Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1893-10-24
THE WOMEN WHITE CAPS
They Are Held in Bail Upon
Several Charges.
SERIOUS TROUBLE ANTICIPATED.


Miss Ella Prague, One of the Girls who
Was ChastIsed for tAneged immortality,
Tells How the Prominent Society
Women of Her Town Punished Her and
the other Victims for Alleged AIiseon-
duct.
OscEoLA, Neb. Oct. 24-As a result Of
the efforts Of the women's White,Cap band
on Saturday night to fog a number Of
young women of this city for their
alleged Immortality, eleven leaders of
the Osceola's society were arraigned IN
the District Court to-day On the charge
Of ''rioting, assault with intent to do
bodily harm, and incendiary talk, such
as threatening to tar and feather the six
girls. All the prisoners are members of
the local Woman's Christian Temperance
Union.
The first who was called to plead was
Mrs. Thomas Head, the wife Of the
president of the Polk County Bank,
society leader and well.kn church
worker. In quick succession followed
the names of her companions, Mrs whier
hart, the two Mesdames j. ]. Osborne,
Mrs. Edward Everett Mrs. iP IT. Allen,
Mrs. Benz amin Osborne, and four others
All are equally we'll known in local
society as staunch church members and
among the most charitable ladies Of the
city
The prisoners pleaded not guilty and
furnished bonds in the sum of 800 each
TO appear for trial on November 90 The
White Cap ladies' whose heads had been
graced with pillow cases while they were
protecting society, did not deny their par.
ticipation in the affair, and asserted that
it was better for the girls and better for
Osceola that they received chastisement
The girls are all about 1S years old.
Their parents have employed attorneys,
and declare their intention TO bring civil
suits for damages in addition to prose.
cutting the w. c. T. U. as a body for the
outrageous doings of the committee of
twelve. The entire w. G. 7. U. here ad.
NIT their responsibility for the pei for
nance of the committee whom they des
ignated to do the work They admit
that they discussed the situation fully
before settling upon the White Cap
method of disposing of the cases.
Ella Prague was the only one of the
victims in court She is attractive and
told her story in a modest way. There
were tears in her eyes during the recital,
and she appeared to be terribly mortified.
It was Miss Prague who most desper-
ately resisted the White Caps, and she
was one of the girls who broke loose and
fled through the streets of the city after
nearly all her clothing had been torn of
She received a note, she said, about
o'clock on Saturday evening, signed
with the name of a gentleman friend,
requesting that she meet him after
supper She thought it rather unusual
buo as he was an old acquaintance, and
she had lived in Osceola all her life, she
! saw no improperly in granting the re-
quest
Shortly after dark she walked out tC
/ the park, where her friend was to meet
c her. AS she entered the park a number
Q of women with pillow cases over theil
. heads sprang from behind trees anc
< seized her. She was terribly frightened
e and screamed. Her csptors threw hel
b roughly to the ground, aud bound her
y She was then placed by the side oi
d another victim lying in the grass
4
still another victim, she got her hands
loose, and was unfastening her feet, wher
S two of the white caps rushed upon hel
; and commenced whipping her will
switches. She saw other women fog
. ging another girl close by.
e Miss Prague grappled with the womer
' who were whipping her and pulled thei
caps from their heads. One Of them shI
q recognized as Mrs Heald, the banl
presidents wife. She called her b.
= name, and Mrs. Heald called Miss Pragu
s by name in return. During the struggl
t Mrs Heald threw Miss Prague agains
d one of the other White Caps, and Tia
young woman, therefore, caused Mrs
Heald to measure her length on tn
ground. Others came to Mrs. Heald'
& rescue, and Miss Prague cut stick an
d ran at top speed for home, screaming
Il murder"
Il Miss Prague declared that her body
: a mass Of bruises. When she had hr
ished her testimony and started from tn
court room she was roundly applaude
by some and hissed by the w. q. I. |
and their friends. Serious trouble bt
tween the male members Of the familie
involved is probable.
10 Miss Louise Miller was the girl wh
ie was seriously injured by the Whit
Caps. She is confined to her bed. Mi:
N Anna Snyder, another Of the victims, hi
IA badly cut back and neck, the result {
. the hogging.
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