Five Kappa Sigs kill golden goose

[hoosier]

Sun, Feb. 09, 2003

Students jailed in goose killing
Fraternity activities suspended amid Davidson investigation
MELISSA MANWARE
Staff Writer

DAVIDSON - Five Davidson College students are charged with a felony after a white goose was lured away with bread crumbs and beaten to death with a golf club at the town's park.

The men, affiliated with Kappa Sigma fraternity, spent Friday night in the Mecklenburg County jail. Davidson College has suspended activities of the fraternity while it investigates the incident.

Davidson Police Chief John Kearin said he expects more arrests early this week.

Kearin said a town employee saw a group of men get out of two vehicles at Roosevelt Wilson Park about 3:30 Friday afternoon and lure the goose away from others with bread crumbs.

Then one of the men repeatedly hit the goose with a golf club. Once it stopped moving, another man tossed it into the trunk and they drove away, the chief said.

The town employee wrote down a license plate number and noticed a Davidson College sticker on the car. Police found the car a short time later and, after talking to some of the men, found the dead goose in the trunk, Kearin said. The chief said the men first said they killed the goose on a bet; later they said it was a dare.

The five students -- 21-year-old John North Moore III, 19-year-old Graham Lambert Hunter, 18-year-old Oscar Hernandez, 18-year-old Thomas Carroll Jeter and 19-year-old George Stephen Tolson -- were arrested Friday afternoon and charged with felony cruelty to animals and conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals.

They were taken to the Mecklenburg County jail. Hunter, Tolson, Hernandez and Jeter were released on a $15,000 bond each before 5 a.m. Saturday. Moore was released about 5:15 a.m. on a $20,000 bond, jail records show. Moore, the only suspect reached by The Observer, declined to comment. The others did not return telephone calls.

The private college in northern Mecklenburg released a statement about the incident Saturday afternoon:

"The actions attributed to these students are both repugnant and senseless. The Davidson College Campus Police are investigating this incident; and the Dean of Students will determine what actions will be taken pursuant to the college's Code of Responsibility."

The statement also said Kappa Sigma's activities have been suspended and its on-campus building where the fraternity members eat their meals and hold meetings has been closed during the investigation.

Late Saturday, the fraternity issued a statement: "Kappa Sigma is fully cooperating with Davidson College and local authorities in the investigation ... The allegations of these men in no way reflect the values, morals or the four cornerstones -- scholarship, leadership, fellowship and service -- of Kappa Sigma Fraternity."

News of the goose's death and the arrests spread Saturday through the small town, where it's not unusual for traffic to stop for 15 minutes while geese that hang out at the Roosevelt Wilson Park pond waddle across a busy downtown street.