Apted Breaks Up Incipient Riot as Third Floor Water Starts Trouble

Over five hundred spring-struck Harvard men last night took it upon themselves to wander about on Mill and Plympton Streets until under the magic efficiency of Colonel Charles R. (Break-it-up) Apted '06, of his majesty's forces a large portion of the interest left the group, and as heads subsided within the windows calm of a sort was once again restored to the district.

Apparently it all came as a result of some diligent and somewhat annoyed youths who took it upon themselves to throw waste-basketfulls of water upon rowdy, raucous men in the streets who were disturbing the peace. The fun grew to larger porportions with the pelting of automobiles with larger quantities of water. This caused a small group to gather between Lowell and Leverett Houses on Plympton Street, a gathering which immediately grew to larger proportions as more water fell.

After a few attempts at breaking it up with a squad car driven the wrong way down Plympton Street, the Cambridge police gave up the job, and unwittingly turned it over to the local fire department which arrived opportunely to extinguish some curtains which in some inexplicable manner had caught fire in Winthrop House. This caused added commotion as more people came to see Cambridge's Brigades in action.

Then twelve Cambridge reserves arrived and stood about keeping the peace until one of the Apted Lieutenants was heard to remark, "Say, we better call up the Boss, this is getting high." But he was anticipated by some young gentleman who already had tipped Harvard's riot buster off, and in a few minutes the Colonel himself drove up in his Buick with a squeaking of brakes and hopped out into Mill Street leaving his motor running and crying, "All right you, Break it up, and go Home." This produced magnificent effects and by pushing all the men who lived in Eliot House down toward Dunster and all Winthrop men up toward Adams House the riot broke up miraculously. Leaving only the Colonel to brood over his troubles.

Further Aptedisms:

"No, no, this riot has not reached serious proportions."

"Say, Sergeant, if you'll take care of your men, I can take care of mine." "All right now, all you students go home to bed or you'll report at the Dean's Office"--"Say, you, close that window up the, all right close it, come on, this is all over now." "Come on boys, break it up." "If you're a student, go home, if you're not a student, go home." "Come on you up there, no more water now, this is all over."