The sun., 1900-07-07
So Said Judge Ball at Trial of
Attendants of St. Michael's
Nursery.
FINES OF $40 WERE IMPOSED
Isabella Davis, One of the Defend
ants Admitted She Struck Mabel
Williams, Aged IL Years,
Three Times With Her
Open Hand Because the
Child Was Resisting.

Several hours we're required yesterday
morning in the city court to try the case
against Isabella Davis and Florence
West attendants at st. Michael's Day
Nursery and Hospital for Babies, charged
with assaulting Mabel Williams, aged II
years, who is at the institution.
Among those present at the trial were:
Bishop Coleman, Archdeacon Hall, the
Revs. Il, Ashton Henry, Martin B. Dun
lap, Henry Ward Cunningham, Percy
Owen Jones, Lewis B. Morrow and DR..
Evan g. Shortlidge.
Agent Stout Of the $. 7. 9. G., said on
information last Thursday evening he
went to St. Michael's Day Nursery and
saw Miss Davis relative to the COM
Davis told him the child had broken
new rule, which prohibits the children
from speaking to the servants. The child
was iD bed, but was brought before Mr..
Stout.
He saw that the child's face was swo.
len, hen tongue appeared TO be swollen
and dry blood was found on the lower
lip. He asked Miss Davis if she had
punished the child and put her to bed
without placing something on her face,
Il
Stout told Miss Davis he thought that
treatment was brutal, whereupon Miss
Davis replied that she did not know
the child was hurt so badly.
Mr. Stout visited the place the next
morning and saw the child. Her face
appeared to be swollen, her ear was red
and what looked like finger marks were
on her neck. The child complained
that her head panied her.
| Miss West told Mr.. Stout that the child
was in the yard and in endeavoring to
get her back to the house put her apron
in the child's mouth and supposed her
hand came in contact with the child g
mouth. The child having complained
about her hair being pulled, Miss West
explained that Miss Dayis' eyeglasses fell
and caught in her hair.
On cross-examination he said be saw a
blister as large as the kernel OF peanut
on the child's lip.
Mrs. Elizabeth H. Davis, wife of Mil
lard +. Davis, who lives next door to
the nursery, said last Thursday even
ing while standing on her second story
porch she heard screaming and saw
Mabel Johnson being taken around the
corner OF the house. Sac went into the
yard and saw Miss West striking the
girl in the face. The girl seemed to be
on her knees screaming. Her mouth was
bleeding. She saw Miss Davis strike the
child only once.
Testimony for the prosecution was also
given by Mrs. Elwood Davis, Mrs Davis
son, Mrs. Eliza Patterson, OF No. EOS
Washington street: Joseph A Rooney, oi
No. 200 Washington street; Mrs. Eliza
jameson, oil Third and Washington
streets; John +. Whitcraft, Of No. 2Oa
Washington street, and wife, all oi
whom heard the screams and saw The
Fchild,
Mabel Williams, whom ii was alleged
was assaulted said: Miss Davis sent hel
to the kitchen and while there she spoke
to the cook, coored woman. She was
reproyed by Miss West for speaking tc
the cook and she ran into the yard. She
was called 10 return to the house, but
did not comply with the order.
Somebody called for the laundress and
the latter held her hand. She fell and
somebody struck her in the mouth and
on the ear, but she was not hurt very
much. One of the nurses picked her UT
by the feet and tried to carry her to the
door, but some people entered the yard
and they let go of her.
Willard Hall Porter appeared for the
S. p. G. G. and G. NJ. Curtis for the de.
PENDANTS. The latter asked that the de.
fendants be dismissed, as the child's evi.
dence showed that it had not been struck
until it had struck Miss West. He
claimed that the attendants had a right
to enforce discipline and while techni.
cal assault had been committed, it was
not an assault in the legal sense.
Miss Davis. one of the defendants, ad.
mitted striking the child three times
with her open hand, but said she did &C
because the child was resisting. She did
not strike her with a bunch of KEYS
She was corroborated by the other de.
fendant, Miss Florence West.
Judge Ball said he thought the treat
ment was cruel, unnecessary and harsh
and imposed fine of $40 and costs on
each of the defendants.