Halloween Prank - Culver Military Academy

Sinking most of the pleasure boats, including one steamer, in Lake Maxinkuckee

Several maybe hundreds of news quips flooded newspapers all across the country - some had a brief headline - others were just found down in a news column of happening from around the country. Some found are:

Culver Cadets expelled

Terre Haute, Ind. Nov. 3 - A telegram recieved here from Culver says that about 100 students have been expelled or suspended from the Culver Military Academy for sinking most of the pleasure boats, including one steamer, in Lake Maxinkuckee, on the shore of which the academy is situated. The sinking was a Halloween prank. - Nov, 3 1900 Muscatine Semi-Weekly News Tribune (Iowa)

One hunderd and five of the cadets at the Culver military academy at Lake Maxinkuckee, Ind., were summarily dismissed, on the 2d for insubordination, the commandant declaring that it were better the bats and owls should find refufe in the halls than that insubordination to disciplneshould gain a foothold. - Nov. 8 1900 - Iron County Register (Missouri)

Suspended 105 Cadets

Terre Haute, In., Nov. 3, Because two students at Culver Military Academy, located at Lake Maxinkuckee north of this city, were expelled from the school for a halloween prank, 128 more have left the shool for their homes, 103 of the number formally suspended, the other 25 leaving through sympathy. The school had on the day before halloween 222 students today there are but 93 left. - Nov 7, 1900 - Fort Scott Weekly (Kansas)

Students Expelled

Hallowe'en Causes a Shaking Up at Culver Academy

Logansport, Ind., Nov. 3, - Yesterday 118 students were expelled from Culver Military Academy, located on the shore of Lake Maxkinkuckee.

Two students were arested Wednesday for infraction of the rules of the institution on Hallowe'en and after a courtmartial were discharged in disgrace, and 113 of their fellow students participated in a sympathic demonsotration in their favor as they were departing foro their homes. Yesterday the entire 113 students were summerily dismissed from the academy - Nov 3 1900 Rebublic (Columbus Ind.)

Sixty Pass through Chicago

Chicagom Nov 2 - Sixty students who have been expelled from the Culver Military Academy, located on the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana, passed through Chicago tonight on their way tp their homes. in the Western and Northwestern States.

Two students were arrested yesterday for infraction of the rules of the institution on Halloween, and after a court-martial were discharged in discgrace, and 105 of their fellow students participated in a sympathetic demonsytyion in their favor. This led to their discharge - Nov. 3 1900 - Indianapolis Journal

Suspends 105 Students

Culver Miliary Academy Takes Action

Trouble Over Boy;s Pranks


Two Expelled, 105 SUspended, Twenty-five More Leave Trhough Sympathy

Only Nintey-two Pupils Remain at the Institu tion - Many May Return

Terre Haute, Ind. Nov 3, - Because two students at Culver Military cademy, located at Lake Maxinkuckee, north of this city, were expelled from the school for a Halloween proank 128 more have left the school for their homes.

103 of the number formally suspended the other twnety-fine leaving through sympathy. The school had on the day before Halloween 222 students. today there are but 92 left

The boys who were expelled __, a "plebe", and Beck a sophomore - went out on the night of October 30 and did not return __ taps.

This was a violation of one of the strictest laws of the institution and both boys were sent to their homes. They prepared to leave on the night of the following day, and bout 150 of the students held a meeting in chalep and then left for the station to say good-by

March to the Station

Before the station was reachedonly 103 of the cadets were left in the line, and they marched on, goving class and school ye.s. Not a store or saloon was entered and no property was destroyed. At the station they lined up and gave their departing comrades a rousing good-by.

As they gave their last cheer Major Gignilliat, the commandant, rode up and ordered them back to barracks.

The boys formed in fours and marched back without a sound.

The next morning they were told that they were underarrest and later in the day placed in close arrest.

On Friday morning the 103 who had been at the station - "out of bounds" without permission - were assembled before the Board of Trustees, which is composed of the three Culver brothers, and told that they were dismissed.

Twenty-five more today packed their trunks and left the institution in sympthy

Balance Ask for Furlough

The rest of the boys have signed a petition for a furlough until Christmas, and it this is not granted they threaten to leave in a body. The majority of the students were from Chicago and St. Louis and the others from points in the south and far west.

The boys feeel confident that they will be taken back by Christmas.

Colonnel A> F> Fleet the school's principal, amde the announcement of the trustee's detemination in the chapel today.

The principal was much affected as he stated the resolution and explained that, even if it were to break up the institution, obedience and observance of discipline would be insisted on.

It was the first time in the history of the academy, he said such a thing had happened, and the students, he believed, and been thoughtless in their actions, but the fefiance of authority was too serious to be overlooked. Nov. 3, 1900 - Daily Palladium Benton Harbor, Michigan

Wholesale Expulsion

Students to the Number of 115 Sent Away from Culver Academy

Chicag0, Nov. 3 - Sixty students who have been expelled from Culver Military Academy, located on the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana, passes trough Chicago last night on their way to their homes in the western and northwestern states.

