Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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10 THE PORCUPINE On promise of leniency he confessed K ok “But how about the bottle?” I asked my compasior “What was in it?” “Oh,” he replied with a broad smile, “Water, pure water.’ The Barricaders St. Johns, a rather ‘exclusive boys’ school, was situated his guilt. K kK just outside the thriving New England town of L———. It was built in the fashion of an old English place, with ivy- mantled towers, set in the midst of smooth, green lawns, dotted with huge and gnarled old oak trees. The tennis court was inclosed by a high stone wall, the face of which was in full view of the main dormitories. A near neighbor was Westfield Academy, a comparatively new, but flourishing institution. The building stood facing a wide driveway. It was built around three sides of a court, and on the fourth side the court opened into the driveway by two heavy iron doors. Westfield was composed chiefly of town boys, and boys from the neighboring counties. “Country Jakes” they were styled by the aristocratic St. Johns. Each school had its own uniform and military drill, and a strong rivalry existed between them, especially in athletics, where Westfield was usually victorious. It went against the St. Johns boys to be defeated in anything, and when their enemy carried away the cup of the semi-annual field day, the St. Johns boys soothed their wounded pride by proclaiming that the Westfield boys didn’t understand tactics, they played with brute force, and the only thing they knew how to handle was a pitchfork. They further consoled themselves by the refusal of their team to meet Westfield in a game of foot- ball. “Well, they’re the limit. The dear little milksops. I wonder if they expect us to wrap a blanket around the ball gy 1 4

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f THE PORCUPINE 6. Barrett knew of the possession of a dog of the afore- said description at the time of his former visit in Paris, several months previously 7, Barrett was the seer heir to Jacob Dexfen’s for- tune. Then the witnesses at the inquest repeated their testi- money, and following came witnesses proving Renard’s in- vestigations. The last witness called was the city chemist, whose testimony was in the form of an affidavit reading: “T Louis Marignan, having duly examined the dog said to have accompanied the murderer of Jacob Dexfen on the night of the crime, and found on the premises of M. John Dexfen find’— -Here everyone in the crowded court room held his breath in expectation, and anyone that noticed Bar- rett, would have seen him turn a shade paler. The reading continued: “That two spots upon said dog’s neck were ap- plied with aniline dyes upon a coal tar base; and further- more, that said spots were made within the last two w eeks.” Immediately the lawyer for the defendant arose: “Would Monsieur Barrett please inform the court upon the connection between the book upon aniline dying and the dyed spots upon the dog’s neck?” he said. Anyone by piecing together this last testimony and that of Renadr, would obtain an outline something of this nature, i.e., That Jacob Barrett had murdered Dexfen, and knowing of the peculiar dog of his cousin, contrived to place the blame on him by having a man testify that the murderer was accompanied by a dog of that description, thus getting him.also out of the way, so that he would obtain the prop- erty of his uncle. But he found that the dog was dead, procuring another of similar size and color, he placed the spots on the neck with dyes. Barrett arose from his seat to answer the question, and steadying himself, opened his lips to speak, but sank back inuttering : “Oh, it’s no use; the game’s up.”

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THE PORCUPINE 11 before we kick it,” was the comment of the captain of the Westfield track team. “Well, gee whizz! If I had to bea little dude like that This remark was interrupted by a soft chuckle from Max Carlson, who was held responsible for most of the practical ” jokes played in the academy. “You fellows come up to my room to-night and we'll plan a little harmless revenge,” he said, laughing. The next morning St. Johns woke to find the following legend painted upon the wall of the tennis court: “ St. Johns’ won't play 3ecause they say The Westfield brutes Will win the day. But they won’t play with country Jakes, Whose hands are used to grasping rankes.. Well, sissy boys, just take your knittin’, Or set and tat, for that is fittin. But fellers who have got some sense Don’t care to stay inside a fence. Your legs would make good shinny sticks, Your heads are balls of gas. But we can give you extry licks, Altho’ we get no chance, alas!” That afternoon cards appeared all over the Westfield premises bearing caricatures of members of the Westfield track team, each boy carrying a rake, hoe or pitchfork, while underneath was a mock advertisement, such as “Any one in search of an experienced farm hand, apply at Westfieid Academy.” “Expert broncho busters at Westfield,” etc. On that evening a messenger came from the dean of St. Johns to the head master at Westfield, saying that he feared mischief was afoot. He hoped there would be no unpleas- antness between the schools, and so he would suggest that the master keep a rather close watch upon the boys, as he was doing at St. Johns.