Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-07-14
The scandalous Whipping Of the Young
Lady nj Cambridge, Massachusetts,.


The Boston Herald gives the. particu,
lars Of the whipping Of Miss Josephine
Foster by the principal and assistant
teachers of the Allslof, school at Cam
bridge From the statement Of the
young lady it ,appears that one week ago
last Thursday, in the forenoon, while she
was engaged in writing, Mr.. Roberts, the
principal Of the school, spoke to her
about Sitting up straight, and she replied
that she would sit up straight, He then
told her not to write any more until his
orders were given to do so, and she was
soon ordered to 60 down to the foot Of
the class and to stand there until she got
ready to come to him. Ia the afternoon
she was called up by one Of the assistant
teachers, Miss Hodges, who asked her.
about whispering with another scholar
as Miss Gray, another teacher, said she,
saw her whisper, She was then sent in.
to the recitation room, where Miss
Hodges took a rattan and said Il am
going TO whip YOU She was then sent
into the boys drawing room, where two
teachers again came in and were about
to whip her with the rattan, but she re-
fused to hold out her right hand.
At recess the teachers held a consul
tation together in relation TO the matter.
and Miss Gray came into the room with
long leather strap and said: u am
going 10 whip you. : She then called
Miss Hodges to help do the strapping,
who came, and held her arms. shoulders
and head, with one hand upon her mouth,
She screamed, when" Mr.. Roberts came
and took hold of her wrists and shoulders
and told Miss Gray to strap her, which
was done fifteen or twenty times.
Alter the punishment one of the teach
ers said - "Let us open the window and
get some air; let us get some water. q
While the strapping was going on the
boys in the school-room were ordered to
60 througha military drill Of marching,
and the music teacher played the ,plano.
Miss Foster little brother, went home
CRYING, and informed his mother that
Josephine had been whipped and was
detained at the school-room- Mrs. Eos
ter went to the school house. and saw
Mr.. Roberts and the teachers, but could
get no satisfaction or facts in regard to-
the whipping. .raa.. .jis.s. q ut .s.-,,
She took charge Of her daughter, and
on getting home the latter s wrists were
red and swollen, and there were. other
marks upon her person, and she suffered
greatly during the night from the effects
of the whipping, Miss Foster is rather
delicate young lady, sixteen years Of
age, and has always borne an excellent
name among the school girls, for her
quiet, genial disposition. She has also
been good pupil at the Allston school,
as was shown at the examination at the
City Hall on Thursday night, .os de,
B. W. Roberts, the principal of the
school, is member of the Baptist
Church, and has been a teacher for sew
eral years, He has. had trouble with the
parents Of the children attending Allston
school in relation 10 his severe punish
ment Of pupils. ia ~. ..r -.
The case il, not probably ended by the
examination before the school COMMITTEES
on Thursday night, as the counsel for Mr.,
Foster win lay the facts before the grand
jury OF Middlesex county, at Concord,
on Monday next .f saa ,,,.lf