Salesman Invades Freshman Dorm; Police Grab Him

A cautious Yard proctor stopped an energetic Christmas card salesman last night from selling to Matthews Hall freshmen and turned him over to University police for peddling without permission.

The salesman, who were a bright red jacket, was selling 18 cards for $1.25. After soliciting about 20 freshmen, he made the mistake of knocking on the door of proctor Daniel Steiner '54. Steiner asked him if he had permission to sell, and whether he had a bursar's card. The red-jacketed youth said he didn't have one "this year," but was a student in Lowell House, even though he lacked a card.

When the salesman couldn't verify his identity, Steiner told him to wait until he could call the Yard police. The salesman fled to the room of Fred Bowen '59.

"Any Salesmen Here?"

With the Christmas card man missing, a police sergeant and Steiner began searching the dorms. When they came to Bowen's room, the sergeant asked, "Is a card salesman here?" Under duress, Bowen said no, but Steiner spotted him in the room, and the sergeant seized him for questioning.

Under interrogation, the salesman told police he was actually a Dartmouth graduate, and was "just kidding around" about being a Lowell man. He said he was earning enough money to "go to Europe."

The police, after an hour of questions, released him. Said the sergeant afterwards. "He looked like a good guy."