Two students were arrested Thursday for infraction of th of the rules of the insitution on Halloween, and after a court martial were discharged in disgrace.

Then 115 of ther fellow students participated in a sympathetic demonstration in their favor as they were departing for their homes, Thursday night.

Yesterday the entire 115 student s were summarily dos mssed from the academy, after telegraphic correspondence between Colonel A. D. Fleet, commandant of the school and the trustees at St. Louis -Nov 3, 1900 - Rock Island Argus (Illinois)

Skies A Culver Cleaaring

Authorities are Upheld in Action Dismissing Several Unruly Boys

Chicago, Nov. 6 - The skies at the Culver Military academy, Lake Maxinkuckee, Indiana, have cleared.

There will be no more censure from parents of the cadets who were recently dismissed and it is prohable all or bearly all will be reinstated it application for the consideration of individual cases is made.

A committee which went to investigat the matter at Culver, as a result of a meeting held here SUnday evening returned yesterday and made an exhaustive report.

Col. Fleet, the superintendent, and the academt authorities are uphel in their action or dismissing the boys and the parents are advised to refrain from further threats and charges againt the institution.

George C. Sanborn, who acred as chairman of the exciting meeting in CHicago, further in an interview c0rrects the impression allowed to get out that men who went to Culver to secure the facts formed a regularly appointed committee. Instead he points out that they went of their own violition, nacing the interest of their sons and of the institution alike at heart - Nov. 6, 1900 South Bend Tribune (Indiana)

105 Cadets Dismissed

Faculty of Culver Military Academy Expels One-Half of Their Attendance - - -

Much DIssatisfaction Results

The wholesale expulsion of cadets at the Culver Military Academy at Maxinkuckee Lake is creating no little excitement all over the country, many of the leading dailies making extended notices of the occurences. It seems that two cadets were absent from the barracks Hallowe'en night, and in accordance with the rules which forbade the abesence of any cadet after 7 o'clock, they were given the extreme penalty for this infraction.

On the night of their leaving Culver, 105 cadets left the Academy grounds unobseved and repaired to the depot to bid their unfortunate fellow cadets good bye.

Their absence being soon discovered, an officer was at once sent out to find them, and found them as stated at the depot, placing the entire 105 under arrest.

They were held in confinement until Friday morning whenthey met in Chapel, when after a short talk by the commandant, Col. A. F. FLeet, he made known the decision of the faculty, that they should all be dismissed.

The cadets were furnished tickets to their different homes by the Academy authorities.

Parents of the boys held an indignation meeting at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago, also at Indianapolis, many of them looking upon the action of the authrities of the Academy as high handed, and were pronnounced in their denunciation of the extreme measures taken to disipline the boys for what they considere a mere infraction of the rules.

We uote one of them as saying in an interview that "It was a summary and brutal proceeding and I think the school authorities shoud be condemned for their Actions".

Many of the parents of the expelled cadets say that the Commandant should of notified them of the intention to dismiss the offenders and that the boys should not have been forced to leave on such short notice and with so little money.

Taken all in all it is to be regretted.

Of course it will be admitted by all intelligent people that insubordination is the one thing which could not be tolerated in a military school, but we are inclinded to make a difference in willful insubordination and a boyish prank.

It is to be hoped that the sentence of the faculty may be somewhat modified and that the stigma attached to the expeled student may be removed.

LATER: Since putting the above in tpe there ha ve been new developments in the matter. Thecommittee of fathers at the CHicago meeting of the parents of the dismissed cadets have visited the academy and have come up to the unanimous conculsion that there was no alternative for the faculty except the dismisaml of those guilty of insubordination.

We quote the language of George C. Sanborn (who's son was dismissed with the others) in reference to the lletter sent to each on of the parents of the dismissed cadets, hy the committee sent to Culver.

"I have such confidence in the jud gement of these gentlemen and their unbiased statement of the case that I shall ask for the reinstatement of my boy, and shall be prefectly satisfied with the decision of the academy authorities, and if taken back shall not object to any reasonable punishment which in their judgment they feel may be necessary to impose upon him for diodedience of the rules. After talking with these gentlement I believe with them that the dismissal of the boys was the only measure consistent with the discipline of the school, which every parent knows is absolutely necessary to the welfare of his boy".

The committee recommended that parents make a personal and individual appeal for the reinstatement of their boys, but some of them will not be re-instated on accounty of previous marks of demirt and of conduct after dismisal.

The verdict of the committee was that the boys were entirely in the wrong and that dismissal was the only logical conculsion - Nov 8 1900 Argos Reflector (Indiana)





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3 Decades later another prank involving cadets sinking a boat or boats invovles the cannon and a billard/ golf ball... it has not been decided if fact or myth

and a