Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 April 1909 — The Right Story About The College Big Bassviol. [ARTICLE]

The Right Story About The College Big Bassviol.

The Monticello Democrat has the following story about the breaking of the big bassviol for the Wabash Glee Club just before the visit of the club to this city: a There seems to have been a good deal of misinformation disseminated regarding the breaking of a large bass violin belonging to the Wabash College Glee Club on the occasion of their visit to Wolcott some time ago, but as near as the Democrat has been able to ascertain the facts are about as follows:

Soon after the boys boarded the west bound Panhandle train here in the evening they became engaged in an altercation with a couple of young men on their way from Logansport to Goodland, and in the mix up the Goodland boys smashed the big bass viol, whether maliciously or accidentally is not known.

All this time the Logansport booze, dispensed under the guardian wing ol the Logansport Business Men’s Association, was getting in its work and when the train reached Reynolds the Goodlandites got-off and invited the college boys off to fight. While they were proclaiming their ability to wipe the depot platform with the dress -spits of the college lads the train pulled out and left them. Later they hired a livery rig and drove to Wolcott where they attempted to renew the trouble but were finally showed the way ont of town and started on their westward journey. The next day Panhandle Detective William Strahle appeared before Justice Marshall and swore out warrants for the arrest of Wesley Butler and George Gilman, two prominent young men residing near Goodland. They were arrested by Marshal Dobbins and taken before a justice at Goodland, where they entered a plea of guilty, Butler’s fine and costs amounting to $22.45 and Gilman’s to $25.95. The bass viol was valued at' $l5O and this Butler and Gilman will probably pay for later.