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June 29, 1908

BOY IS KILLED

BY A BASEBALL

THROWN BY MARION GREEN,

11 YEARS OLD.

MORRIS CROWE IS

THE VICTIM.

HE WAS ALSO 11 YEARS OLD.

AN ACCIDENT.

Little Sufferer Dies as the Angelus

Is Calling the Parish to Prayer.

Thrower of the Ball

Crazed by Grief.

While playing a game of ball yesterday morning, Morris Crowe, 11 years of age, was struck on the head by a pitched ball, and died a few hours later from the injury. Morris, with six of his playmates, was playing ball in the side yard of James Green's home, 1122 Prospect avenue. Marion Green, the 11-year-old son of Mr. Green, was in the act of throwing the ball to John Crowe, Morris's brother, when Morris attempted to cross the yard. In crossing he ran directly into the course of the ball, and before his little friends could warn him of the danger, the ball had struck him fairly on the left side of his head, just above the ear.

Morris staggered and cried for help. His brother and Marion Green ran to him just as he fell to the ground, unconscious. The lads carried Morris to the terrace and began to throw water in his face in an attempt to revive him. Marion ran into the house and told his mother of the accident. Mrs. Green came out and told the boys to carry Morris into the house, but Morris had regained consciousness and refused to go in, saying that he wanted to go home. Mrs. Green bathed the boy's face and his bruise, then bandaged his head and his friends took him to his home, 2711 East Eleventh street.

ABLE TO WALK HOME.

Morris seemed to have recovered from the effect of the blow on his head and was able to walk home with little difficulty. His conversation was rational and he ate dinner as usual. After dinner was over he began to grow rather stupid, and his mother decided that he should have medical attention. A physician was called, and said there would be no serious result from the injury, but that the lad would naturally be somewhat bewildered by so hard a blow on the head.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon Mrs. Crowe noticed that her son was growing worse, and immediately called in another doctor. This doctor informed Mrs. Crowe that there was no chance for her son's recovery, and she would better send for a priest at once. Two hours later the child was dead.

When Marion Green heard of Morris's death he became frantic and his talk was irrational. He dept repeating: "I killed him; I killed him." Neither Mr. Green nor his wife is able to do anything to quiet him, and he mourns over the death of his little schoolmate and playfellow bitterly. Mrs. Crowe said that she realized the little Green boy was entirely blameless, and that he felt the death of Morris as keenly as did she.

DIED AS BELL TOLLED.

At the time of the accident Mr. Green, who is connected with the T. Green Grocery Company, was away from home. He did not arrive until after dinner, and at that time it was not thought that Morris's injuries would result fatally. It was not until 7 o'clock that the Green family heard of the lad's death.

Just as the angelus was ringing in St. Aloysius church, which is located only a few doors west of the Crowe home, Father J. C. Kelly, four Catholic sisters, Mrs. Crowe and her family were gathered at Morris's bedside. They sank to the floor on their knees in silent prayer, only to arise and find that life had left the child's body while the angelus was calling the parish to evening prayer.

John W. Crowe, the father of Morris, is a conductor on the Santa Fe railroad and was in Texas at the time of his son's death. Mrs. Crowe telegraphed the train dispatcher of his district and received the assurance that her husband would be released from duty as soon as he could be informed of his son's death. He is not expected until tonight.

Morris and Marion Green had been fast friends. Both of them were in the same class at St. Aloysious school. Almost every day the boys of the neighborhood would gather at the Green home for games of some sort, and Morris and Marion were the favorites of the crowd.

CAUSED A CONCUSSION.

They boys who were playing ball at the time of the accident said that the ball which struck Morris was thrown with such force as to rebound from his head and strike a tree some feet distant. After striking the tree the ball again rebounded and rolled quite a distance away. The physician who attended Morris last said that the blow on the head caused a concussion of the brain and it was from the hemorrhage that death resulted.

When the news of Morris's death spread in the neighborhood, the little friends of the boy visited the Crowe home, each expressing with unmistakable sincerity, his sorrow.

Morris was one of three children in the Crowe family. He is survived by an older brother and a baby sister.

Labels: accident, children, churches, death, Eleventh street, Prospect avenue, railroad, schools, sports

June 8, 1908

MANUAL PUPILS ARRESTED.

Removed Junior Class Flag, Substi-

tuted Their Own, Greased Pole.

Full of that brand of enthusiasm called "class spirit," Loy Schrader, 1216 Admiral boulevard, and Paul Dodd, 3512 Kenwood avenue, and two other boys, all members of the senior class, Manual Training high school, at midnight last night took down the junior class flag that had been placed on the flagpole yesterday, and leaving their own, greased the pole as they climbed down.

The senior and junior classes put their flags on the Manual pole yesterday afternoon. These boys wanted only the senior flag on the pole. The two unknowns guarded the pole at the bottom while Dodd and Schrader, barefooted, climbed the pole.

The night watchman at Manual discovered the boys and turned in a riot call at Number 6 police station. When Policemen Frank Hoover and Charles Snend arrived the two boys at the foot of the pole had disappeared and the others had just come down and were on the run.

The policemen chased the boys. Finding that they were getting away, Hoover drew his revolver and fired at the barefooted fugitives. Dodd was caught by Hoover at Fifteenth street and Virginia avenue, and Schrader surrendered to Snead two blocks further on. The boys gave bond and will be charged with disturbing the peace. Dodd is prominent in his class, being a leader in athletics, debate and literary work.

Labels: Admiral boulevard, Fifteenth street, No 6 police station, police, schools, Virginia avenue

May 28, 1908

TEACHERS FEARED A TORNADO.

Dismissed Pupils Yesterday When

Black Clouds Appeared.

Fearing that the black cloud which approached Kansas City from the northwest yesterday morning was bring a tornado, Miss Emma J. Lockett, principal of the Linwood school, Linwood and Woodland avenues, dismissed the 735 children under her care, and sent them scampering to their homes.

But she first called up P. Connor, the weather forecaster. After being assured that the coming storm was not a twister, she remembered how many times she had failed to take an umbrella when he said "Fair today," and had come home dripping, so she was not satisfied, but tried to call the school board. After several ineffectual attempts, the board's telephone being in use at each time, she noticed that the cloud was much nearer. At the rate it was coming, the children could barely have time to get to their own roofs before trees began to be uprooted. She rang the dismissal bell, telling her charges to go home at once.

