The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-30
Declares They Are Detrimental
to School Discipline.
SAYS HE STOOD 1T TWO YEARS
Then Drastic Action Was Only
Course Left Open.
Groups of Girls May Be Con-
strued to Violate Law.

hiSh SChOol girls give social atfalrS Tor
their daughters in such a manner that
the girls are thrown continually to-
gether in a group it would be a sub
Ject of question by high school Off
cials, according to testimony OF H. B.
Wilson, superintendent of city schools
under fire of Ed McKeeVer's cross ex-
animation, in the high school ''soror-
lty case in this district court this
morning. The statement was drawn
bit by bit from Wilson by McKeever.
superintendent Wilson was placed
on the stand al o'clock this morning
! by attorneys for the school board. AT
noon he was still testifying and this
afternoon it was apparent that he
would still be in the chair at a late
nour- Under direct examination, Su-
perintendent Wilson gave frats and So
rorities, in general, a raking over the
Goals. He stated that they were detri-
mental to the discipline of the school,
and that an exclusive set of students
in general was harmful to the demo-
cracy of the institution
i Asked About the Dance.
superintendent Wilson admitted
| that Miss Jessie Burnett had spoken to
/ MIN about the dance of December 8
| which caused the suspension of the
| fourteen girls. He stated that she
! asked him If it would be possible for
/ the girls to hold a dance. He stated
that II would not be possible for them
TO hold the dance and avoid serious
question unless their mothers gave it
ana assumed all responsibility. Then,
he said. nothing more was mentioned
to MIN about the affair until the even
ing of December g. when during the
high school football supper which was
held on the same evening as the dance
he was called to the telephone ana
told that the Il. A. L.'s'' We're holding
their annual dance.
AT the beginning of his testimony
Mr. Wilson stated that he found that
about "a girls out of the 500 in high
School were connected with sororities
This was in 1913.
In the year of 1914 what did YOU
find in high school that was affiliated
with the L. A. L.s?'' was the gist of
a question asked Wilson by Attorney
Larimer.
Found a Pledge Club.
Il found a pledge club"
Wilson also stated that a number of
the plaintiffs We're pledged to the L,
A L. while in high school Wilson
stated that at one time after trouble
had arisen, the girls were called in
They denied, he said, that they had
any membership in the L. A. l. but
later admitted that they belonged to
Il pledge club. Wilson stated that at
the time the trouble about the L, A T.
had been sent to Wichita, as testified
to formerly by other witnesses He
stated that he told Miss Neil to get
the paper and turn it in so as to be
in the clear-this she would have to
do. After several days, Wilson stated
Miss Neil produced the charter and it
was sent to Miss Gladys Mckee at St
Joe, Miss Mckee being the grand vice
president OF the national sorority Will
son introduced as evidence a letter
written by himself and one written by
Miss Neil in turning in the charter A
reply from Miss Mckee receipting for
the charter was also introduced The |
former two communications were
copies and the latter the original let
ter. The Mckee reply in part was as
follows:
The Topeka chapter of the Lamb
da Alpha lambda is now completely |
disorga nized- No chapter can be had |
without a charter. I hope the girls |
will graduate as good a class as they
have been a loyal chapter
After the charter was surrendered |
did the L. A. L. continue?''
Activities Continued.
The activities of the same persons
as had belonged to it continued
Wilson stated that he and other of |
ficialS had taken two years with the |
girls and others to educate them that |
organized groups must cease before |
taking drastic action. He stated that
he had received complaints as to fratS |
and sororities from many sources.
Mr.. Wilson testified that among pu-
pills the dance of December was
spoken of as the L. A. L. dance.
when 1 found that the dance was
being given l called Miss Burnett and /
expressed surprise that l had been so /
embarrassed and that l didn't know it |
was to be given.
THE next morning Miss Burnett /
came to the office and said that the |
dance had been given by the mothers
of the girls. She gave me the names |
of those present. She said she didn't |
think it was necessary to bother me |
any more after asking me about it |
the first time. l took the matter up |
with Mr.. Stout and asked him to in |
vestigate as much as possible.
Then on the next day we interview |
ed each of the girls separately and |
found that they had continued their |
organized relationship. They were /
told that they would be suspended. |
The school board was notified and its |
action followed
statements and Letters
Attorneys for the school board in !
troduced statements and letters sign |!
ed by the girls during different per
iods of the sorority trouble to show 4
that some of them had signed their /
names as officers, president, secretary /
and treasurer.
Wilson said there was some discus |
sion about the manner in which the |
school board meeting a which the girls /
were suspended would be held. The 1
principal discussion. he said, was as to |
whether or not newspaper reporters |
would be present. The first ruling was /
against the news gatherers, but later |
certain officials changed their minds |
Judge DANA Did you tell the girls /
or did they ask you how they could /
skate between the lines in the sorority /
trouble -
Il told the girls that they needed /
no specific instructions as to just what
they could do but 1 told them they |
could not formally affiliate them /
selves"
Ed McKeever took the witness for |
cross-exarnination.
What was the process of these /
pledges which you say these girls had I
taken2''
Mr.. Wilson stated that he did not |
know the exact process but stated that |
invitations to the different alleged