FATAL "RAGGING."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1739, 2 May 1913, Page 8

FATAL "RAGGING."

FOUR MONTHS' SENTENCE ON FEL-LOW-STUDENTS. Tlirco undergraduates at tho University of North Carolina were oil March 10 convicted of manslaughter as tho result of a midnight escapade during which they "■hazed" or "ragged" to death a fellowBtudent- named Eand. The dcatli of Hand occurred last September. Ho was awakened at midnight, covered with blacking, and carried to tho college green, whero his tormentors, armtil with long poles, forced him to dance and sing on tho top of a barrel. Unfortunately tho barrel tilted, and threw the unclothed dancer to the ground. He fell on n broken bottle, and died of his inj m ies. Tho Judge was urged in hundreds of letters and telegrams from students and others to suspend Ihe sentence, the writers arguing that "ragging" was n custom which had existed for n hundred years at' the university. He sentenced the undergraduates to four months' imprisonment, but allowed them to take advantago of a practice which permits prisoners to bo hired out by the State as labourers during the term of incarceration.' Tho parents of the convicted undergraduates "hired" their sons forthwith from tho prison authorities for ,€3O each.