Evening journal., 1896-05-23
TROUBLE Is BREWING
And a Trio of Teachers May
Find Themselves Right in 1t.
THE oHARGE ASSAULT ON A PUPIL

Lltilo Ethel Bau, n Msmbor Of Public
school No 80. nado the Victim OF rIis-
placed Authority-rhe story ns Told By
Her and Rer schooImates- tlgatlon
to Follow.
Yesterday afternoon School No. "a
I located at tho entrancs to Washington
| street bridge. WAS the scene of very
unfortunate occurrence, which certainly
/ does DOT reflect credit on three OF the
teachers aud may result In very un
pleasant consequences TO them The
| story, as it reached the ears OF tho re
porter Of the EVENING JOURNAL. is not
very pleasant one II was told by eye
witnesses among the scholara, and By the
little victim herself aud is given as re
lated by them.
The pupils had been ordered TO 90 to
the assembly hall TO practice for Memoir
isl Day exercises. Among them was
Ethel, the little daughter OF
Judge j. Frank Ball OF the
Municipal Court, who Is OF a nervous and
rather excltsble disposition As they
were marching out Of the class room
/ Ethel turned 70 a girl friend. Isabelle
Tuohton and said Belle you aud will
walk together" Miss Mary o. Steel who
was In, charge. overheard the remark
and said to Ethel, mo you will not
walk With Belle bat With me and you
will also got q demerit mark
The Display ofAuthority.
Oa arrival at the assembly hall the
little girl was seated by herself ns a sort
Of punishment. She took her seat IN q
position, dsscaibod by one OF the other
scholars, as leaning back In the chair,
when Miss Steel sharply ordered her TO
"sit up, She did so, but not as quickly
as the teacher thought should follow
her order. and she Was at once ordered
into An adjoining class room.
Struck BY Hor Teacher.
AS she passed into tho room, Miss
Speak man another OF the teachers. spoke
TO her but as Ethel declares. the remark
was not heard by her. After she had
entered the room Miss speakman and
Miss Steel followed and the former asked
In an angry tone Of voice. "Dldn't you
bear men when spoke to your Ethel
replied, NO. when Miss Speakman
with How dare you say No TO meg'
struck her violent blow OF slap on the
side OF her face, the marks OF which
remained for a long time afterwards.
The little girl was by this time In
condition verging on Mysteries, and GOV
ering her face In her hands began sob
hlng violently When the principal Miss
Sallie A. Miller, who has been a teacher
In the schools since the sixties, ordered
her TO remove her hands aud take q place
on the platform In the assembly hall be
fore eli tho other children. The girl
sobbed out II ctA't and Won't becauae
cant" whersupon the three teachers
carried her to the platform, Mas Miller
having her BY the feet. The little girl
was then sent home, where she told OF
the occurrence
Mrs. Ball together with Judge Ball
went to see Miss Speakman who denied
that the girl was struck and claimed
that she was impcrtinent. The tenor
OF the interview could not be obtained
as the parties to IL declined to talk
about II.
A Strange Animation.
l. was learned. however, that Miss
1 Spaakman made tue declaration II hope
God may strike ms dead" when she WAS
interrupted by tho remark that that was
q strAu.e remark for a teacher OF chill
dren to make She also asked the ques
tion OF Judge Ball as to what he would
do II his authority had bsan de6ed TO
which ne answered. 81 would not have
taken three large men to eyerpower one
small boy"
what VIII BE Done About
4 The question was asked Judge Ball By
q reporter nf the EVENING JOURNAL as
TO what bis course would be In the mat
ter. He declined 70 say authorltatively,
as be aid MT desire to act hastily. He
said it was g clear Case Of assault and
battery aud could be investigated under
that head 10 was ais, case for the
Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty
TO Children snd could come from
there. IL was certainly case
for the BJard Of Education to in
vestigate, and the matter had
already been laid before President
Baird The story as told by his little
daughter he believed, first because her
condition confirmed it; and second, be-
cause a number OF scholars who had
witnessed The STAIR, had voluntarily
called on him and substantisted the
statement
Taught TO Say No
He further added that Il was customary
ia bis home to simply say no and yes
without the sir or ma'am, and Ethel
meant no dlsrespeot In so answering
There promises TO be some exceedingly
interesting DEVELOPMENTS Ia the case here