Brattle Square Police Captain Reminisces on Riots of Good Old Days--Just as Many Students Jailed Now as Ever

"I've been here for 34 years and I haven't seen one real riot," said Captain J. J. Donohue of the Brattle Street Police Station Yesterday. "In the old days there used to be a lot more fun," he added. "There was more money and more spirit in Harvard then, with fraternity initiations and traditional Freshman brawls.

"The Harvard man of today is essentially the same as he was twenty years ago," declared Captain Donohue, "but the dying out of the fraternities and the oncome of Prohibition have done away with most of the old time spirit of fun. Why, in the old days the lads would drink two or three quarts of champagno and a few bottles of real heavy P. B. ale and then go out and have a great time. You know it's only ten years since the old tradition of Bloody Monday passed away. That was a great old Freshman tradition. On the first Monday of October the fellows would gather in the square. Someone would knock off another man's hat and the fun would begin, usually ending with a few real fights and a few Freshmen in the cooler."

Captain Donohue declared that the number of arrests in the Square was no greater in the old days than it is today. As to the effects of 3.2, the captain declared that if anything, the number of arrests had fallen off since April 7. "Three point two beer will probably do more than anything else to decrease drunkenness," was his comment.

When asked whether any police precautions against riots were being taken, Captain Donohue declared that the Square was the particular territory of Major Apted. "Mr. Apted says he has his eye on every man in the Square, and he has a special constable's license which gives him and his men practically as much power as the police," declared the captain, "so we leave him practically complete control in the Yard and the Square.

"We're holding a target practice and instruction in jiu-jitsu and disarming tomorrow night," he announced. "Not that we anticipate any riots," he grinned, "but we want to organize a pistol team to meet the crack Boston team. Until now our men have confined their sport to baseball and indoor contests. The shooting begins at 8 o'clock tonight and I imagine we could let some of you watch it, in case you want to see what you may have to cope with some fine night."