eply was made. But there is a shower ath in it. The management told them ie water was turned off, but the boys aid they knew liow to turn itou. They aid that one of the directora liad given üs consent to using the building, but pon inquiry he said he had given no uch consent, and wanted the whole lot rrested for trespass if they entered the rounds. But upon looking the matter ver it was decided that such a course would créate a useless scandal. So to 06 that no harm was done, the newsapers thought it best to keep an eye on he sitnation. They did not get initiatd. but carne awfnlly near it. Tlie exercises of initiation are very systematic. Wtien the member of the press arrived, there were two of the fraternity boys there to receive them. Instead, however, of giving the grip, they passed coldly by on the other side. Tliis was about eight o'clock. Soon two more members came. Others put in an appearance, and flnally two others came with theinitiatorysacriflce. He was blindfolded. One of nis escorte climbed the high fence, and the others pushed and tlirew tlie initiate oyer. He went down with a dull thud. Soon another bevy of members r;un, and by 9:30 the fun began. The press, instead of being given seats in front, wereobliged to make provisión for themselves. The vietim inside was evidently having i warm time. Apparently lie w.as being nade to run the gauntletand every time ie went through someone liad a whack at him, while Mie whole lot bleated like a goat. First, there would come a vigoleras slap, and iinmediately a subdued üucli!" The itiitiate was lo all appearances iu decolletó attire. The shower bath had not yet been brought uto requisition. . One of tin' iress gang became too interested ftt ;his point in the program and uneerenv oniously lowered his dignity by aitem)ting to crawl into the window. He jroke a slat off and in an instant the war cry resounded inside and the press took to its heels. The whole fraternity took after three hartnless and defenceess newspaper men. The latter had two barbed wire fences to get over. The reporter who had raised the alarm was behind, and when he carne to the first fence his pursuers were close upon Mm. Shaking them off he went over the fence, leaving a generous portion of his left pantaloon leg. The three reporters went over the second fenee just intime to escape capture, and pursued by the rabble they ran into the office of the street car barns, followed by crien of "Kill the spies," "Break iu the door," "We'll stay here all night." They were armed with ferocious looking clubs, and fearful looks, indicativa of awful vengeance, wrinkled their brows. There were between twenty and thirty such brows wrinkled. The three frightened(?) newspaper men cowered in one corner of the office in expectation of an awful fate, perhaps that of being smoked out. They pleaded(?) with the street car men for protection. A small 2x4 Scotch terrier volunteered assistance, and the leporters grew graduallycalmer. Finally someone went to the telephone and called for Marshal Banfield to come up and finish the initiatory program. Then a car got ready to start for the city and the three reporters, guarded by the Scotch terrier walked tremblingly( ?) out to the car. They were not even shot at. At the end of the spur that leads to the barn, another car was met containing Marshal Banfield and part of bis force. They proceeded to the fair ground and hroke up the initiation, taking twenty naines and an inventory of articles used in the course of the program, some of which would better not be mentioned in polite society. Thus endeth the first chapter. Thin story may be continued and it may not. The boys promised in all sincerity of purpose to see the newspaper people again. F. E. Mills denies emphatically that he gave the boys a w ritten permit to go on the fair grounds last night or gave them keys to the building, as the boys are reported to have told Marshal Banfield and others that he did.