The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1892-07-23
SKELETONS
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.)

State officers and cannot be remove d
save on special charges, after due notice
and fair trial.
Mr.. DeBaptist got no satiz faction Of.
ficially, but learned privately that,
while formal charges had not been ledg.
ed, Prof. Page had told members of tie
board that see had been seen to receive
a note from Prof. VIM. r. Lawton con-
cealed in a book, and had returned an
answer in the same uuderhand way
that in the presence of Miss Minerva J.
Matlock, the assistant in mathematics,
Prof. Lawton had put his arm about
Miss DeBaptiste; and that Mrs. Page was
not satisfied as to the nature of Miss De-
Baptiste's illness. More Of the members
of the board believed that there was
anything in these charges, and they did
not ask to have them formulated.
The subject of them declined to stay
longer in the institute, resigned her posi-
ton and pressed for the immediate &C.
ceptance of her resignation. Members
Of the board begged that she remain un-
til the c'ose of the school year, She re-
fused. They asked her to return next
year. She said she would think about il.
She left the institu'e on April Is, and
the students gave her a farewell recep-
ton. Prof. Page, in a speech to the
students on that occasion, praised h+r
flowery and her fa'her returned the
compliment.
On Friday following Miss D4Baptise's
departure Ella James OF Louisiana, a
student who had taken care of the
teachers room and had been her out.
spoken champion, left for her home
That night some one sole the institute
II y from the library, hoi>t. d it on the
staff and there next morning the people
OF Jefferson, the students and faculty,
saw it flying. President Page ordered it
down as soon as he learned of it and a
shot investigation revealed the perpe-
traitors Of the prank. Maggie Ridgway
OF Columbia, daughter Of the Superin-
tt ndent of the State University grounds
and me mber If the Junior CO s, with
Geo!gana Gilmore of Providence, No.,
Mary Lamme of Washington. Mo-, Fife
Gaines Of Louisiana, Mo, Eliza Henry
OF Providence, R. l., and Zelia Page, the
Presidents daughter, WIRE called into
the Presidents cttice. charged with hav-
ing stolen the flag from its place and
hosting it after hours and without per.
mission. They were reprlmanded and
put on their good lehavier"
Ibis action did not satisfy the studen's
The flag incident meant great deal to
em. They held meet and drew
up resolutions callirg on the faculty to
investigate and punish. They claimed
the flag was raised in celebration of the
departure from the institute of the
champion of Miss DeBaptiste, and in
simulated that the act was inspired.
The faculty received their memorial
on April 26 in called meeting, and de.
cided to investigate in spite of the action
of the President. They called the girls
and got the story of the raising. The
girls had stolen out at 1890 o'clock with
out permission, had walked Walter Jack
son, boy from Lake, St. Louis County,
and had sent hlu to the library for the
fig.
They told him they had permission
from the matron, but this they told the
70 1tu ho 1,,k
they could not raise it. Jackson was
sent to the boys dormitory for two other
lads who, at the request of the girls, rails
ed the flag. On the point of whether or
not they had permis sion from tie ma
iron the girls were pressed very close,
as it seemed strange that they could get
out without perm ssion, and the faculty
learned that Mis-. Page had told the cook
to "leave the door open; the girls are
out" But the girls denied positively
that Mrs. Page knew anything Of the
matter.
They were very much surprised when
the faculty passed judgment and SUI
pended the six girls for the remainder Of
the term. They wrote Immediately to
their parents and in few days nearly
all had relatives ON the ground and
were advised to tell the truth. They
addressed a communication to the faculty
asking a rehearing. This was granted
and they made new statement involv-
ing Mrs. Page. The fig raising, they
said, was suggested in her room and she
gave them permission to 60 out for that
purpose. Afterward she had begged
them to shield her, promising them that
they should not be punished.
Pr sident Page said The evidence that
his wife had said to the c ok, ''leave the
door open, the girls are OUT" gave the
case bad look for her and unless she
could explain that satisfactorily she
would have to resign the Office of
matron.
Prof. Stuart D. Fowler said he could
explain that. Mrs. Page had sent two
girls, Virginia Jones of Pennington, No.,
and Ollie Lucas of Leadville. Colo., to the
kitchen to make pitcher of lemonade,
and it WAS those girls she referred to in
speaking to the cook. Virginia and Ollie
were called and both said they had been
sent down on that errand that night, and
the cook did not know they were in the
kitchen. This seemed fair ex planation
but the father of Virginia came to Jeffer-
SOD just at that time as delegate to the