The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-07-01
MISS KENNEY'S TRIAL.
The School Mistress Trial Attracts
Much Attention.

AHC UIldl VI MISS EulU0 heQQey on
the charge of brutally whipping the
eight-year-old daughter of Wilbur
Stratton, in district 103, Rapidan,
was set for trial at 10 o'clock Friday
forenoon. At that hour a large con-
course Of men, women and children,
many of them witnesses in the case
from the school district, assembled in
the court room. The half dozen at
torneys engaged upon the case were
also present. 1t was decided to try
the case by jury, and a recess was
taken to 100 o'clock in order to give
time for the impaneling and subpen-
ing of the jurymen.
The room was filed during the tri-
al this afternoon, and great deal of
interest was manifested. The de-
PENDANT is young lady of not over
twenty years, of attractive appear
ance and was dressed in black and
wore black VEIL Several friends sat
with her. The Stratton family sat
upon the opposite side of the room.
Several babies were present.
1t is claimed that the girl who was
whipped has been sick since her pun
ishment. She was present, and one
or two physicians were summoned to
testify as to the extent of her inju-
rieS.
The following jury was empaneled:
John Duffy, M. Jost, Louis Kruse, P.
A. Gunders, Louis Graf, q. M. Mel
son. John Koch Chas. Griebel, VIM.
Conrad, Wenzel Huttl. No objection
was made to proceeding with ten jul
rymen.
w. r. Geddes, A. M. Rutan, and
Co. Attorney Hughes appeared for
the prosecution and Pau & Young
for the defense.
When the case opened in the after
noon the court room was crowded
with spectators and witnesses.
w. r. Geddes opened the case for
the State and explained the charges
SOuSuU w Ue pTONeu.
Lizzie Stratton, the eight-year-old
girl who was whipped, was the first
witness called. She is rather small
of her age but pleasant appearing.
Owing to her tender years, Judge Por-
ter asked her some questions to ascer-
tain whether she understood the ma
ture of the oath to tell the truth.
She appeared to be quite intelligent
and answered up promptly. After
she had taken the oath she began to
cry and her father was permitted to
hold her in his lap. Her testimony
was almost inaudible. She said that
the teacher, Miss Kinney, had
whipped her because of the words
which she could not pronounce prop
erly, "bend" and send" She pro-
nounced them in court "bind" and
''end," the latter properly. The
teacher kept her after school, whipped
her, made her read and then whipped
her again and then dismissed her.
She used whip and whipstock.
Tried to speak the words properly.
She whipped me on the head, arms,
back and legs. and broke the whip
upon me and tore my stockings with
the whip. Was lame and sore after
wards. The teacher pounded some
buttons off of my dress onto the floor,
which the teacher picked up and gave
to me and said 1 could take home if l
wanted to.
On cross-examination the girl said
that this was the only time the
teacher ever whipped her. Not sure
that teacher cut stockings with the
whip, as they were old and had holes
in. There were two buttons teacher
gave me.
Mrs. Mary Stratton was called and
said she was the mother of Lizzie.
She met her coming home after being
whipped. She was crying and by the
side of the road and said she could
not see the road as her head felt so
bad, but knew the direction home.
Examined her then and found three
punches on her head, and her should
ers were black and blue and looked as
though the blood had gathered under
the skin; went back and saw the
teacher and the teacher said she whip
ped the child because she would and
could not pronounce words of four
letters correctly after her. She said
that she intended to give the child a
good whipping; afterwards saw that
the child's arms and legs were marked
with black and blue strips Two but
tons were broken from her clothes and
her stockings were cut up: the bridge
of her nose was sore; she had spells of
dizziness and was sleepless the first
night. Our family has the habit of
calling the words "bend" and lend, I"
'sbind" and ''ind." Teacher said she
used whipstock, used as a pointer,
to whip the girl. 1t was good sized
and the teacher said she hit the girl
over the head with it once.
The remainder of the testimony
will he given tomorrow, as at this