But Mr. Connor was right, and Miss Lockett very sweetly admitted it after the cloud had passed. School was resumed at the afternoon hour.

The Catholic sisters in charge of St. Vincent's academy, Thirty-first street and Flora avenue, also dismissed their 250 pupils when the threatening clouds appeared.

In 1886 the Lathrop school, Eight and May streets, was partly wrecked by a storm. Several children were killed.

Labels: children, Eighth street, Flora avenue, Linwood avenue, May street, schools, Thirty-first street, weather, Woodland avenue

May 22, 1908

THEY WHITTLE THEIR DESKS.

Boys With Knives Have Defaced

3,000 in Public Schools.

Even in these days of scientific school discipline the boy with the jack knife is still active, and as a consequence the shool board last night instructed the secretary to ask for bids for 3,000 new desks to replace the old ones which have been defaced by the enthusiastic small boy with his new Christmas knife.

Bids for teachers' tables, chairs and stools will be asked at the same time.

Labels: children, schools

May 14, 1908

PROF. MINCKWITZ IS DEAD.

Was Teacher of Latin in Central for

Ten Years -- Dies in New York.

Word has been received here that Professor Richard Minckwitz, who was for ten years professor of Latin in the Central high school, died last week of tuberculosis at his home in New York city. Professor Minckwitz was one of the most widely known educators in Missouri while he taught here, and his textbooks on Latin are used extensively throughout the West. He left in 1901 to accept a profesorship in Latin in a New York high school. He had no children. His wife is living in New York.

Miss Annie C. Wilder, a sister-in-law and a teacher in the Westport high school, is at present very ill in the Kansas university hospital in Rosedale. Mrs. Kate Cross of Emporia, her sister, is in the city and assists in caring for her. Miss Wilder has not been told that Professor Minckwitz is dead.

Labels: death, schools

May 1, 2008

ITS GREAT TO BE FAMOUS.

Joseph Yanner Says Friends Are Kill-

ing Him With Kindness.

Joseph Yanner, the Kansas City boy who is with the "Strongheart" company at the Grand theater this week, is a busy person. To hear him tell it, one would think that he scarcely had time to eat. "Never in my life have I found it so hard to keep engagements as I am finding it this week," said he; "it is almost impossible for me to get around to the theater on time. Between automobile rides and chumming with all of my old friends it is always just a few minutes before the curtain goes up when I am able to get into my dressing room.

"Yesterday my family took me to one of the theaters in town to see Robert Mantell. I was immensely enjoying the play when a party of my friends burst in upon us and carried me off for an automobile ride over the boulevartds. That's just the way I have been going all week; keeping only parts of engagements and then having to make a sprint for the theater. It is all very enjoyable, though it does seem rather nerve-racking."

Mr. Yanner will stay with the "Strongheart" production until the end of this season. He will then come houme to Kansas City and spend the summer with his parents. He has made no arrangements for his next season's work as yet, but expects to do so before he returns home.

Kansas City has been Mr. Yanner's home for twenty years, having been reared here. He attended the Christian Brothers' Catholic school at Twelfth and Broadway.

Labels: automobiles, Broadway, schools, theater, Twelfth street

April 25, 1908

NEW ST. TERESA'S ACADEMY.

It Will Be Near Fifty-Fifth and Main

Streets and Will Cost $300,000.

Architects Wilder and Wight are drawing plans for a new school building which is to be erected by the Sisters of St. Joseph in charge of St. Teresa's academy, near Main street and Fifty-fifth. The Sisters recently closed a deal with E. S. Yoemans for the purchase of a twenty-acre tract in this vicinity at a cost of $40,000, and will shortly begin the erection of the school building. It is understood about $300,000 will be expended on the building. St. Teresa's academy is exclusively for girls.

Labels: architects, Fifty-fifth street, Main street, schools

April 9, 1908

SMALLPOX CLOSES

THE PARK SCHOOL.

PRINCIPAL CRIPPEN IS TAKEN

WITH THAT DISEASE.

He is Sent to the Pest House -- One

Pupil Had Smallpox and Was

Permitted to Return to

School Too Soon.

The Park school, located at Twenty-fourth street and Central avenue, Kansas City, Kas., has been closed by the board of education on account of the prevalence of smallpox there. In the school are six teachers and 200 pupils. The step taken by the board was the first announced last night.

About three weeks ago Marguerite Gardner, 11 years old, was taken down with the disease, but little attention was paid to the matter by the authorities of the school, it is said, so when she reported for classes two weeks later she was admitted by the principal, C. I. Crippen, and allowed to take her accustomed place among the scholars. Several members of the Wallenberg family, living in the vicinity, were also affected, but they, with the exception of a grown daughter now working in a Kansas City, Mo., department store, were quarantined in the home.

Wednesday, April 1, Principal Crippen became violently ill while hearing a class at the school. He was taken at once to his home at 2313 North Fifth street, where the attending physician pronounced his case smallpox and he was removed to the pest house. Then it was the school board decided totake measures preventing the further spread of the disease in the Park school, so without waiting to inform the board of health the assistant principal was instructed to close the doors until it could be thoroughly fumigated.

"In my mind, action in this matter was not taken soon enough," said W. J. McCarty, a teacher who lives near the Park school last night. "Matters of this kind should be taken under the advisement of the school board as soon as reported, and should be reported by the principal without a moment's delay.

"It is evident that Marguerite Gardner was allowed to return to school too soon. Perhaps that was her parent's fault, perhaps the blame rests on the principal, the board of eduation or the board of health, if they knew of the cases. I understand all the affected ones are improving."

This is the first school to be closed because of smallpox in Kansas City, Kas., for several years. District 44, where it is located, is an outlying one. Yesterday afternoon all the class rooms were fumigated after a careful cleansing with lye water, and they will be fumigated several more times before the close of the week. Members of the school board say pupils may return there next Monday for recitation.

Labels: children, health, Kansas City Kas, schools, smallpox

April 5, 1908

JUSTICE AS DISPENSED

TO THE JUVENILES.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS VISIT

JUDGE M'CUNE'S COURT.

