The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1896-01-23
STAMPEDE BY | WITCH
School Children Thought the
Janiior's Assistant Was One.
SCARED BY CAP AND BROOM
Rushed From the Rooms in a Wild
Panic and Some Did Not Stop Rum
ming Until They Reached Home.
Their Imagination Wrought Upon
by Rumors of Ii Supposed Thief.

Philadelphia, Jan. 23.-The unruffled Sc
renitys of pupils and teachers of the L. H
Smith school, at Fifth street and Snyder
avenue, received a severe shock yesterday
afternoon. In the twinkling of au eye the
school was thrown into the widest excite
ment. Wild cries and piercing shrieks
| struck terror into the hearts Of teachers and
! scholars, and precipitated III one Of the
classes a stampede which nearly demoralized
| the whole school. 1t was all on account OF
| the suGuen apparition OF an alleged witch.
The seeds of yesterdays excitement were
| sown two weeks ago, when The school was
visited by thieves and the cloak room robbed
OF several small coats and "A mufr belonging
| to the younger children. Most Of these chit
dren are at that interesting stage in mental
| development when the fairy tale is their
daily meat and food. Prosaic every day
/ explanations OF things and phenpmeua have
| no weight with them.
When, therefore, il became nosed about
that a mysterious shocking woman had been
seen lettering around the school-house, il
soon became generally accepted by the chill
dren that the stolen articles had been car
ried off by a witch. So thoroughly pos
sessed OF the idea OF witches had the minds
OF most of the children become that during
the past week many OF the teachers had to
/ IL y
ABUSE the chidren's minds of such super
stitious notions.
Yesterday AFTERNOON about 2:30 O'Clock
matters reached Il climax. The school,
noted for its quietDess, was made even I'M
usually so, i'll consequence OF examinations,
by The absence al many al the upper Glasses.
On the second floor, where three classes OF
firsl and second grade children were busily
engaged at work, things were particularly
RIIJ in an i'll IA ed second on,, IL.
rosy checked girl happened 10 take her eyes
from her book ard look out in The hallway
toward The cloakroom. In that instant her
rosy cheeks faded 10 n pale white, for sec
ond she was speiibound, and then, with a
wild shrek. she sprang Ia her feet, and,
wildly waving her hands, shouted:
'Oh-oh-oh! Miss D-u-n-l-o-p. The
witch! The witchr'
In an instant the whole class was on its
feet. The terrified children cast a hurried
glance toward the hallway and. as the
startling apparition met their gaze. ran
shrieking through an opposite door into the
adjoining room. being accelerated in their
mnvementsby some of the children shouting:
...Shes got a gum She's got a gun!'
Miss Field, the adjoining teacher, dunn
founded at the sudden stampede into her
room, made heroic effort To stop the rush.
ing crowd or rffty children, but was speedily
thrust aside by the frantic youngsters, who,
in their wild efforts to escape to the street,
upset her desk and papers, but kept straight
on till they reached the school yard Miss
Fields class itself. in the wild excitement
and conlniotion, being carried along with
them.
tiiird class on the same floor. consisting
OF boys, and taught by Miss Vollnier, aroused
by t." excitement. Joined in the stampede,
and went crushing down the stairway with
the rest of the children.
The teachers on the first floor. although
much frightened by the unwonted disturb
ancr going on overhead, managed, by sheer
force, TO keep their children in their places.
Some of these teachers came to the rescue
OF the others and most OF the frightened
children were secured and kept in the yard.
although not few with blanched faces
never stopped running until they reached
home. 1t is expected that they will return to
school again this morning.
When the teachers had time to recover
their breath the terrifying witch was soon
explained. The apparition turned out to be
the Janitor's assistant. an elderly woman
who had gone into the cloak-room and
lifted one OF the coats in order to get her
busting cap, hanging underneath. When the
children saw her pat her strengthening cap
on her head and put her broom across her
shoulder they believed that they were look
ing at nothing else than real live witch.