The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-11
NEGROES WANT in
Object TO Separate High School
in Kansas City.
Suit to Force Board to Change
Its Plan.
NOW DIVIDE TIME.
VIDE TIME.
The Whites Have Morning and
Blacks the Afternoon.
Well known Lawyers Take Case
to Supreme Court.

At the request of Bale P. Wag-
geuer of Atchison and Waters and
Waters Of Topeka, the supreme court
this morning granted an alternative
writ of mandamus. returnable Nov. 4
to compel the board of education Of
Kansas City, Kan. to admit Mamie c.
Richardson, an 1S-year old colored
girl, to the high school at all times
during the session
This suit is brought to test the vail
dity of the race separation law, which
was passed by the last legislature after
a hard struggle, and which authorized
Kansas City to establish separate high
schools for the whites and blacks, It
seems that while the separate high
school for the colored pupils is in pro-
cess of erection, the board of education
of Kansas City has adopted the plan of
having the white pupils attend school
i'm the forenoon, with their white
teachers, and letting the eoIored
pupils and colored teachers occupy the
building in the afternoon.
There was almost a race war at
Kansas City among the high school
pupils. which led up to the demand
for separate high schools for the two
races A white boy was stabbed by
5000 signers was sent to the legis-
iature from Kansas City asking for
the passage of a special law to enable
the board of education to separate the
races. The same question has been
fought out in Topeka, with the result
that the board of education is educat-
ing the cOlOred children largely in
separate schools. The courts here
held that so long as equal facilities are
provided for both races, there is no
ground for complaint.
IL the supreme court should refuse
to sustain the law passed by the legis-
lature, it would have a direct bearing
upon the question here in Topeka.
B. p. Waggener and Waters & Wa
tiers have selected the case of Mamie
Richardson as a test. The petition for
the writ says:
THAT your petitioner is entitled to
admission in the said high school at
Kansas City, Kansas, without amy dis
tiuction or discrimination by reason of
her color or sex; that your petitioner
is colored girl o. the age of eighteen
years.
Your petitioner further represents
that on or about the 18th day Of Sep
TENDER, 1905, she went to the said high
school at the hour of nine o'clock a. m.
and presented herself for admission into
the said high school; that she was in
formed that she could not be admitted
children, who had the exclusive use,
under the orders and directions of the
board of education of said high school
building between the hours Of nine
o'clock a. m. ana twelve o'clock ioLn
of each day, and that cOIored children
would be admitted to the said high
school separately and apart from the
white children. between the hours OF
one o'clock p. IN. and four o'clock p. m.
of each DAY; that il was the intention
of the superintendent. acting under the
instructions Oe the board of education
and the officers thereof. to thereaftcr
prevent the culored children from at
tending said school with the white chill
tlren. and which is true
THAT the said High school building
I'm Kansas City, Kan. is ample for the
admission instruction. grading and
classification of an the children in said
city entitled to admission in said
school and that your petitioner is en-
titled and has a right to be admitted
into and instructed in said High school