First Two Boys to Go to Parental

Home Are Delos Johnson and

Dan Clark, One a Shirker

and One a Truant.

Bent upon the study of sociology, the senior class of the Manual Training high school, under the guidance of Miss Annie Gilday, visited the children's court yesterday, presided over by Judge H. L. McCune in the second floor of the court house. There were nearly a hundred students, and they completely filled the court room. Among the gems of practical justice which the overheard were these:

Carl Warden, 3 years old, was brought before the court because he habitually runs away from his mother's home at 1212 Oak street and goes to visit Mrs. Joan Moran, police matron. Mrs. Elizabeth Warden, the mother, said that she took in washing for a living because her husband left her four months ago. She has a 3-months-old baby and Carl to provide for. The court has tried to help her before and gives her the laundry work from the Boys' hotel. She said that every time she turns her back on Carl "he scoots out of the house and goes down the alley like a rabbit." She wanted the court to find a place where she could keep him.

"Can you hold him until 10 o'clock tomorrow morning?" inquired Judge McCune.

"I doubt it," she said.

"Tie a clothes line around one leg and lariat him to a bed post," the judge ordered. "By morning we will have found a place, perhaps at the Institutional church, where he can be kept."

"I'll tie him up until an officer comes tomorrow," said the mother.

Carl fell asleep in the "bad boy's chair" while his fate was being decided and, when his mother woke him up, cried lustily.

"This is the first outing I've had in three years," remarked Robert Fisher's mother, when she came to court yesterday to defend the lad. Robert's father reported the boy as incorrigible. The mother told the court that the boy is all right. She said she would rather keep the boy than keep her husband. Judge McCune continued the case to give the officers time to investigate the conflicting stories.

Two boys were given reform school sentences. They are Columbus Pitts, who returned to Kansas City from Coffeyville, Kas., to which town the court a week ago sentenced him for life, and George Saide, a colored boy.

Two lads were sent to the parental home with Thomas N. Hughes and Mrs. Hughes, recently appointed to run the place. They will open the home today, using first a six-room farm house, now standing. The county will erect other buildings as they are needed. There will be a school house for truants by fall. Hughes and his wife attended court yesterday and went away with their boys.

One of the lads is Delos Johnson, who ran away from St. Louis and came to Kansas City last fall. His mother came here to find him and stayed here because he liked this city. She bought furniture on the installment plan, furnished a home at 512 Oak street, and the children's court got Delos a position at $20 a month so that he could help his mother pay for their new home. He quit his hob, because the boss asked him to scrub a floor. A second position he resigned because he was asked to wash a spittoon. There will be floors for him to scrub at the parental home.

The other charter member of the home is Dan Clark of 911 Wyandotte street. There's nothing the matter with Dan, except that he has insisted for two years on playing marbles and shinny, when he should have been attending the Lathrop school.

Labels: children, Judge McCune, juvenile court, Oak street, police matron, schools, Wyandotte street

April 2, 1908

DOORS MUST OPEN OUTWARD.

Police Will Make Arrests if Public

Building Owners Fail to Comply.

To prevent a repetition of the Collinwood school tragedy in any of the Kansas City schools or public buildings, the police board yesterday instructed Chief Ahern to see that the city ordinance requiring all doors in public buildings to open outward is strictly enforced.

"Arrest all persons who do not comply with this law after being properly notified," Commissioner A. E. Gallagher told the chief.

Labels: Commissioner Gallagher, Fire, police board, Police Chief Ahern, schools

March 20, 1908

MADE LIQUID AIR ON STAGE.

Edisonian Society Has a New Form

of Entertainment.

A departure was taken in the regular assembly day programme at Manual Training high school yesterday afternoon. During the last part of the school year the different literary societies and other organizations of the school take their turn in giving entertainments on assembly day. Heretofore these entertainments have been pleasing, but hardly instructive to the students at large.

Yesterday was the day for the Edisonian Society, an organization composed of those who wish to study things of a scientific nature, to give its programme, and something altogether original was hit upon. The society staged a one-act-play with the scene in a physical laboratory. At the time for the arrival of the instructor he does not materialize, consequently the students take charge of the class and lecture in a most interesting manner upon the subject of air in all of its phases. During the lecture practical experiments are worked out, showing the audience the power and practical value of air.

The way in which this lecture was given was both entertaining and instructive. The process of making liquid air was thoroughly demonstrated and the uses of the air were shown. "Such a programme as the Edisonian Society gave should be encouraged and given the hearty support of the faculty," said Professor Philips, principal of the school. "The Edisonian Society is a new one here, and it is doing a splendid work."

The society was named for Thomas A. Edison, and the great inventor and scientist was notified of the liberty which was taken with his name. To this notification he responded with a gracious letter, which has been framed and is hanging in the physics room of the school.

Labels: organizations, schools, theater

March 5, 1908

TRACK MEET FOR CHILDREN.

Will Be Held in Convention Hall

Some Time in May.

A track meet to be held in Convention hall some time in May, in which the school children of Kansas City will participate, is now proposed for the benefit of the Public Play Grounds Association. The principals of sixteen of the Kansas City ward schools, accompanied by Superintendent J. M. Greenwood and Dr. Fred Berger, physical director of the public school, met at Convention hall at 4:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon in conjunction with a committee of the play grounds association and discussed the feasibility of the plan.

Superintendent Greenwood was heartily in favor of the plan, and it was upon his suggestion that a committee of the principals will be named to work in conjunction with a committee of the play grounds association. Superintendent Greenwood will name a committee of five today or tomorrow.

The plan is to have the children of the public schools from the fifth to the seventh grades compete in this meet All kinds of races will be run, including the relay and the medicine ball. A similar plan has been successfully carried out in New York and Buffalo, and Martin Delaney, physical director at the Kansas City Athletic Club, believes that it may be just as successful here. One of the women principals who attended the meeting yesterday afternoon suggested that the girls should not be left out of the meet, and it is probable that they will be included in athletic sports of some kind. Prizes will be awarded in all the events, and in this manner it is believed that the considerable rivalry may be worked up between the various schools.

Labels: children, Convention Hall, Kansas City Athletic Club, schools, sports, Superintendent Greenwood

March 1, 1908

BIRTHDAYS ARE FAR BETWEEN.

Egbert Hunter, Sixteen Years of Age,

Celebrates His Third.

