Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The day they took Russell House It began on the Horseshoe, with a rally sponsored by Student Government, attended by some 600 participants and on lookers, and visited by several speakers - some students, some not. The rally was peaceful, but became tense at one point when a dispute arose over lowering the flags to half-staff. After con sultation with President Jones - and a vote from the crowd - the flag went down, in tribute to dead students at Kent State University. It then moved to Russell House, where students seized the building, escorted the staff out, and settled in for folk-singing and discussion. While hundreds of students gathered outside, faculty, ad ministrators and students struggled to keep order and avoid bloodshed. When the protestors declined to surrender the building, police were called. Highway patrolmen, SLED agents and national guardsmen came, and within several hours the protestors had been arrested, a traffic jam-sit-in had been uprooted, and the campus was again free of policemen and guardsmen. Although several students were shoved and scratched, there were no reports of serious in jury. Some 40 were arrested. By nightfall, President Thomas F. Jones was commending Student Government, vowing to secure the campus, and discussing the students' mood with dormitory presidents. He, and the governor, hoped no curfews or class suspensions would be necessary. CN A bit of persuasion " a Bus gets royal escort At a~ b Nor 44 They rallied round the flagpole... ...Then 'liberated' Russell House Io In front of the bus