B: Kidnapping Details

The KIDNAPPING and the TOUCHDOWN BELL

The KIDNAPPING

It was 3:30 am on October 2, 1967 when the Wolverine Van and its 3 escort vehicles approached Sparty’s lair, the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house on the campus of Michigan State University.

Ted, Bob and Gene entered Sparty’s resting place and gently awakened him. Ted and Gene picked up Sparty and tried to carry him out the front door. Bob exited first. Sparty did not want to leave and refused to fit through the doorway. Ted and Gene found themselves inside the house with one half of Sparty and dozens of sleeping Sig Ep Spartans.

As Ted and Gene pushed and Bob pulled, Ted said,

“We HAVE A PROBLEM.” 

Bob, already outside, responded,

“WE DON"T HAVE A PROBLEM, YOU GUYS HAVE THE PROBLEM.”

Hearing the commotion, a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity opened the upstairs bedroom window and looking down at Bob said,

“What’s going on down there?”

Bob confidently looked up and responded,

      “NOTHING.”

The Sig Ep closed the window.

Ted and Gene pushed harder: and Bob smiled a big grin.

Ted pushed so hard that Sparty lost one of his ears in the struggle.

Ted picked up the ear. The injured Sparty squeezed through the door

and began the adventure of his life.

Steve opened the rear door of the awaiting Wolverine Van and the brothers thrust Sparty into the van.  Marshall, the driver, was so excited that he started to pull away; leaving Ted, Gene, and Bob on the street

Fifty feet and an eternity later, the van slowed enabling the kidnappers to escape with their prize.

The TOUCHDOWN BELL

As the Kidnappers were leaving East Lansing, one of the escort vehicles noticed that the MSU TOUCHDOWN BELL was sitting in front of the Delta Upsilon fraternity house. Charley gleefully made a “U” Turn and quickly attached the Touchdown Bell and its “parade” trailer to his car.

As he drove down Grand River Avenue hoping to safely escape East Lansing, the unsecured clapper rang . . . and . . . rang . . and rang. . .