The Omaha Sunday Bee Magazine Page
In i miiiw
What the (olle
to Little
The Torture of a
Purdue Univer
sity Student That
Has Roused a
Country- Wide
Movement
Against the Cruel and
Senseless Practice
T
Jji
edirl Hazerx Did
Miss Mabel Rogers, Who Has Sued
Seven of Her Fellow Students .
for Hazing Her.
fHB cruel hazing of Miss Mary
Rogers, of Purdue University.
Ind., has led to n country-wide
agitation against this degrading prac
tice In girls' colleges.
Miss Rogers has brought a suit for
$7,000 damages against her torment
ors. The detailed statements Bho
makes under oath In her complaint
will nslound many persons who look
upon the higher education of women
as a valuable means of Improving
society.
The defendants nre all young wo
men of good family nnd social posi
tion. They nre Mary Clark, Indian
apolis; Ruth, Cowan, Chicago; May
Blue, Lafayette; Mary Sheridan, At
tica; Agnes rhllllpsMonrocvllle; Ei
ther Klstner, Torre Haute, and Helen
Lee, Oxford. ,
Thcso girls,' according to Miss Rog
ers's story, came to her In her room
when she wus studying on .tho even
ing of January 14 last, a cold, Win
ter's day. i
They chase poor Miss Rogers
around tho room, nnd toro her cloth
ing off. They painted her body with
red Ink, jioured mucllnge over hor
back, covered It with feathers, stuck
her body full of pins, and then thrust
her Into a tub of cold water until her
face was under the water aud she
nearly drowned.
"I was 111 at the lime," says Miss
Rogers, "nnd I told them this when
they attacked me. 1 begged them to
atop, but they, paid no attention to my
pleadings.
Miss Rogers declares that as a re
sult, of tils Imzlng her eyesight has
been permanently Injured, aud her
nervous system' has suffered an in
jury from which It has not yet recov
crcd, nnd will probably paver recover.
Hitherto many girls who have been
injured in hazing escapades have ab
stained from making' complnlnta. from
n sense of honor or fear of their com
panions. Mlsa Rogers Is seeking legal
redress with determination, and her
action Is welcomed by many oduca.
tors who have tried In vain to stamp
oat the evil of hazlug nmong girls.
President Stone, of Purdue Univer
sity, has suspcuded the accused girls
nnd has declared that ho will mako
every effort to stamp out the evil.
Many observers declare that girls,
when they Indulge in basing, are apt
to be more cruel than men student a.
There la no recorded case where the
men students of a college did any
thing as cruel as sticking pins Into
their victim. Such performances must
necessarily be more dangerous to a
girl than a man, on account of her
more delicate organization.
Professor David Edgar Rice, the
distinguished psychologist, of Colum
bia University, recently pointed out
that when woman resorted to physi
cal forco, which was not normal to
her, she showed a marked tendency
to be more violent, unrestrained arid
cruel than man. He Illustrated thl
by tho example of tho Chicago police
women. They wore nppolntcd be
cause It was believed they would ho
gentler In handling women; but as
soon as they had occasion to use forco
they behaved with great harshness.
Tho Chicago women strikers com
plained bitterly of tho pollco-women,
nnd declared that they would much
rather have to deal with policemen.
In this caso we may observe the
same natural tendencies that appear
to make girls more cruel nnd unre
strained than men when they engage
lnhe practice of hazing a bad prac
tice under any circumstances.
One of the many caws of brutal ha
zing that 1ms been reported wnB that
of pretty Miss Julia Mills, u New
York girl of wealth nnd well-known
family. She wni to bo Initiated into
tho Sigma Gamma secret society, The
othors stripped and bound her nnd
then made her believe that she was
being branded In tho middle a! the
back with a red-hot Iron. She faint
ed away nnd suffered nn attack of
serious Illness from which she was
long In recovering. Afterwards she
learned that "the branding Irou" was
n lump of Ice.
Miss Anna Johnson fell from nn
upper Htory wlndo-' of the Unlvorstty
of South Dakota, and severely Injur
ed hcrsolf while endeavoring to es
cape a hazing party.
Miss I.ornlne Clark complained
that her fellow students at Bridge
port High School made her cat mac
aroni boiled In sottp while blindfold
ed, telling her that It was worms.
Then they forced her to drink kero
sene and tabasco sauce nnd pushed
her down a (light of Ntalrx.
Tho complaint tiled by Miss Rogers,
which has brought about the present
movement against these daugerou.s
practices, Is given herewith In full.
Making
the
Student
Kneel
to the
Tortures.
An Actual
Photograph
,of a
l'.art
of a
Hazing,
. Which
Miss
Rogers
Snys
She
Was
Forced
to Undergo
by Being
Stuck
Full of
Pins.
s : ...
