The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-12-08
LOCKED In A CLOSET.
Little Do11ie Topf Tells a
Hard Story of School
Teacher Smith.
SEVEN HOURS In A CHILLY PRISON
A West New York PedagOgue Ac-
cused Of Maltreating
His Pupils.

The town Of Gutenberg was thrown
into a ferment of excitement yesterday
by the accusations made by twelve-year
old school girl, Dolly Topf, against
Principal Smith.
The child alleges that the principal i'm
prisoned her in a dark closet for seven
hours, without any ventilation whatever.
and says that she would have been con-
fined all night if one of her classmates
had not notified the principal The child
was taken seriously ill, and but for her
robust constitution more serious results
might have ensued
The day of the alleged imprisonment
was Tuesday week ago, and strenuous
efforts were msde by the principal and
his friends to hush the matter up. How
well they succeeded can he imagined,
when it is known that DIR. Hill and the
child's mother were the only ones that
knew of it at the time.
visited Mrs. Topf yesterday afternoon.
The lady is one of the largest property
owners in Gutenberg. She owns sa-
loon on the brink of the river, which is q
great resort for members of boat clubs.
When told her of my errand she at
first declined to say anything, but finally
said that she would produce the child and
let her tell the story.
DoLLY's STORY
Dolly is a bright child, wonderfully
well grown for her age.
Zone day about two weeks ago, can't
exactly remember the day." said she, 81
went to Mr.. Smiths school. In themorn-
ing at ten O'Clock, while we were doing
an example in arithmetic, one of the girls
made remark which caused us all to
| | ha
Smith told MS that the next girl that
laughed would be punished. All the
other girls stopped laughing, but |
thought the remark so comical that l
kept ON laughing. Mr.. Smith then or
dered me into the storeroom, and when /
went in he locked the door.
"The hours passed and l began to feel
hungry and faint. | could hear the girls
going home at twelve o'clock and going
home at three o'clock. During all that
time was locked up with nothing TO eat
or drink. | felt awfully cold and was
taken with chill There is no heat in
the room at all and my fingers were
numb with the cold. Finally about five
O'Clock, after / had been locked up for
seven hours, Mr.. Smith let me out. He
made me stand over the heater and gave
me five cents and told me not to tell my
mother about what had happened.
When | went home | tried to conceal
what had happened to me. but as | was
so sick and faint and had not been home
to dinner l told my mother the whole
story. Then was awfully sick ana vom-
| tied, and couldn't go TO school the next
day."
When the child had finished her story
Eva. the sixteen-year-old daughter Of
Mrs Topf, told me that Smith treated
the girls miserably and that she had to
| leave school on account of his ways.
THE MOTHERS STORY.
Mrs Topf said:-''Last Tuesday a week
ago sent Dolly off to school as usual.
began to feel worried and when she had
not appeared at four O'Clock was almost
distracted.
About five O'Clock Dolly came in look
| ing like ghost. She said, Mamma, /
| feel sick What is the matter, childf' I
asked oh, she said, Mr.. Smith locked
me in dark closet since ten O'Clock this
| morning and he gave me five cents and
said not to tell you anything acout it?
1.-THE child then turned deathly pale
and was taken with a severe fit of vomit-
ing. / treated her the best / knew how
| and she recovered. She is healthy child
and it would take great deal to Kill
| her"
"Did you make complaintof any kind
| at the time. Mrs. Topf?" l asked.
'Yes," she said, II went and consulted
| DIR. Hill, and he told me that L could get
| no redress by complaining to the school
trustees as Mr.. Smith had too much of a
| pull, and that had better see magis-
| trate and have him arrested. | was
| thinking about what course to pursue in
the matter when Mr.. Smith came into
my place and apologized for his treat.
ment of my child and asked me not TO
| say anything about it. But now, as the
newspapers have got hold of it, am
willing to tell everything l know"
WHAT DIR. HILL SAYS.
| Dr. Hill was next visited. The doctor
| is one OF the best known citizens in the
! town.
''The way this man, Smith. treats his
| pupils is shameful, I" said he. ~ know OF
| at least dozen cases similar to that OF
Mrs. Topf's child. Smith is an old man
and very cranky l had two children
attending his school and was obliged to
| take them away and send them to the
! Union Hill Public School"
talked with several other prominent
! people of the town, and they expressed
| themselves in very strong terms about
| the way Mr.. Smith has of chastising his
! scholars.
1t is only short time ago that Philip
| Majors child was subjected to the same
| kind of treatment that Mrs. Topf's daugh-
ter received. Mr.. Major sent a letter to
! Principal Smith at the time, and he re-
ceived an answer to mind his own busi-
ness, that he (Smith) was running the
| school.
called at Mr.. Smiths residence, but
| he was not at home, and diligent inquiry
| failed to locate him.
| Mr.. Smith has been employed as prin-
| cipal for twenty-five Years. His salary is
| $50 month. 1t is said that he had the
same trouble with his pupils in West New
York and Edgewater, where he was for
merly engaged.