Although 16 years old, Egbert Hunter of 820 East Eighth street, celebrated his third birthday yesterday. Egbert had the fortune or misfortune to be born on the twenty-ninth day of February, 1892, a leap year, and, as a child, birthday parties were unknown to him. His second birthday occurred February 29, 1904, and he was given a big birthday party then that more than made up for those lost in previous years. He had grown four years older since his last birthday and now, at the age of 16, a birthday party would have been unseemly, so Roy A. Michael, his manual training teacher at the Lathrop school, and his class mates, gave him a theater party last night at the Auditorium.

Labels: children, Eighth street, schools, theater

February 7, 1907

WANTS ITS POWERS DEFINED.

Supt. Greenwood Says There Are Too

Many Hazy Ideas of School Board.

Urging upon the school board in his semi-annual report the necessity of printing a manual setting forth just what the powers of the board are, "and by inference what lies entirely outside its scope of activity," J. M. Greenwood, superintendent of the schools, believes that the need of such a pamphlet has become urgent in order to "clear up the many hazy ideas that are floating around in some minds, especially of those who happen to light in here to deliver a lecture, and incidentally to tell the citizens what they ought to do, right away.

"I do not greatly fear that we are reaching that danger stage in republican government so guardedly pointed out by a disgruntled foreigner, namely, when everyone would become a lawmaker, none would be left as law obeyers," says Mr. Greenwood. "Yet, there are surface symptoms pointing in that direction.

"There is hardly a day passes when I am not called upon to answer of the board of education to do certain things which are positively prohibited by statuatory law, or by the constitution of the state."

Labels: schools, Superintendent Greenwood

February 3, 1908

PROGRESS OF THE NEGRO.

Defined in Address Last Night by

W. T. Vernon.

In an address delivered to negroes at Allen chapel last night, W. T. Vernon of the United States treasury department said that the possibilities of the negro are encouraging to all those who desire a better era for these people. He claimed that the negro appreciates all the opportunities which may be opened to him. He declared that with the negro's freedom was made the most radical change in social order.

"The passage of the war amendments was necessary and just," said Mr. Vernon. "They prohibited peonage, defined citizenship, provided for the penalization of any state which should disenfranchise its citizens, and provided against this injustice on account of color. Then came the upward struggle of 4,000,000,000 people and as a result of such legislation and protection, the race has made achievements unparalleled in the world's history by any race similarly environed. From 1870 to 1900 the illiteracy of the face was decreased 43 per cent. At the close of the civil war the negro was without a home. In 1900, thirty-five years later, 372,414 were owners of homes of which 225,156 were free from incumbrance. He has nearly 30,000 school teachers, 500 young negroes pursuing special courses in the greatest institutions of learning in this and foreign countries, and he is paying taxes on quite $800,000,000 worth of property.

"Unbiased men will admit that such a record deserves encouragement, and gives just ground for the belief that he is daily becoming an appreciated, potent factor for good.

"The South today is struggling industrially with the rest of the world. The building up of this section can not be accomplished without the labor of the negro. These people, discriminated agaisnt, with thier schools diminishng, are not given an opportunity to do the best within them, and thus give to their country the splendid efforts which they could otherwise give. Blind indeed to right and justice -- blind to the best interests of our country is he who denies to any class of our citizens that which he asks for himself. As a race we must remember that education, sobriety, thrift and energy are the qualities which will give us success, permanent and lasting.

"While seeking industrial opportunity and progress in the business world, the spiritual side, which has to do with literature, art, science, culture and soul growth, should not be neglected. Here in the midst of a growing developing population, with less racial antagonisms and discriminations than are found elsewhere, I believe the race can rise to its highest possibilites. I would advice that we remain here and work out our destiny."

At Lincoln high school, Nineteenth and Tracy, Mr. Vernon addressed the colored Y. M. C. A. yesterday afternoon.

Labels: Civil War, Nineteenth street, race, schools, Tracy avenue, YMCA

October 15, 1907

PAID TO GO TO SCHOOL.

JUVENILE COURT INSTITUTION

THAT GETS MANY EDUCATION.

This Form of Charity Amounts Prac-

tically to Widows' Pensions and

Is Made Possible by Volun-

tary Subscriptions.

"There is a heap in this world that is good. There are any amount of good fellows in it. There is sunshine pretty nearly every day it rains," said Judge McCune yesterday morning just after he refused to issue a permit to little George Galloway to remain out of school.

The boy's mother had told that she needed his earnings; that he could make $5 per week, and that he had been a faithful child to her. In proof of his good behavior the mother, through occasional tears, said that only once in years had he missed attending Sunday School, "and that was to attend his father's funeral last April."

"You say he can make $5 a week, madam?" Judge McCune inquired.

"Six dollars, and we need the money judge, since papa died."

"He must go to school. We can fix him up right. I have a scholarship I can let him have. He will get $3 a week for going to school."

This astonishing conclusion of the widow's petition was beyond her comprehension for the moment.

This scholarship business is a part of the new juvenile court. Explaining its operation, Judge McCune said that institutions and private individuals agree to pay into Judge McCune's hand pensions of $3 a week to compensate impoverished mothers for the loss of wages children might earn if allowed to work.

"We hire the boys to work for it by going to school," said Judge McCune. "Instead of letting them work for somebody else. In that way somebody educates them and helps take care of the mother. We have a long list of big-hearted people who give these scholarships, which really are widows' pensions."

The bottom of the pension barrel was scraped yesterday. Judge McCune encountered Phil Toll and left with four pensions in his note book.

"Heaps of good fellows in this old world," the judge of the juvenile court asserted.

Labels: charity, children, Judge McCune, schools

September 23, 1907

DR. GEORGE HALLEY INJURED.

Also Miss Genevieve Turk, Who Was

Driving With Family.

Dr. George Halley, of 3540 Campbell street, was thrown from his carriage yesterday afternoon while driving down the steep hill of the extension to Spring Valley boulevard, sustaining a severely sprained ankle and numerous cuts and bruises on the head and shoulders. In the carriage with him were Mrs. Halley, their 12-year-old daughter, Eleanor, their 10-year-old niece, Dorothy Williamson, and Miss Genevieve M. Turk, a teacher in the Linwood school. Miss Turk's left wrist was broken. The other occupants of the carriage escaped unhurt.