'f
Plump into the cold water of the bathtub they threw the scream
ing little Miss Rogers," or, as the complaint sets forth specifically
"did further, in a rude, insolent, violent and forcible manner,
drag, pull, twist and throw the said plaintiff into a tub of water
until her body was. submerged in the tub aforesaid."
Why She Sues Her Seven Schoolmates
State of Indiana, (
GS
County of Tippecanoe. (
In the Superior Court, to
the March Term, 1914,
T
Mabel Rogers vs. Mary
Clark, Ruth Cowan, May
Blue, Mary Sheridan,
Agnes Phillips, Esther KIs
ner, Helen Lee.
HE above-named plaintiff complains ot the above-
named defendants and alleges:
That this plaintiff is now and was on the
day of January, 1914, a student In Purdue University,
situated in said county and State; that she Is and was
on tho said date a Bpeclal student and as such is taking
special work In the said university in domestic science,
preparing herself for the purpose of teaching. That
before the acts of the defendants hereinafter com
plained of the plaintiff was .a strong, healthy girl, and
that her eyesight was normal.
That the said defendants are, and were on the
day of January, 1914, students in the said Purdue Uni
versity, and are members of the senior class and are
in the fourth-year class. That all of said defendants
and this plaintiff are and were on the day of
January, 1914, students In the said Purdue University.
That there is situated on th.e campus grounds ot the
said university a building known as the "Ladles' Hall,"
which Is a part of and connected with the said uni
versity; that the defendants and plaintiff lived herein
while attending the said university at the "Ladles'
Hall;" and said building or a part thereof Is designated
and used exclusively for the purpose of rooming and
living ot girls attending said Purdue University as
students.
That on the day of January, 1914, and while the
said plaintiff and said defendants were students and
rooming in the said "Ladles' Hall," the said plaintiff
was in her room at the said "Ladles' Hall," having
partially disrobed, and was then and there preparing
her studies and lessons for the following day's recita
tions at the said university.
That the defendants then and there, on the date
aforementioned, conspired and agreed to violently and
Science Explains That Nebuchadnezzar May Have Lived on Alfalfa
s
TUDBNTS of the Bible have frequently
been puzzled by the statement that
Nebuchadnezzar. King ot Babylon, "did
eat grass as the oxen," and lived in that man
ner for seven years. .
Dr. J. B. S. King, ot Chicago, author ot the
standard work "The Chemistry ot Food," has
put forward tho interesting suggestion that tho
reason why Nebuchadnezzar was able to live so
long in this way was that he ate alfalfa, tho
wonderful food-plant which has done so much
for vast regions ot the West. There is evidence
to show that alfalfa grew in the vicinity ot
ancient Babylon aud that its raw leaves will
teed men.
The story of Nebuchadnezzar is told in the
Book ?f Daniel. The great King, at the height
of his power, had a strange dream, and called
upon Daniel to Interpret It. The prophet said
that the dream meant that;
"They shall drive thee from men, and thy
dwelling shall bo with the beasts ot the Held;
they shall make thee to eat grass like ozen,
and seven times shall pass over thee, until
thou know that the Most High ruleth in the
kingdom ot men, and giveth it to whomsoever
he will.
"The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon
Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from
men, and did eat grass as the oxen, and. hla
body was wet with the dew of Heaven, till his
hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his
nails like birds' claw."
The "seven times" is understood to mean
"seven years." The Bible narrative tells us that
at the end of that period Nebuchadnezzar re
turned to his home strengthened In mind and
tody, free from arrogant and tyrannical ten
dencies and greatly Improved in character.
How are we to explain this occurrence? We
know that a man cannot live for eeven years,
or lor many days, on what is ordinarily called
grass. Every occurrence may, ot course, be
explained on the ground that It -was a divine
miracle, but in this case it would be more
reasonable to seek for a natural explanation.
This would tie provided It we find. that alfalfa
crew around Babylon.
The territory adjacent to the city of Babylon
was a highly cultivated alluvial district irrigated
by a splendid system of canals and laterals.
mainly planned by nnd constructed under the
personal direction of King Nebuchadnezzar.
The plain lying on the western bank ot the
Euphrates was commonly called "Edtn." and
Is supposed by many to have been the "Eden"
ot Genesis. It was upon this fruitful plain
that the Bedouin subjects nt Nebuchadnezzar,
captured in war, pastured the flocks and herds
of their Babylonian masters.
Here was enacted the drama played by the
insane king, one ot tho greatest and most im
pressive figures In ancient history. He had
proved himself to be an exception to tho rule
that strong men in positions ot power must be
ruthlesB also. Invincible In war, undofeated
throughout his forty odd years as ruler of a
warlike nation, he was yet a peace-loving mon
arch and devoted to the work ot beautifying
his capital city, improving tho agricultural re
sources of his country and fortifying both
against Invasion hy neighboring rulers.
