Unknown to a great part of the student body, a force of trained men continually patrols the Yard and its precincts, always on the look-out for that ever-present danger, the dormitory thief. The College has maintained a protective force for many years, but under the re-organized system, which took effect last spring, the number of men has been increased and the service made much superior to its former standard. These men guard especially against the suspicious stranger who enters the Yard with something to sell and proposes to enter the dormitories under one pretext or another, and it is very seldom that the outsider of doubtful mission escapes the surveillance of the patrol. There are, however, thefts carried on in one manner or another, and in order to guard against vagrant trespassers, it is urged that the undergraduates co-operate with the officers and report any missing articles, and give knowledge of thefts or of the whereabouts of miscreants to the office of the College Yard Patrol, in the basement of Thayer Hall, north entry. The attention of Freshmen is especially called to this request.

Recent Examples

The most recent instance of theft is the disappearance of a number of overcoats that have been found in pawn shops. The guilty persons have not yet been apprehended, but it is such cases that are never lost sight of by Yard police until the blame is fin ally and irrevocably fixed. Another case against which there is a general warning is that of a negro who is peddling cigars about the rooms. The cigars, it turns out, are consistently smuggled. The peddler of the articles will be taken into custody as soon as his whereabouts is reported and he is caught in the act. It is on such pretences as this that men enter the dormitories, as is illustrated by every-day instances of solicitors, book agents, and ticket-sellers, and peddlers of all sorts.

The ticket game is aptly illustrated by an occurrence in one of the halls. Three men were seen entering the dormitory and as their appearance was somewhat suspicious they were followed. When they disappeared into the next entry they were forced through one of the door-ways by several watchmen and caught red-handed with a pack of tickets, at 50 cents each, which were to admit the bearer to the First Grand Ball, to be given by the Longfellow Social Club." Two of them were fined $10 each and the third $15.

A great many take advantage of the class-festivities. One prowler was found "canvassing" in the early morning after class night. In another case, the miscreant was a beggar who stopped men on the way to and from dinner.

Through the efforts of the Yard police rifled goods are often recovered and this is especially true in the case of bicycles. The theft of these is sometimes resorted to by more or less desperate characters; one of these was recently captured after a long chase. The Yard parrot not only shows its efficiency in this director but it has been most successful in the rounding up of practical jokers. The patrol is hindered by the lack of undergraduate co-operation and considering that in the end the students are the victims, they should give more attention to this matter.