Dr. Halley and Miss Turk were riding in the front seat of the carriage. In the rear were Mrs. Halley and the two little girls. In turning north from Valentine road and starting down the hill, the carriage ran against the horse. The animal took fright and overturned the vehicle, throwing it down the embankment on the west side of the road. Mrs. Halley and her niece succeeded in jumping out but the rest of the occupants went over with the carriage.

Dr. Halley has been in bad health for about a year.

Labels: accident, Campbell street, doctors, schools, Spring Valley boulevard, Valentine road

September 14, 1907

THINKS ESTIMATE TOO HIGH.

Mr. Greenwood Says Only 15 Per Cent

of Children are "Defective."

Superintendent J. M. Greenwood, of the Kansas City schools, vigorously challenges the estimate of Assistant City Physician Eugene Carbaugh that 67 per cent of the pupils in the Kansas City schools have their faculties impaired or are afflicted with disease of any kind. He thinks the estimate should be divided by 4.

"I do not believe that there are more than 15 per cent of the pupils in the schools who have anything at all the matter with them," said Mr. Greenwood yesterday. "This would cover all the ailments, impairment of vision, sore throat and disease of every sort. As to what we call 'defectives,' or those mentally deficient, there are only a very few. But Dr. Carbaugh's estimate included all manner of ailments, bad teeth, sore throat and the numerous troubles of children. Even then his figures are entirely too high. The records which we have kept for many years bear out my figures and utterly refute the estimate of Dr. Carbaugh. He must have got into a particularly afflicted district, if his estimate was based on experience and is not a mere generalization."

Mr. Greenwood sent out requests to all teachers for a report of the number in each room suffering from sickness, disability or any trouble whatever that would be classed as a defect, impairment of faculties or ailment.

Labels: children, doctors, schools, Superintendent Greenwood

September 13, 1907

SHOT DEAD BY BOY

TRAGIC DEATH OF EDNA

CALLAWAY OF KANSAS CITY.

WAS VISITING IN DENVER.

WITTE ELLIS WAS "FOOLING

WITH THE PISTOL."

In a Spirit of Playfulness He

Pulled Trigger and Bullet Passed

Through Miss Callaway's Brain.

Mother Accompanying Body

Home for Burial.

MISS EDNA CALLAWAY, A KANAS CITY GIRL, WHO WAS ACCIDENT-
ALLY SHOT AND KILLED IN DENVER BY WITTE ELLIS, A FRIEND.

Death at the hands of a cousin of her fiance was the tragic ending of a summer vacation to Miss Edna Callaway, a young Kansas City society woman, at Denver, Col., Wednesday night. Witte Ellis, formerly of Kansas City, accidentally shot and killed her with an automatic pistol at the home of his mother in the presence of her sweetheart, W. Lysle Alderson, who with his mother and Miss Callaway were visiting at the Ellis home. The tragedy occurred on the evening Miss Callaway was to start upon her return trip to Kansas City.

The shooting occurred after the return of the party, composed of Mrs. J. M. Ellis, of Denver, the hostess; Mrs. D. P. Alderson, of Kansas City; W. Lysle Alderson, Miss Callaway, and young Ellis, from a dinner at the Shirley hotel.

MOTHERS PLAY PRANKS ON BOYS.

It seems that for a prank the two women had gone into their sons' bedrooms and concealed some of their night clothing. When the boys discovered the joke they decided upon a reprisal which would turn the laugh the other way. Accordingly young Alderson produced an automatic pistol with which it was proposed to scare Miss Callaway, whom they believed responsible for the original joke.

The pistol was arranged to be loaded by placing a "clip" full of cartridges in a place provided for the insertion so that the top shell would be in position for firing. Ellis took the pistol and removed the "clip" containing the bullets.

Then the two ran into a hallway, where their mothers were awaiting the outcome of the joke. Miss Callaway,, hearing the commotion and knowing some prank was on, peeped from her door and then came out. They flourished the pistol some moments, Ellis exclaiming,

"Where's the fellow who stole my clothes? I want my clothes!"

He turned from his mother to Mrs. Alderson and then back again to his mother. At that moment Miss Callaway came out, laughing, and asked what the trouble was. Ellis told her that someone had gone into his room and stolen his night-clothes.

"HANDS UP!" CRIED ELLIS.

Then he turned to the young woman, accused her of stealing his clothes and ordered her to put up her hands. She was standing beside Mrs. Alderson, at the time, and both women raised their hands in mock terror. Ellis pulled the trigger and sent a bullet crushing into the young girl's brain. One shell had caught when the clip was removed and remained in position for its work of destruction.

Miss Callaway sank back in the arms of her sweetheart's mother. Death was instantaneous. Mrs. Alderson eased the body gently to the floor and then fainted. Mrs. Ellis also fainted, while her son stood for a moment dumbfounded. When the realization of what he had done came to him, he became frantic, sobbing and crying that he would kill himself. He was prevented from this by friends who heard the noise of the gunshot and went into the house.

ALDERSON RAN TO SWEETHEART.

When his sweetheart fell, young Alderson ran to her, took her into his arms and placed her upon a bed. It was some moments before he realized the awful truth, but when he discovered Miss Callaway was dead, his grief was pitiful In a few moments he became hysterican and had to be led away from his fiance's bedside.

Added sorrow in the tragedy comes from the fact that young Ellis' father, former Judge J. M. Ellis, perished in a hotel fire in Goldfield, Nev., less than a year ago. Mrs. Ellis' health was undermined by that occurrence and she came to Kansas City several months ago for rest and a change of climate. The visit of the party of Kansas City people to her home at this time was in return for the one Mrs. Ellis had made in Kansas City. Witte Ellis accompanied his mother while she was here in this city.

FIRST REPORT BLAMED FIANCE.

Immediately after the shooting word of the unfortunate affair was sent to Kansas City by telegraph. The first reports were badly garbled, one account having it that the shooting had been done by W. Lysle Alderson, fiance of Miss Callaway. The news created a profound sensation in social circles where both the young woman and Mr. Alderson are well known.

The body of the unfortunate young woman will be brought to Kansas City this morning, accompanied by Mrs. Alderson and her son. Mrs Robert Stone, the girl's mother, who had been spending the summer at Excelsior Springs, returned to her home at the Elsmere hotel last night. She was completely prostrated at the news of her daughter's death.

