The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-25
KIDS STILL OUT.
Strike at Lincoln School Is Still
On.
Police Answer Two Hurry Calls
as Result.
PLACARDS Tackled UP.
They Are in the Nature of Warn.
ings.
Stunt. WhiftemOrA Exnocts
PLACARDS Tackled UP.
Supt. Whittemore Expects
Trouble Will Bl Ow Over.

Lincoln school, corner Fifth and Madi-
| son, on account of the large number of
| colored children in the Seventh and
Eighth grades, is growing more seri-
Gus and this afternoon nearly a nun
! dred children had deserted the build
ing and many of them have taken their
books home with them
This morning signs were pasted all
over the building to the effect that the
strike was on and in the neghborhood
| of the school, on the sidewalks and on
the buildings, signs were written by
the youthful strikers Most of them
| read-"Down with the niggers" and
! NO niggers for u.s." A huge chalk sign
| on the wall of brick building on Fifth
| street read-"The strike is on at Lin
| coin school-The one who rubs this
out Is Niger lover" Another was
written on the steps leading to the
! school yard which read-"All who go
i to this school are Niger lovers" The
cards on the building this morning
were painted by. Topeka sign painter
! who sympathizes with the children and
painted the signs for them.
During school session this morning
dren and took them from the building
| IN some cases they were taken against
/ the Will of the children.
At police headquarters this morning
/
! calls from anxious mothers who asked
J that their children be protected by the
1 ponce. Chief Eaton has kept an officer
watching the school and he is ready at
any time to quiet any disturbance. The
II ponce were called to the school once
this morning to break up a bunch of
strikers who had gathered in the neigh
borhood of the school and made a dis
turbance. The children were told to
either go to school or to their homes
he Iof
port went the rounds this morning to
| the effect that a colored girl went to
school this morning with big knife
| concealed under her dress. This caused
| intense excitement and Chief Eaton
| and an officer went to the school on a
hurry up CALL However, the knife could
not be found and the report was appar-
emily without foundation.
Fred Nathanson, the acknowledged
| leader of the boy strikers, said this
afternoon: We are never going back,
unless something is done. The fathers
| and mothers of the kids are for us good
| and strong and some of them are maxi
ing their kids quit. Everybody We see
tells US to keep it up and We are going
| to-" The other leaders, Clifford Shank
er. Jack Glover, Floyd and Herbert
l5Porter, Clyde PiIigtsyT and Roy Pinney'
are of the same spirit and they all say
that more are Joining them every day
The girls ARE asS enthusiastic as the
Moffitt and Bertha Gerbrick, they
stand by anything said or done by the
| boys. Dora Moffitt said this morning.
us girls really have more right to
stay out than the boys. Boys are all
ways fighting andzrunning around with
the niggers anyway and they can stand
them but we girls won't do it any long
err Yes, our parents know all about it
and they are glad of it,
The school authorities seem to take
the mater calmly in contrast to the at
titude of the parents of the children
and the children themselves. The
| truancy officer will not be brought into
commission as was first thought. A
quire his services and would make
| matters worse. The school authorities
believe that the "river will run dry
| and that the hard feeling will soon die
down.
Superintendent Whittemore said this
morning:
Il have little fear of the outcome of
this alleged strike. I don't see why 1t
/ should be serious enough to last long.
Several of the parents have declared
their intention of sending the children
back to school and it is expected that
the classes will be running along
, smoothly on Monday. We regret that
the thing has occurred as it Will tend
to stir up prejudice"
All day today boys have been going
around in buggies with a petition so
Letting signers The list of signers is
growing fast and the boys intend to
present the petition to the school au-
thorites. The petition is to the erect
that all the signers desire the colored
! children taken from Lincoln school.