Twice he marched on and capturod Jerusalem.
The second time, 688 B. C, he sacked the city,
tore down Solomon's temple and led the in
habitants away to the last Babylonian captiv
ity, Thjs act was Inspired by knowledge ot the
fact that the Jews had betrayed him to the In
vading Egyptians, whom he overthrew .
But neither Nebuchadnozzar's greatness as a
military genius nor his wisdom as a civil gov
ernor would have kept him alive during his
period of Insanity If he had not found food
that would sustain human life. The question
naturally arises, therefore, could he have eaten
graBB like oxen and still live?
In the light of modern science Uie answer to
this question Is "Yes." Here Is the explana
tion: In the year 490 B. C. less than 100 years
after the Babylonian king is said to have lived
and fed with the beasts in the field, the Arabs
brought Into Greece from Persia the seeds of
a plant with which they long had been familiar
"Alfalfa." At that time Babylonia had be
come a part of the Persian Empire through
conquest by Cyrus after the death of Nebuchad
nezzar. The Bedouins who fed the Babylonian flocks
on the plain of Edin were nomadic, pastoral
Arabs who had flocks and herds ot their own;
bred a strain ot horses that has been famous
for three thousand years; roamed from place
to piace wnen they "were not serving In en
forced captivity; fought when they could find
anyone to flght with; practised predatory rob
bery and violence and stole everything they
could got their hands on. Yet they honored
with religious fidelity a code of ethics with re
spect to their pledged word that modern peo
ples might copy to their. everlasting credit.
They were popularly supposed to be descend
ants of Ishmael, son of Hagar, and their proper
home was In the northern part of the Arabian
peninsula. Southern Arabs were an agricul
tural, commercial and Industrial people, living
in cities and villages.
These so-called Bedouins had known and used
alfalfa for centuries before they Introduced It
into Europe, and they had given to it the name
It now bears in this country, tho meaning of
which Is, literally, "the best fodder." This
fact being established, it Is permitted to as
sume that alfalfa grew abundantly on the
( Irrigated plains of Babylon, just as It now
grows luxuriantly In the irrigated valleys of
Central California, In Texas and other Western
States.
As a matter of fact, It is not only reasbna
ble to suppose such to be the case, but It
would be unreasonable to doubt it. The Baby
lonians of Nebuchadnezzar's time had at
tained to a high state ot civilization, and they
were far ahead or all their neighbors in ad
vanced agricultural methods. They had the
best ot everything to be found in "Western
Asia. Is It reasonable to suppose they did not
also have "the best fodder?"
If it 'be true that alfalfa grew on the plains
of Babylon In the sixth century before Christ,
there is no element ot Improbability in the
statement that Nebuchadnezzar ate alfalfa
"like oxen," tor alfalfa alone ot all grasses Is
shown by chemical analysis to contain digesti
ble nutrients In the proportions required to
sustain human life. All other grasses contain
so large a percentage ot non-digestible fiber
and other matter that the digestive organs of
man cannot take from them and assimilate a
sufficient quantity of nourishment to feed the
body.
The analysis may bo found in Bulletin No. 95. Is
sued by the North Dakota Agricultural College,
an official publication. The analysis differs
somewhat from that of other samples made at
different times and places, and it Is Important
to note that the protein in the North Dakota
sample shows a lower percentage than other
samples. An analysis ot a sampte ot alfalfa
hay grown in Wisconsin, for Instance, shows
18.17 per cent, of protein, and protein 13 the
tissue-building food element The North Da
kota publication gives a comparison between
alfalfa hay and wheat bran, the latter being
commonly known to be capable of sustaining
human life. Here is the table:
DlgesMble NutrleriT
Dry Matter Carbo- Ether
InlOOLbi. Protein, hydrates. Extract.
Alfalfa .... 91.6 10.4 39.6 1,2
Wheat bran. 88.1 12.2 39.2 2.7
Further proof ot the food value ot alfalfa Is
shown by the fact that alfalfa meal Is now
being manufactured in large quantities, not
only as feed tor poultry and domestic animals,
but for human consumption as well.
At a banquet recently held In Chicago, par
ticipated in by former citizens of the State ot
Kansas, which, by the way. is the banner al
falfa State, the menu embraced coffee, tea,
cake and croutous made from Nebraska al
falfa. Bread, biscuit, breakfast food, candy
and syrup also aro commercial products made
from alfalfa, and alfalfa griddle cakes are said
to be extremely palatable.
For the purpose of making alfalfa meal the
plant Is cut when It has attained-a growth of
from eight to twelve days while It Is young
and tender. The analysis from which the fore
going figures are taken was ot a sample ot
alfalfa hay, cut when the plants had begun to
blossom, probably after a growth ot from thirty
to forty days. The percentage ot digestible
nutrients Is much higher in the young plants
than in those that reach their full growth.