The first report was that young Alderson himself held the revolver which ended Miss Callaway's life in such a tragic manner. This report almost completely prostrated D. P. Alderson, the father of the young man, a member of the firm of Bradley-Alderson Company, but a private dispatch from young Alderson later stated that the revolver was held by Witte Ellis, the son of Mrs. J. M. Ellis, whom Mrs. Alderson and her son and Miss Callaway were visiting at the time. The knowledge that his son was not responsible for the death of his fiancee was a great relief to Mr. Alderson, and mitigated to some extent the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate affair.

Mrs. F. P. Neal, of 318 Walrond avenue, is an aunt of Miss Callaway. Mr. Neal, vice president of the Union National bank, received several telegrams during the day, one of which was from young Alderson, stating that the body of Miss Callaway would be brought to Kansas City at once. The entire party will leave Denver this morning, arriving tomorrow morning.

Mrs. L. F. Rieger, of 426 Gladstone boulevard, is a distant cousin of Miss Callaway.

Miss Callaway was the daughter of Mrs. Robert Stone, who was, before her marriage to Mr. Stone, Mrs. R. P. Callaway. The girl was 19 years old and was a graduate of the Central high school two years ago. She lived at the Elsmere hotel with her mother and stepfather, who were in Excelsior Springs yesterday when the affair occurred. Miss Callaway went to Denver last summer to visit her aunt, Mrs. J. M. Ellis. Two weeks ago young Alderson, to whom she was engaged, went to Denver with his mother to spend his vacation with his fiancee. Young Alderson is also 19 years of age and a graduate of the Central high school in the class of 1905. The two have been sweethearts for years and had been engaged for some time, though no definite time for their marriage had been set.

A specially unfortunate feature of the affair was that it occurred on the eve of the departure of the Kansas City party for home. They were expected to start last night.

D. P. Alderson received a dispatch yesterday from his son which read:

Edna shot tonight; Witte held revolver; death immediate; come at once.

Mr. Alderson had intended to leave for Denver to be with his sone but it was later decided that this would be unnecessary and the arrangements were made to bring the body to Kansas City immediately.

ELLIS HELD BLAMELESS.

The coroner's inquest was held over the body of Miss Calloway in Denver yesterday. W. W. Ellis testified that he held the automatic revolver when it was discharged.

The jury decided that the killing was entirely accidental and did not recommend any disposition of young Ellis. The district attorney was present at the hearing, but gave no indication of any intention to hold Ellis for trial.

Labels: accident, banking, death, Denver, Excelsior Springs, Gladstone boulevard, hotels, pranks, schools, telegraph, Walrond avenue

August 31, 1907

CHANGE OF DRAWING HOUR.

High School Applicants Needn't Come

Before 7:30 A. M.

Central high school authorities have done away with the necessity for school children to be in line before daybreak in order to draw numbers. Monday morning all those who get to the school by 7:30 will be allowed to draw numbers immediately. Those who arrive after 7:30 will have to wait for another drawing.

Labels: children, schools

August 11, 1907

PROFESSOR A. CARROLL DEAD.

For Years Was Superintendent of In-

dependence Public Schools.

Professor A. Carroll, for seven years superintendent of the city schools of Independence and an educational leader of Western Missouri, died at his home in Vaile place, Independence, at 9:30 last night. Professor Carroll retired from active work fifteen years ago on account of poor health and has been an invalid ever since. He had been ill with stomach trouble for the past two weeks. He leaves a widow, Mrs. Mary T. Carroll, two sons in Independence, Charles A. and Carey M., and two sons in Butte City, Mont., William E. and Frank M. Carroll.

Seventy-five years ago February 14 last, Professor Carroll was born in Grandville, O. He graduated from Washburn Reserve university, now Adelbert university, near Cleveland, and from McCormick university at Chicago. In 1859 he opened an academy at Charleston, Ill., and in 1867 came to Independence, where he was appointed superintendent of the city schools. This position he held until 1874, when he went to Olathe, Kas., in the sme capacity. He returned to Independence two years later as president of the Presbyterian Ladies' college, which place he held until 1884. In that year he became superintendent of the city schools in Hays City, Kas. In 1892 he returned to Independence because of poor health and remained there until his death.

Professor Carroll was one of the pioneers of education in this section of the country. While he served as superintendent of the Independence schools, he assisted in the organization of the city schools in Kansas City.

Labels: death, Independence, pioneers, schools

June 6, 1907

KISSES AT THE DEPOT.

AN OSCULATORY BEE BY FORTY-

FIVE DEAF MUTES.

Greetings Implanted on the Cheeks

Instead of Lips -- Youngsters

Were From State School

for the Deaf.

When the 5:40 Chicago & Alton from the east pulled into the Union depot yesterday afternoon, bringing forty-five deaf and dumb children from the state school fo the deaf at Fulton, the excitement could not have been greater if all the forty-five and the crowd of Kansas City relatives had all been shouting at the tops of their voices.

The deaf folk are great kissers. Every Kansas City boy and girl but one -- and twenty-six of the forty-five were Kansas City children -- was seized by fond arms, hugged tight and kissed upon both cheeks. The deaf people don't kiss one another upon the lips, or at least those at the Union depot did not yesterday afternoon.

When the kissing was completed the finger greetings began. How many hundred questions were asked and answered from hand to hand the innocent bystander whose hands were deaf and dumb could only conjecture. But every blessed child and welcoming parent or sister was talking the single hand language on each hand seeparately at the same time. It made the bystander wonder if there wasn't some advantage, after all, in being deaf and dumb. A man who talks with his mouth and listens with his ears cannot talk about more than one thing at a time. He has only one mouth. The deaf and dumb people talked twice at the same time -- one with each hand -- and listened with both eyes, the listener at the same time talking twice at once.

They are an exceedingly friendly folk, and everything was forgotten in the welcome extended to the home-coming school children. They didn't know that a dozen locomotives were blowing and panting nearby or that there was a roar of whistles and bumping cars out in the yards. One deaf mother carried a baby which cried, but she didn't hear it or pay any attention.

