Wargo: Teachers goes to court over discipline

Discussion in 'Articles' started by News Readers, Aug 26, 2018.

  1. News Readers

    News Readers The Paperboy

    Wargo: Teachers goes to court over discipline

    The following article appeared in the Jan. 5, 1888, edition of the Warren Republican:

    Quite a ripple of excitement was occasioned by the trial of this case before Squire S.C. Fisher at the courthouse. The case consisted of the defendant, Miss Minnie Vanderbilt, a teacher at the Broadie School in Washington Township, charged with committing an assault and battery upon Toby Marlatt. This consisted of two floggings she administered to the boy a short time before the close of the fall term of school because the boy refused to comply with the rules of the school.

    Previously the boy had accidentally broken a window glass in the school, the value of which was 15 cents. The teacher requested the boy to either pay for or replace the glass; he refused to do either. The teacher then told him he could have no recesses until he complied with her request. Miss Vanderbilt felt it to be her duty to enforce obedience, since her contract with the township compelled her to return the school in the spring in as good condition as she found it.


    The whippings were administered after the boy refused to obey the teacher to remain in at recess. Instead of remaining in one day, after he had been kept in several consecutive recesses, he left the room and took his recess with the other children. For this he was punished with a flogging.

    The following day he repeated the disobedience of the day before and took his recess. The teacher for this second offense repeated the punishment, making it even more severe.

    All this coming to the ear of Mr. Marlatt, he made inquiry and upon the statements obtained filed the necessary papers for Miss Vanderbilt’s arrest.


    A number of witnesses appeared. The plaintiff demanded trial by jury and accordingly 12 men were selected. The jury retired at 4 p.m. and did not return until between 10 and 11 p.m. that night. It was an agreement to disagree, the jury standing 10 to 2. The case was to be tried again.

    Upon a voluntary plea of guilty, the defendant was fined 1 cent and an appeal was taken to the Circuit Court.


    A letter from a teacher to the editor appeared in a March issue of the newspaper. The writer stated the teachers of the county understood and knew which lawyer started the suit and that it had hurt all of the schools and made them more difficult to manage and the lawyer, since he had been a teacher, knew this would happen.

    The writer asked the lawyer to stop the lawsuit at once and see that it did not cost Miss Vanderbilt any fees, even attorney fees. The teachers stood behind Miss Vanderbilt and if the suit was not stopped, the teachers would never vote for the attorney if he ever ran for office.

    The case appeared again in March before the Circuit Court. The jury trial occupied a day and a half. The jury took 10 minutes to return a verdict of not guilty for Miss Vanderbuilt.

    Continue reading...

    http://www.commercial-news.com/comm...cle_0303a94a-f48e-5430-880d-b742619d5bd0.html