Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1921-08-19

The storm broke in all its fury.
The people Of Canterbury called d
town meeting and passed resolutions
setting forth the disgrace and damage
that would come 70 the town If a
school for colored girls should be
opened there. In spite Of the fact
that her opponents declared that her
school should never be allowed in
Canterbury the pIucky little teacher
went ahead with her plans and opened
her school with about twenty eolored
girls who had come from Philadelphia,
New York. Providence and Boston.
Neighbor, Attack House
How could she live? The village
store refused to sell her provisions,
her neighbors spoiled her well, and
hoodlums disfgured her home and in
suited her and her pupils. In addi-
ton to all this the officers Of the law
tried 70 send her and her pupils out
Of town on the ground that they were
Migrants. Finding they could not do
this they applied % the legislature
for new law to help them and Iaw
was passed that no school in any
Connecticut town could teach colored
people who came from other states
unless the selectmeH = the town gave
permission in writing
When this Law went into effect Miss
Crandall was arrested and placed in
jail. Her Friends soon secured her re-
lease until her case should be tried by
the county court at Brooklyn. Imagine
her distress. She could get no food
except what was brought from her
fathers farm some miles away and
those who came to bring her supplies
were insulted and threatened The
physician refused 10 care for her sick
and she and her pupils were forbid
den to enter the village church. Even
the newspapers Of the county dared
not speak in her defense for fear of
the pubic.
When everything looked darkest
help came from "a friend Of the color
ed race. Arthur Tappan, wealthy
merchant of New York City, who fur
nished money to publish newspaper
called the "Unionlst" in order to de-
fend Miss Crandall and her school and
TO plead the cause Of human rights
Mr. Tappan also furnished money TO
employ three of the ablest lawyers in
Connecticut to defend Miss Crandall
at her trial She vas brought before
the court twice The first time the
jury disagreed. The second ease was
decided against her tut she appealed
to the Supreme Court Of Errors which
quashed the indictment against her
and she was free.
After this you would think that her
opponents would be willing TO allow
her 70 carry OF her school In peace.
But no They set her house on fire
/ and her pupils had To put out the blaze
and then the angry neighbors attack
ed the house at midnight with clubs
and IRON bars. demoishing the win
dows and SCATTERING the glass
Town Aid In Old Age
. Ills " dN AoO HAAAH Abi ttf TO
endure Though she might continue
to remain at her home and suffer in
suit and injury she could not carry
on school successfully under such
conditions. so she sent her pupils to
their homes and closed her school
Having become the wife of a clergy
man. the noble-hearted little teacher
spent the rest of her life in the West
and died in Kansas
In her old age Prudence Crandall
became almost penniless and the peo-
pie Of Canterbury nobly came to her
assistance by joining with others
throughout Connecticut in asking the
State Legislature to make some re
compense for the injuries she had sui
fered. In answer TO their petition the
I Legislature in 1886 voted that the
sum Of four hundred dollars be paid
10 her each year for the rest of her
life by way Of compensation for in
juries done her and her school in 1888
and 1881 At last the devoted teach
er Of little misses of color" had won
her ease The whole state of Con
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