One of the youngest and prettiest little girls in the party was the last to come out of the car which had orne the party from Fulton. She stood alone on the platform of the car for a moment, signaling frantically with her thumb on her upper lip and her fingers wigging. The sign was rather an unexpected one for a neat little girl in a bright blue uniform and mortar board cap, to be making in the face of a big crowd. After a little she stopped it and dased down the steps into her mother's arms.

Professor D. C. McCue, assistant Superintendent of the school, who was in charge of the party, was asked what that sign meant in deaf and dumb one-hand lingo.

"It means mother," he said. If you put your thumb on yuour forehead and wiggle your fingers, you are saying 'father.' Your thumb on your chin and wiggling fingers means 'sister.' The little girl was calling her mother."

One little lad met no welcome. There was no one to meet him and he began to cry. Professor D. C. McCue took him by the hand to the depot matron's office. There the little lad sat and cried, waiting for his father or mother to come. He couldn't talk to a soul and his eyes were so red with weeping that he couldn't read the cheering notes which the matron wrote for him. The lad carried a card, as do all the deaf children, bearing his name and address. It read: "Everett Early, 1309 Crystal avenue." Once before, a year ago, a little boy who came home from the deaf school waited in the depot long hours until his father, who was at work during the day, came to take him home.

The other children passed through the depot at 7 o'clock. There were two parties of them, one of thirty under the care of J. S. Morrison, bound for Joplin, and the other one of twenty in care of Professor L. A. Gaw, bound for Springfield. There were no Kansas City children on the 7 o'clock train.

The total enrollment at the state school for the deaf for the year, which closed yesterday, was 381. All of these children were sent to their homes in groups of twenty or more, each group under the care of one of the teachers in the school. They went from Fulton to all parts of the state. The school consists of two large buildings and cottage dormitories for the children. In addition to double hand language, the children are taught to read and write and to work at some trade. There are classes in cooking, cabinet making, tailoring, printing, shoe making, harness making, blacksmithing, gardening, sewing and dressmaking. There are thirty-five teachers and over fifty other employes.

Labels: blacksmiths, children, Crystal avenue, depot matron, hearing impaired, schools, Union depot

May 9, 1907

LOST HIS LIFE IN THE FIRE

GEORGES DE MARE.

PROFESSOR GEORGES DE MARE, who was at the head of the art department in Central high school, occupied studio 508, in the southeast corner. He made his way to the fourth floor, and, finding his way blocked with smoke, he jumped to the ground and was almost instantly killed. The remains were taken to Stine's undertaking rooms and later to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Craig Hunter, 1202 East Thirty-fourth street, to whose daughter Miss Adeline Hunter, Professor de Mare was married December 26 of last year. He was 38 years of age.

The tragic death of Professor de Mare shocked a wide circle of friends. He had been at the head of the art department of Central high school for the past two years, ever since coming to the city. He was universally liked by the pupils, and his death cast a gloom over the entire school.

Professor de Mare came of a family more than noted in the art world. His maternal grandfather was G. P. A. Healey, one of the greatest of American painters, who had painted portraits of Clay, Lincoln, and other notables. His father, who was a noted painter in Paris, died in that city a few years ago. The professor himself was born in this country, but was educated and lived in Paris until a few years ago. He held various responsible positions in leading art institutions of the country, especially in Chicago. His mother and two sisters live in Denver, another sister is in Paris, and two aunts, Mrs. Judge Hill and Mrs. Besley, live in Chicago.

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter were notified of the accident and Mr. Hunter and his daughter left the house for the scene of the fire without knowing at the time that Professor de Mare was dead. The tragic event prostrated the members of the entire household.

Labels: death, Denver, Fire, schools, Thirty-fourth street

April 19, 1907

TO WHIP NO MORE

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF

PUPILS MUST CEASE

UNLESS PARENTS CONSENT

PRINCIPAL BERRY IS REPRIMANDED BY THE BOARD.

Used Peculiar Instrument for Inflicting

Chastisement That Left Welts on Scholar's Arm--

Teachers Testified the Boy Was Unruly

The board of education intends to put a stop to violations of rules of the board regarding the administering of corporal punishment to pupils. A peculiarly flagrant case, according to the claims of several witnesses, came to the attention of the board last night. A. D. Zimmerman, who lives at Fifteenth and Kensington, and whose son, Mark Zimmerman, attends the Kensington school, was represented at the meeting of the board by Attorney J. G. Smith in his complaint against Principal Berry, whom Zimmerman accused of cruelly beating the boy.

It was testified to by witnesses at the hearing that Berry has an instrument of his own invention for whipping pupils. To a piece of broomstick a foot and a half or so long he has attached a leather strap about an inch wide and fifteen inches long.

It was brought out that the Zimmerman boy had a green leaf fastened to his tongue and was manipulating it so as to make a peculiarly strident noise, which angered the principal. The boy grew sulky and "sassed" the principal, according to the witnesses. For this offense he was whipped with the strap, and he claims that the principal struck him over the arm with the wooden handle. This the principal denies, but the boy showed welts which were still in evidence, thought the beating occurred a week ago.

The board decided that Berry should be severely reprimanded by the superintendent, as he had grossly violated the rule of the board that no pupil shall be subjected to corporal punishment without the consent of the parent or guardian of the pupil. The Zimmerman boy's teacher testified at the hearing that she had punished him on several occasions, but that the parents had not objected. She testified that the boy was somewhat unruly and resented the attempts of theirs to discipline him, though he was generally tractable so far as she was concerned. The board believes that many cases of violation of the rule regarding corporal punishment occur which never come to the board's attention, and will enforce the rule to the letter.

Labels: Fifteenth street, Kensington, schools, violence

April 10, 1907

FOR MORE SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

Board of Education Wants $600,000

in Bonds Issued.

The board of education held a special meeting yesterday and adopted a resolution unanimously ordering a special election to be held in the school district of Kansas City May 4, at which a proposition will be voted upon to issue $600,000 in school bonds, to meet the growing needs of the district.

Of this amount, about $200,000 will be needed to complete the new Westport high school and the rest will be spent as needed in additions to present building and in new buildings in crowded or newly established sections. There is an urgent need for a new building in the vicinity of the Ashland school, which is at Twenty-fourth and Elmwood. This district is growing very rapidly and the Ashland school is already badly overcrowded. A new building would relieve this congestion.

