Year: 1876

UPON BEING PUNISHED BY HIS


TEACHER, A CHILD DROPS DEAD


IN A SCHOOL ROOM. t


A little hoy in the Fourth Ward
School, Milwaukee, fell dead after
punishment on Wednesday. TheMil-
waukee Sentinel gives the following
particulars. p.


can assistant teacher was consulted
and from her these facts were cleaned:
The little boy, Herbert Booth, con of
Mr.. George Booth, resident at l4O
Fifteenth street, lad seven years of
age, had come to school rather late
and subsequently hurried back home
to get his slate, having forgotten it in
his hurry to get to school. Nothing
occurred after this until about eleven
o'clock, little oyer an hour from his
return to his desk. Then his teacher,
Miss Sarah w. Chapman, observed
that he was making a noise, and that
it diverted the attention of the children
from their studies. She called him
up on disobedience of an order to keep
quiet, and had given him four or five
blows with light rattan when he fell
into fit and died,


The child was of a tender, sensitive
nature, and it was the general opinion
that his death was the result of the ex-
element incident to his attendance at
school during the forenoon. Herbert
had risen as usual, partaken of break
fast with the family and had assisted
in dressing a younger brother or Sis
ter before going to school. His race
for his slate and the nervous disturb
ance consequent upon punishment by
the teacher had resulted in all apoplec-
tic fit and death. The family had no
fault to find with Miss Chapman, and
viewed the occurrence as one that
might have happened in the home cir
Gle under no greater provocation than
that at school.


Miss Chapman detected the little
fellow in the act of making noises
with his mouth to the annoyance Of
those about him and had called him
to account. He laughed, and, very
carelessly it seemed to her, repeated
the noise. Thinking it necessary to
punish him for Lis disobedience, she
summoned him out into the hall and
administered four or five light blows
upon the inside of one of his hands.
He made no resistance, but cried mere
out of modification than pain. On
his release he walked to his seat, Sob
bing all the way, and the teacher OBJ
served that he settled down into a seat
near the one he occupied and assum-
ed recumbent position. She hurried
to his side and found that no was i'll.
A by near by expressed an opinion
that the child had tainted, and word
was Immediately sent up to Mr.. Law
renee, who appeared and assisted in
bathing the boys temples with cold
water and apply ammonia. DR.. Carl
ton was sent for, but arrived too late
to be of service. The little one died
i'm few moments after he reached his
seat. The parents were sent for, but
as Mrs. Booth was too ill TO come. the
remains of the boy were conveyed
home in hack. Mics Chapman
thought the boys death was the re-
suit of great nervous exsitemeRt and
his effort to restrain his grie:.


The general impression is that the
child's death was the result of natural
causes, fastened by the excitement of
the forenoon. The statement of Miss
Chapman as to the degree of punish
ment inflicted, and the fact that there
were no marks upon the boys hands
to indicate undue violence, fully sus-
tain this view, and there is no doubt
that the inquest will further and more
definitely confirm it.