A College Boy's Prank

"There isn't so much deviltry in private among the students today aa there was a few years ago," said a gradúate of Harvard, "bni their pranks inpublic are getting bokter aa time advanea. I wül teil you a good story ülustrative of thia. Dnring my sophomore year there was a party of eight yottng fellows belonging to my class who were all the time looktng f or a chance to créate a sensation. They had become involved in severa! little scrapes wttii the Boston pólice on account of their practical jokes, and were thirstmg for revenge. One Saturday iiight they went to Boston, and on their arrival got shaved in a West End barber shop. "While 'DaTinff thedr checks an idea 6trnck one of the fellows, and after a short conference with hia companions he offered the barber $10 for his rei, white and hfrie pole, which stood about twelve feet high in front of the door. The offer was accepted on the spot, and the young men took it away with them, msisting, however, on taking a receipt, in which both the pole and the amount paid was mentioned. Then they started off for a parade of the Third pólice precinct, in which nearly all their trouble with the 'coppers' had been experienced. "They had not gone f ar bef ore they were stopped by one of their old blue coated f oes, who demanded an explanation of their possession of the pole. The boys replied that it belonged to them and that they were taking it home. The officer, believing that they had stolen it, arrested the whole party and took them to the pólice station, where he charged them with the theft. "At this juncture one of the stndents prodnced the receipt, and they were allowed to depart, mnch to the discomfiture of the arresting officer. Then the boya went to another policeman's beat and were soon stopped by the guardián of that precinct, and, after a short parley, which proved very unsatisfactory to the officer, the studente were again arrested, and, with the pole, were marched back to the station house. This time they got their release f rom the lieutenant in charge without having to produce their receipt. "The boys started off for another officer's beat, taking care to keep within the same precinct, and within less than half au hour were brought back to the station for a third time on suspicion of having stolen that pole. The lieutenanthad to send an officer over the precinct with these orders to all policemen: 'If y on meet a party of eight yotmg men with a barber's pole don"t arrest them. They own it.":