Quincy's Marksman Found; Used Slingshot as Weapon

An investigation in Quincy House has determined which student was responsible for the five holes put in windows in the modern part of the house during the past ten days.

John Helmer, assistant to the senior tutor in Quincy, said last night that he had talked to the individual yesterday afternoon. Most of the outside explanations offered for the student's behavior have been proven false by the talks, he added.

"The best way to describe it is to say we all got overwrought about it." Helmer explained. "We've managed to resolve the matter satisfactorily without too much fuss. It wasn't malicious, and it wasn't insane." he said. "It won't happen again."

Most people familiar with the events believed that the student had used a beebe gun, although it had been powerful enough to put a one-eight-inch hole through the windows. "We have established that it was not a gun." Helmer said. "We believe it was a slingshot." He said later that he was sure it was a slingshot.

The first three holes were made on the night of January 11. Helmer's sixth floor window, a library window, and one in front of the stairwell below the library were all punctured. In each case, someone was behind the glass, but no action was taken.

The student made the other two holes last Tuesday night. Mr. Helmer's window was punctured again, and the other projectile hit the picture window in room 311. Glass from the second short hit Eric Almasy '71 on the back but caused no injury.

Helmer, a Harvard policeman, and Joel Porte, Allston Burr Senior Tutor in Quincy House, inspected rooms on the fourth and fifth floors of C and D entries that night, but they failed to find anything suspicious.

In order to prevent possible injury, windows in the library were boarded up from the inside.