Another significant fact Is that fully 60 per
cent of the protein is found In the leaves of
the plant. The leaf of the young plant would
therefore be much more nutritious than wheat
bran, and people have lived for considerable
periods on the latter.
Remembering these facts.lt seems clear that
Nebuchadnezzar, by selecting young plants and
eating only the leaves, could havo sustained
life very easily.
Copyright, 1014, bi the star t'ompanj. Great Britain Rirht Reserved.
forcibly haze and tub the said plaintiff, and that tn
accordance with said conspiracy and agreement the
said defendants congregated and assembled in and
about the said plaintiff's room for the purpose ot carry
ing out said conspiracy and agreement; and the said
defendants, In furtherance of their said" conspiracy and
agreement, did then and there, in a rude, violent and
forcible manner, ejeot her, the said plaintiff, from her
room aforesaid, by then and there pulling, dragging
and pushing and twisting her, the said plaintiff, from
her room aforesaid.
And that after the said defendants had violently and
forcibly ejected the plaintiff from her room in the
manner aforesaid, the defendants, in a rude, Insolent,
violent and forcible manner, tore the clothing of said
plaintiff and painted the chest, back, neck of this
plaintiff with red ink and poured mucilage on the back
ot said plaintiff.
That the said defendants then violently and forcibly
stuck the plaintiff with pins, trying to compel the said
plaintiff to kneel to the said defendants, and that all
ot the said acts of violence and force were In further
ance of the said conspiracy and agreement ''hat all
of said acts of violence and force In painting and stick
ing with pins of this plaintiff were In the presence of
the ladies and lady students rooming in the said "La
dies' Hall," to the great pain, suffering and humiliation
and degradation and damage of this plaintiff.
That the plantlff was suffering from illness at tha
time, but notwithstanding her pleadings and entreaties
the defendants further, in a rude, insolent, violent and
forcible manner dragged, pulled, twisted and threw the
said plaintiff in a tub of water.
That the defendants, separately and jointly, In the
furtherance of said conspiracy and agreement, threw
the plaintiff in the manner and form aforesaid until
her body was submerged by the water in the tub afore
said. That all of said acts were in the presence and seeing
of the ladles of said "Ladles' Hall" as aforesaid, to the
great pain, suffering, humiliation, degradation and,
damage ot this plaintiff. '
That by reason of the violence and force and tha
throwing of said plaintiff In the tub ot water In the
manner and form aforesaid, the plaintiff suffered great
physical pain and damage, and that by reason of the
violence and force the aforesaid plaintiff became un
conscious and hysterical and remained in this condi
tion for three or four hours, and that the plaintiff suf
fered great pain therefrom and that by reason of the
violence and force and acts aforesaid plaintiff was
compelled to go to the hospital to be treated for the
bruises and other injuries sustained.
That by reason of the violence and force used by the
defendants the plaintiff's eyes were affected to the ex
tent that they are but 25 per cent norma, all of which
was caused by the violent and forcible throwing of said
plaintiff In water, as aforesaid.
That by reason of the violence, force and acts of the
defendants against the plaintiff, the plaintiff's nerves
were affected and the plaintiff became, and is npw,
very nervous and has trouble with her nerves; and by
reason ot the nervous condition ot the plaintiff she can
not sleep at nights without taking medicine to make
her sleep.
That by reason ot the hazing, violence, force and acts
ot the defendants to this complaint herein set out and
complained ot, t,ho studentB of the said university in
the class rooms and on -the streets and the people ot
the streets stare at, comment on and remaric about
this plaintiff, to her great pain, humiliation and degrada
tion and damage, all of which was caused by the acts
of violence of the defendants to this complaint.
That the plaintiff's health and eyesight have become
permanently injured and affected, all ot which was
caused by the violence, force and acts ot the defendants,
to the great damage of the plaintiff. That by reason
ot the sickness and Injuries of the plaintiff she lost
more than six weeks ot school at the university and
she can not now carry on the numbers of work at the
university that she could before the said acts of violence
of the defendants, on account ot the nervous condition
caused by the said violence.
That by reason of the sickness. Injuries to the plaintiff
and injury to her eyes, the plaintiff was put to great
expense tor hospital expenses, physlcjan and medicine,
all ot whloh was caused by the violence, force and acts
of the defendants herein mentioned.
That by reason of the facts herein alleged the plaintiff
has been damaged to the sum ot Seven Thousand
Dollars.
Wherefore the plaintiff sues aud asks judgment
against the said defendants In the sum ot SEVEN
THOUSAND DOLLARS and for all other proper relief.
FRANK KIMMEL,
H. McCORMICK.
CLYDE CHATT1N. j