From the Sun Gazette:
MANSFIELD — Two Mansfield University students face charges after allegedly taking part in a series of beatings of a fraternity pledge.
Howard Jones, 23, of Camillus, N.Y., and Isaac Wise, 19, of Sacketts Harbor, N.Y., were charged with simple assault, reckless endangerment, and criminal conspiracy to commit simple assault for the alleged beatings on another student who had pledged to the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity at the university.
According to documents filed at the office of District Judge James Carlson, borough police say the two, along with several others not yet charged, repeatedly beat Jessie D. Wilson with their hands and a wooden paddle between Sept. 19 and Nov. 12, causing severe injury to Wilson’s muscles and kidneys.
Police say the beatings began Sept. 17 at 53 St. James St., and continued each night for six nights that week.
On Oct. 6, police said Wilson was beaten at least 100 times with the six-inch wide, two-inch thick paddle at Jones’ Cedar Crest dormitory room.
Then, on Oct. 20, police say he was taken to Bloomsburg, where he was again beaten and on Nov. 9, he was taken to Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., where he was beaten again.
Upon his return to Mansfield, police say Wilson went to the emergency room at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital, complaining of blood in his urine.
According to documents, Wilson was told he was very close to kidney failure if the beatings had continued.
Jones and Wise were each issued a summons to appear for a preliminary hearing May 21.
