The herald., 1896-07-18
THE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Did Rhoda Webb Really Mean 10 Hang
Herself?
Neither the Doctor Nor Miss 0lmstead Regard
1t as a Serious Attempt
VoIumlnous Evidence Taken Before Trustees
VIC. Patterson and Mrs. nitchsii-Rhoda
Webb q Favorits With Some Teach
ers and DisIiked by Others

A meeting of the board of trustee:
of the Whittier state school was held or
the I'd inst. at Whittier for the purpose
Of investigating charges OF cruelty par
ticularly in the girls department. in the
case of the whipping Of Rhoda Webt
and her alleged attempted suicide. The
president of the board, A. Mullen was
not present. w. C. Patterson, vice-pres-
ident, and Mrs. A. Mitchell being the
trustees in attendance.
Proceedings were opened by appoint
ing F. H. McAlister, court reporter for
the superior court. to take down In short
hand and transcribe the evidence
Mr.. Patterson said This meeting
is called for the purpose of investigating
certain alleged abuses and charges OF
undue severity upon the part OF certain
teachers and officers"
Mrs. A. Mitchell offered resolutions
that the investigation be made in the
following order: First, the alleged Sc
we're whipping Of Rhoda Webb and her
attempt at suicide while confined in
cell; second, by the charge as fied by
Trustee Mullen in the case of Jose
Strangman, and thirdly, evidence on
other matters affecting the management
It was further resolved that all persons
reported to have been engaged in any
of the matters under investigation be
called as witnesses: that no person be
examined in the presence of any other
witness or before any officer OF the instl-
tution. that all inmates should be eau
toned to tell the truth and that they
should not be punished for anything they
might report; that all officers and EN-
ployes be similarly cautioned ana ao-
vised that their statements would not be
used against them or affect the tenure
of their position or employment ana
that each witness be duly sworn.
THE WHIPPING OF RHODAWEBB
Lena w. Jackson was, first called; had
been supplying for the night watch and
was in charge of the girls at the time
OF the punishment of Rhoda webb; sne
took the company when they were III
line lust before they went into the
plunge room, and as she took the iine
thither there was disorder. Inc nne
did not stand colHctly ana mere was was
Whispering AS soon as they got INTO
the plunge room Rhoda Webb began TO
talk Immediately. AS it was against the
rules. I spoke out and said: Il don't
want any talking" She kept on talk
ing and went down to her and told ner
that 1 wanted her to quit talking. She
pretended she would not speak to me;
that she was mad and hadn't spoken to
me since was here before. She had been
mad at me, for had punished her before
when she had disobeyed me. Rhoda
Webb was one of six girls witnesses put
in guard line.
Mrs. Mitchell-What is meant by the
guard line?
Witness-That is. they stand UP. They
Just stand this way (standing straight)
Mrs Mitchell-For how long?
Witness-Why, as long as we feel like.
I told them to stand till supper time. 1t
was then half past four and supper is
at half past five.
Mrs. M.-Where do they Stand! IN
the line outside?
Witness-No; If / stood them In line
they would be talking
Mrs M-Where do you put them?
Witness-Each one in different place.
so I can see them where they stand.
Witness, continuing, said: After sup
per we came back into the plunge room
again and the order was very bad, in
deed. They just did everything they
could to annoy me. There were fifty
eight girls in all. Afterwards Rhoda
was excused from the guard line and
she went into the library, but all the
evening she was either lounging down
this way 0eaning over the side of the
chair, or doing something. l had con-
tinually to keep correcting her 1t is
against the rules for them to get out
their fancy work in the library at all.
She got hers out and worked on it that
evening. / just let her work. 1t was the
next morning that Rhoda was whipped.
] didn't come here when she was whip
ped, but on Saturday and the' Sa bbath
supplied here for Mrs. Miller, Rhoda
was whipped on Friday morning While
! was here for Mrs. Miller one of the
girls said to me that Rhoda had been
badly whipped. The offic,rs hadn't re-
ported to me at all. This girl said that
she had been so badly whipped that the
blood ran clear to the floor. said that
must be a mistake.
Q.-What girl was that?
A.-That was Mamie Mack, the head
girl in the kitchen. l think she must be
twenty.
Mrs Tucker showed witness Rhoda s
vest on Saturday night There was
blood on it, but it was not blood from the
wound in the back.
Q.-How do you know that?
Al could tell by the way It looked.
1t showed that it had been put on.
MISS OLMSTEAD'S EVIDENCE.
Miss V. A. Olmstead was next called
and, after being sworn. testified that she
mad whipped Rhoda. The whipping took
place on the 22nd of May. II gave her
ten strokes across the shoulders Tie
girl had been very ilnpudent and inso-
lent to Miss Jackson" A leather stra .
was used that we have here for that
purpose. Rhoda had been giving Miss
Jackson great deal of trouble. she
was insuoordinate and seemed deter
mined not to do as Miss Jackson wanted
her to do, and she would stir up the other
girls to - well, ! might say to mutiny.' 81
Mrs. Slyder, the matron, was present
at the whipping. Witness whips at hel
own discretion.
Mr.. Patterson-How severely did you
whip this girl?
Miss Olmstead-I took the strap and
soaked ii until ii was soft and flexible
The strap is a hard stiif thing when
1t is dry.
Mrs. Mitchell-How long did you soal
It, do you know?
Miss Olmstead-Why. | soaked it five
or ten minutes TO soften it. 1t would bt
very severe if we would lay it on the
bare skin dry.
Mrs. MitchelI-Dont you think il