Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-27
Isabel Wall Is a Blonde.

| Isabel Wall Is a Blonde.
Isabel is blonde She was dressed in
her best. with large bow of pink in her
| long hair.
! After the opening Of the legal skirmisf,
| when Stanton c.. Peelle, attorney for the
board, had declared briefly that the court
| had decided that the board must decide
the status of this particular child before
there could be any further proceeding in
the cause brought to court by the child 8
parents, John RfdOut, attorney for the
Walls beckoned to Isabel She came to
the board table and sat down in a big
chair.
Il do not know how the stenogra pher is
going to take this exhibit in evidence"
said he, but l offer Isabel Wall as ex-
| hibit A. / rest the entire case upon her.
Look at her. No one can say she is
| colored child. There is no whittier person
| in this ROOM"
| After that the first part Of the session
| was given over to the reading Of a bulky
| bit Of typewriter testimony taken in
court. 1t showed how the original Ques-
| ton came up, showed some of the ances-
| try of the girl, with mulatto great
great-grandmOther. and had complete rec
ords of the time when 1sabefs mother
| was asked by persons connected with
| BrOokland Baptist Church to take the
| child away.
| Isabers mother said she had no great
QeSlre 10 attend tTllS CnuFCn. sone ndu
| been a member Of the First Congrega-
tional Church for fifteen years.
Board Takes Recess.
| The board took a recess at about )
o'clock, and met again later in the even
| ing. The citizens association members
| were there again. ready to speak.
| Attorney Ridout was bitter in his de-
nunciation of them. He said they had
no right to attend a semi-judicial proceed
| ing, to make speeches about the matter
based on ne1ghbOrhood and race preju-
dices.
And" he said. Il believe that is what
| it will turn out to be-.
Richard Horner said he did not see why
there should be any evidence from the
| citizens association. The board, after
| retiring for deliberation. decided that it
| could make its decision without any
speeches.
After skirmish between Capt. Oyster
and Mr. Ridout, in which Mr.. Rdout
| laid down clearly that he wanted a fair
| deal" the board was asked to make its
| decision in clear-cut legal fashion, so
| that the court could review the law in
volved.
Argument of Attorney Ridout.
construction of the words 'colored child.
|
to see that the law of this District should
be put in shape to define such matters
| Furthermore, the status of the mother
determines the status Of the child. The
| conceded fact that she's the white child
| of a white mother ends the controversy.
1.-THE child's personal appearance is far
more potent than anything l can say.
| There has been a continual stream OF
white blood in this child.
i She has been conceded white down to
the time when some talkative busybody,
whose voice might be heard tonight but
for the wise decision OF the board, began
to stir up prejudice.
You may say that under the school
! law she's colored child but that won't
| make her one. You may put terrible
burden upon her, but still she's white
child
i 1t was then 10 o'clock. The board re-
! tired for conference and appeared again
/ within touching distance OF midnight.
| Capt. Oyster had typewriter resolu-
ton in his hand.
Resolution Classifying Child.
! Vice President Cox took the gavel and
the resolution was read as follows:
THE board of education of the District
of Columbia having heard the evidence
| adduced and the argument of counsel in
| behalf of Isabel l. Wail, upon her ap-
| peal from the action of the principal Of
| the RrOOkland ScnOol Tor Wnlte children,
| and of the superintendent of schools, in
| excluding her from attendance at said
| school upon the ground Of her being a
colored child is of the opinion and there
fore finds that said Isabel i. Wall. for
the purposes of school classification, is a
colored child, and she is therefore so
classified for school attendance: and the
action of the said principal and superin-
tendent. as aforesaid. is therefore af-
firmed."
Mrs. Terrell. who has steadfastly held
that the little girl is white. reiterated
her statement. She said she could not
s;en the oyster resolution, and later voted
against it.
Attitude of Horner and Tunnel.
Before voting, Messrs. Horner and Tun-
nell told the board there was nothing to
determine what infusion of African blood
constitutes q colored child, and read the
following statement.
SIN our opinion the questions as to the
racial identity of Isabel l. Wall is legal
one. AS the organic law Of 1906 does not
define the question Of racial status: this
board is not competent to determine the
racial status of the child.
Testimony submitted by the court to
this board established that the child has
an infusion of African blood. We have
no means of determining its quantity.
aud If we cannot determine that we are