The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-02

country, had found her guilty and SuS-
| pended her from the school.
at seems that Bessie took her books
and started down the stairs, stung by
the wrong which had been done her.
broken hearted and wild with grief, and
said Mrs. Quintin-
'Oh, what a sad time we have
| had The lamp burned ali night NV
child, who had never been away from
me night in her life was lost, probably
dead, and 1 might have saved her such
sorrow All night long We watched and
waItedi Her father and brothers hunt
ed all night and in the morning when
| school had assembled went to the wo-
/ man, who I believed unthoughtedly,
I and unintentionaIly, had caused us
trouble and the woman laughed in my
face L begged of her the privilege of
| asking the scholars if they had heard
| anything Of my child, but the woman,
with no feeling, apparently, refused
even this much and forbid the teachers
and scholars TO give US one word unless
/ they were permitted TO do so by her or
the superintendent"
The scene of sadness, the picture of
/ distress, the sympathetic tears of the
/ ladies present who had come TO try and
! console the poor woman. are too sacred
! 10 be properly reported and is left 10 the
\ imagination of every father and moth
er in Wichita TO place themselves in the
same situation and let their own hearts
| respond as 10 their feelings under like
circumstances.
j. V. Quintin was cen and made the
following statement of the case and an
nounced his purposes. He said: 1--WE
sent Bessie to school Thursday morn
ing and being late she did not go to the
building, as she was afraid owing to
some rule which is made at the school
on Hardness. AT noon she came home
and explained TO US that she was not at
school. We told her to go to school in
the afternoon and explain TO her
teacher the cause of her absence
About 8 p. m. we received a note from
Miss Stuckey, informing US that She
! had suspended Bessie for being a truant
and as l was sick in bed at the time 1
sent Clarence, my Oldest son, TO the
school house 10 tell her to come home
When he went there Miss Stuckey was
| trying to force her through the door,
and Clarence told her to come home.
which she answered she would in a
short time.
This is the last we have seen of her
since Thursday. / believe the harsh
treatment she received and the humilia-
ton Miss Stuckey subjected her to was
the cause of her not coming home, as
she is a very sensitive child, and 1 be-
lieve her harsh treatment at school is
the cause of all this trouble. This morn
ing we had to get an officer to go TO the
school with us that we might obtain
information from the children as the
principal, Miss Stuckey, would not al
low the teachers to ask the children
II they had seen Bessie. SuperinIend-
emit Dyer has done everything in his
power when interviewed by us and Of
fered all assistance. Also Chief Burt,
Sutton and Wood, to whom feel thank
full.
II fully intend to bring this whole
matter before the school board and
have the same fully investigated, as
with talks with playmates of Bessie
they ali think she was harshly treated,
and are willing to testify TO the same,
and I shall push this matter to the
end
The reporter called upon Superintend-
emit Dyer and asked what he had to say
about the matter. He said:
II am doing everything in my power
TO find the poor child 1 believe she
was over sensitive, and whether know
ingly or not had broken one of the rules
of the school. There is a rule which
comes to the school from the board
against truancy. If a pupil stays away
from school with the knowledge of the
parents, and the parents so notifies the
teacher it is all right, but for truancy
there is no other alterna tive but to sus-
pend. Pains were taken, so l am in
formed to send word 10 Bessie's par
ents that the child had been suspend
ed, and when she left the school our
authority ended. If Miss Stuckey act
ed in a manner which would seem rude
10 the distracted parents, that is a sub
ject for her alone TO settle and not me.
] never felt so sorry in my life as 1 did
when ! talked to the poor mother. /
would do anything in my power to
bring back the child. In my converse
ton with Mr.. Quintin 1 laid before him
all the facts. He is very much in
earnest and says he will push the case
10 the fartherest, and / assure you /
will aid him all can. I cannot speak
anything about whether the punish
ment administered was too severe OF
not, because / am not fully advised. 1t
is a sad case and probably the same
thing would not occur again in life
time The result and probably the nat
ural cause is what is extremely sad
in the case. If the teachers refused TO
be interviewed / suppose 1t is not the
first time you have run up against such
circumstances. There is no red tape
about the school business at all Every
school and every scholar has a pride
about not being tsrdy. This is right
ard proper. If Bessie had come to school
with a note from her parents, or either
of them. it would have been all right.
The thing to do now is 10 find the poor
child"
At the bottom OF the stairs the re-
porter met Miss Stuckey, who kindly
informed him that If he would wait
around until after she had had an in
ter-view with Professor Dyer, that she
might condescend TO give him her state
ment concerning the case. but time was
too short and the opportunity had been
given and the reporter was too busy 10
set around and suck his thumbs while a
school teacher was making up her mind
whether or not she wanted the public
10 know her side OF the case. and he did
not meet her. and the facts are given
without her statement.
In the evening Mr.. Ouintin called at
the Eagle Office and requested a report
er to accompany him 10 the north part
Of the city in search OF a family who
might throw some light on the girls
whereabouts. He did so. but the child
was not found.
Word was brought TO the police sta
ton that girl answering the descrip-
ton Of Bessie Quintin had been seen at
the Seventeenth bridge, and Chief Burt
took the trail and followed Il up in the
country FIVE miles, but could not find |
the child.
II IS the general eupposition that |
Bessie has rr.arTfAi nd fraffAd nyar