Evening star., 1939-04-23

King" that three Of that shows
employees, including the stage car.
penter and two scene shifters, nearly
lost their lives by remaining over
night In the theater.
Narrow Escape.
Prof. Spencer and his family and
sons family, who occupied living
quarters in the building, also had a
very narrow escape, especially the
younger Mrs. Spencer, who tried to
make her escape by way of the D
street door, only to find it locked
and barred when she reached the
foot of the stairs. Although the
building was almost an inferno by
this time, she was forced to retrace
her steps and make her exit by way
of the Ninth street door.
The Spencer family residing here
at the time included Prof. Henry c.
Spencer and Mrs. Spencer. their
son, Leonard, and his wife, and
Prof. Spencer's youngest son, Henry,
about 8 years old.
Prof. Daniel B. Immich, whom
many will recall as a popular band
leader of that period, and who in
later years had charge Of the music
at Glen Echo, lost all Of the Or
chestra's equipment, including the
musical instruments, which had
been left in the theater overnight.
Since the days of 1874, this special
teachers course has greatly increas-
ed in Importance and quite an army
of valuable and efficient instructors
have been graduated from this COL
lege. Some of these have remained
here in Washington while others
have gone to other places and made
q name, not only for themselves,
but also have reflected great credit
upon their alma mater. Among the
graduates the writer happens to
call to mind, are the late Stephen
E. Kramer, for many years first
assistant superintendent Of the Dis
trict of Columbia public schools;
Robert L. Haycock, who now holds
that ONCE; Henry L. Draper, Miss
Flora L. Hendley, Mrs. S. S. Adams,
Miss Annie Nairn and a great many
others.
Miss Nairn was q member of the
graduating class Of 1881, and few
years after this date, she married
Prof. Edward A. Paul, first principal
of the Washington Central High
School, who met with a tragic death
in 1888. The Paul Junior High
School is named for him.
Corporal Punishment.
According to the public school
records, o. K. Harris oscar K.
Harris) assisted Mr.. Wilson in OBJ
tanning legislation which brought
into being the District Normal
School. Mr.. Harris was a newspaper
man and at the time he was working
for the legislation that made the
school possible he was managing
editor of the Evening Critic, which
was founded as the Daily Critic in
1868 and ceased publication in 1896
He was a member of the Board OF
Trustees of the public schools for
a number of years and had much to
do with the rules prohibiting
corporal punishment in the schools.
One of the hagrant cases of pun
ishment said to have occurred here
in 1867, and in which Mr.. Harris
took an active interest, was the
case of Sarah A. Mansfield, a pupil
Of Mrs. Roys in the third district,
in which the latter was accused by
the School Committee of Lodge No
II, I. O. O. F.. of inhumanly beat
ing the scholar referred to and Or
dering her suspension. The Odd
Fellows sought through the School
Board to have the scholar reinstated
and the appeal was referred to q
sub-board, where it evidently died.
But in a resolution offered by Mr..
Harris at the time he tells us lust
how the pupils were punished in the
days following the Civil War. Mr..