River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-09-09
SEVERE sCHooLMAsTT.Rs.
Brutal Punishment Inflicted Upon Pupils
in Massachusetts Sixty Tears Ago.

In a Massachusetts town. less than
sixty years ago, in a public school the
punishment sometimes SURPASSED in
severity any illustrations vet given in
the Notes and Queries, with one or two
exceptions. We state as facts only what
we saw with or own ewes. As in the
Mayhem School, boys were sometimes
required 10 toe a crack, bend over and
place the toretinger upon another crack.
and then, with the body tense in every
nerve, the master would come slowly
! along, give q tremendous blow with his
/ cOwhide. and with the short Jackets
worn then, IT hurti He broke a ruler
/ across the back Of 4 boys hand. More.
than once he drew back his clenched
fist and, striking from his shoulder.
Knocked boys nearly as large as himself
flat 10 the floor; and one of those bows,
now an old man, IS still living. He
took up one boy by the heels. and.
4 singing him round in a circle, brought
| his head (his was by accidenD against
| 4 boX-stove IN the middle of the floor.
and for a time the boy was deprived OF
all sense or motion. until 4 physician
cam" and revived him With what was
called a crow or crow-sticl Of wood J. a
some word in the New Testament The
/ boy daTted down under one OF The desks
| and crawled from one 10 another. now
and then catching a blow until he cot
near the door, when the master caII%bt
him by the collar and heels and threw
him out into the street. ard forbid any
boy to let the sufferer have his oyercoat
and cap. though il was winters day.
On one occasion he whipped boy with
cowhlde. at intervals through most of
& forenoon, in order 70 make him hold
out at arms length heavy book. The
girls in the school, many Of them women
grown, used to weep and Shrek, and
cover their heads with their aprons to
shut ont TIE horrid sights. This dav.
the boy 5 sister, early in the whipping.
stood up and cried out. Hold il out.
John; hold it out, john but la.fer ex-
claimed, with her strong English ac-
cent. Don't You hold it out, John. if he
kills your
The m-ster's desk was a high one.
and stood on a platform. One day he
called ont boy. made him take off his
jacket, fastened his arms round the LEGS
Of the desk, and stood and whippe, 4,
him with a cowhide until the blood 40,
down and one could place ones tiy .,,o-s
in the places in the neshy part If 10
arm made by the Instrument % to,.t,,,.a
We saw the punishment, the Mood tho
shirt cut in ribbons. and the Tasbes
These facts-and W: nigel add ~ tLer,
were not part Of tl@ Dir tory of slavery
nor are they eXtEUe.',d from ..TrncIe
Toms Cabin" tHt they occurred in a
Massachusetts nee school and they
went substantially without rebukc. The
master was som' times prosecuted at the
law. The fab.er OF the writer. lead
ing lawyer at the bar. defended him.
ana ne was always acquitted. lie paid
the dOctcrs bills IN the last case, and
gave the Doy's mother a load of wood.
Tor nc was her only son and she was q
poog widow. The master was in MANY
respects an excellent teacher; he kept
the school for many years, and gave il
up at the last from III health, much to
the regret of the community He was a
Christian by profession, kept up family
prayers, but there were some who
thought-chielly the boys-that he was
at times unduly severe in the in1ictior
Of punishment Boston transcript.
Il understand our friend Hiss Hiyhnote
IS singing with considerable success in
South America" is, chs Glad 70 hear