Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-15
c OR ER'S INQUEST
In the Case of Young Stevens, the School
Boy.
1t VIII Probably Exonerate Miss Jen.
inferno Injuries Found ut the
AutOpsy-The Evidence.

In a little back room in house 1924 New
Jersey avenue northwest this afternoon
Deputy Coroner Schaeffer, assisted by DR..
r. l.. Gaines, made a post norton exami-
nation Of the remains of Moses Stephens,
the ten-year-old colored boy whose mother
swore out a warrant charging his teacher,
Miss Sarah Jane Jennifer with having in
f1icted severe punishment on her boy. This
alleged assault was charged to have been
committed in the latter part of September,
soon after the opening of school. Miss Jen-
infer teaches in the Slater building on P
street between North CAPITOL and 1st streets
northwest. Moses had only been in her
room a few days. During former years the
boy had been an unusually bright scholar
in his studies, but when in Miss Jennifer's
school during the few days he appeared
drowsy all the time. and was so inattentive
to his studies that she had to remind him a
number of times that he would have to pay
more attention. On the day of the alleged
assault, it became necessary for the teach
er to speak to him. and she made him walk
to her platform and there she required him
to SIT down. 1t Is charged that she took
the boy by the shoulders and in using a
little force to seat him pushed him with
such force that he sustained an injury to
the spine.
DR.. r. L. Gaines attended him. He found
confusion of the back when first called.
The patient soon became worse, and at
times seemed to suffer from partial paraly-
sis, and was unconscious.
The mother of the boy became alarmed
and swore out a warrant for the teacher.
Lawyer Darlington went into court as
counsel for the teacher and did his best to
get trial for his client, but Judge Miller
declined to hear the case because of the
serious condition of the boy. Tine case had
been set for next Saturday, but the death
n he TO-
dictlon of the court.
When the boy was first taken sick he was
a large. healthy looking lad. but during his
away to almost nothing.
the Autopsy.
The autopsy made this afternoon was an
Interesting one. The brain was abnormally
large and was pear shaped. 1t was badly
conSested and the doctors concluded from
the examination that the brain and spine
had been diseased for many months and
they thought the brain had probably been
diseased during infancy. There was an en-
tire absence of any evidence to show that
the boy mad been injured by a fall or blow.
AT oclock TINS afternoon Coroner Wood
ward neIo an inquest IN the case at the
second precinct station. Miss JennIfer VINO
mad been notIned OF the inquest, was pres
ent at tine nearing.
Mr.. Carrine ION was present looking after
the interests or his cIents. NUMBER of
boys and girls, pupils in the school, were in
attendance as witnesses.
Mrs. Stevens, mother Of the boy, was the
first witness examined. She said that her
boy was taken sick on the 9th of Septem-
Der. When she called him down stairs at s
O'Clock that morning he said he had the
cramps and she gave him a dose of medi-
cine. Witness told Of statements made to
her by children concerning what had oc-
CURED in school She found finger prints
on his shoulders and bruise on his back
The latter injury looked like 1t was made
by his suspenders. In describing her sons
sickness she said he shouted, moaned. cried
and PRAYED.
DR.. Charles 3. Purvis testified that he
made an examination of the boy, but failed
to find any bruises on him. He told witness
that his teacher had not punished him
Witness thought he had cerebral spinal
meningitis, the result OF idiopathic causes.
Patrick Lee. one of the pupils twelve
years old, was called. He said that Miss
Jennie caught Moses and himself by the
shoulder and sat them on the platform She
sat them down easy.
The witness was on the stand when this
report closed. The verdict It Is thought
will fully exonerate the teacher.