Labels: Elmwood avenue, schools, Twenty-fourth street, Westport

March 30, 1907

MUSIC KEPT PUPILS AWAY.

Italian Bandmaster Offers to Change

Hours of Practice and Is Released.

A. Kantizarro, manager of a boys' band, was before the juvenile court yesterday afternoon on complaint of teachers of the Karnes and Washington ward schools, who accuse him of enticing boys away from the schools to play in his band. The teachers stated that some ten or fifteen boys had been ruined for school purposes through he influence of Kantizarro and his band, and that many truancy cases were caused by the demands of the Italian for the boys to play at funerals, etc. The bandmaster promised to make his practice hours such as not to interfere with the school work of his boys, and to relieve them from funeral duty on school days, and the case was dismissed.

Labels: children, Funeral, juvenile court, schools

February 26, 1907

BY A LAWYER'S AID.

ATTORNEY HELPED MRS. ROBINSON

KIDNAP HER CHILD.

AN OLD MYSTERY CLEARED UP.

CHILD WAS TAKEN FROM CHACE

SCHOOL LAST JUNE.

Mother and Father Had Separated and Courts Had Awarded HimCustody of Gertrude, 7 Years Old--Humane Officer Suspected.

When little Gertrude Robinson, 7 years old, was kidnaped from the basement of the Chace school by her mother on June 1 last year many persons, especially Mr. and Mrs. F. C. Weaver, 1404 Troost avenue, who were keeping the child, believed that Colonel J. C. Greenman, Humane agent, had aided Mrs. Robinson. A woman, well known as a local temperance worker, appeared at Colonel Greenman's office yesterday afternoon, however, and admitted that she and a lawyer had planned the whole thing. Mrs. Robinson, she said, came on here from Chicago and stopped at her home. The lawyer was called in and the three planned the kidnaping, which was successful.

Just after little Gertrude entered the basement steps at the school the morning of Friday, June 1, 1906, a woman was standing in the shadow. "Hello, Gertrude," she said. "Why, hello, mamma," replied the child. The mother threw a black cloak over her child and ran to where a carriage was standing on the Paseo. With mother and child the carriage was driven rapidly south to Fifteenth street and west. Then it was seen no more.

It was believed that Mrs. Robinson had stolen her own child, but this could not be proved. Woman-like, however, she had to tell it. Two days later a Frisco conductor came in from his run and reported that a woman with a little girl, described as the missing one, had boarded his train in Rosedale. He paid no attention to her, but she had told the train butcher her story. She said that after getting possession of Gertrude the hack had driven to the Southwest Boulevard and Wyandotte street. All that had been planned out beforehand. There she left the vehicle and boarded a Rosedale car, getting out there just in time to meet the ongoing Frisco passenger for Springfield, Mo. She left Springfield for St. Louis and went from there to Chicago, getting home the next day.

The child was not missed by the Weavers until noon. Then they instituted a search on their own accord, and the kidnaping was not reported to the police until 2 p.m., five hours after it occurred. All of the outgoing trains were watched by detectives, but the shrewd little mother with her babe was many, many miles from Kansas City railway stations. She knew they would be watched, that is, she, her woman friend and the lawyer.

Little Gertrude was the daughter of Harry G. Robinson. He secured a divorce from his wife by default, the notice of the suit having been printed in an Independence paper, which the wife never saw in her Chicago home. When she heard of it she came here and tried to get the decree set aside, but failed. The court had given the custody of the child to Robinson. Colonel Greenman had advised the woman in both suits and that was how he came to be suspected of advising the kidnaping.

The mother came here once," said the colonel yesterday, "and visited with her child at the Weaver's for a week. I suspected something wrong at the time and went so far as to make Mrs. Robinson leave her return ticket and all her money, but a small amount, with me, and saw her to the train when she left. She had visited at my house then and I knew if she got away with her baby I would have to bear the blame. When she did come here and succeed in kidnaping it I had no idea she was out of Chicago -- but I got the blame nevertheless of advising her to take it in the manner in which she did. I wouldn't use my office for breaking the law and am glad that Mrs. Blank has set me right."

The woman who helped to plan the kidnaping said she was going to tell the Weavers how it was all done -- some day, when she got a chance.

Labels: Col. J. C. Greenman, crime, custody, Divorce, kidnapping, Paseo, Rosedale, schools, St Louis, Troost avenue

February 2, 1907

HITS SCHOOL GIRL.

NOW THERE IS A WARRANT FOR THE PRINCIPAL.

SHE MADE A FACE AT HIM

AND HE SLAPPED.

Dora Owens, 13, Says a Tooth Was Loosened and Her Nose Made to Bleed by Albert Evans, and Mother Tells Police.

Because Dora Owens, 13 years old, a pupil in his school, made a face at him, Albert Evans, principal of the Bancroft school in Kansas City, Kas., struck her in the mouth with such a force as to loosen one of her teeth, lacerate her lips, and make her nose bleed. This is the story told by Mrs. Tenny Wilburn, of 508 Elizabeth avenue, the child's mother. She swore out a warrant for Principal Evans' arrest yesterday.

"My little girl came home Wednesday," said Mrs. Wilburn last night, "with blood streaming from her mouth and nose, and her dress was red with it. She told me that the principal had struck her in the mouth with his hand, and I believe it, because one of her teeth was knocked loose.

"The only reason I know for him to have punished her was because she asked to be excused. She is a sickly little girl and unable to attend school all of the time."

Mrs. Wilburn says this is not the first time that she has heard of Principal Evans striking his pupils, and she declares her intention of prosecuting him as far as the law allows. She is the wife of W. M. Wilburn, an employee of Armour & Co. Dora Owens is her own child from a former marriage.

Principal Evans tells a more complete story. He admits to striking the little girl, but he says he only slapped across the moth with the back of his hand. She had made a face at him while he was talking to her about her continual breaches of discipline, he says.

Dora is a pupil in the Fifth grade, taught by Miss Florence Knox. Miss Knox frequently complained to me of the little girl's conduct, saying she was practically uncontrollable. Wednesday the teacher came to me and told me that Dora refused to obey her, and that unless she became better in her conduct, she couldn't be kept in her room any longer.

"I had no sooner begun than she puckered up her features, and made a face at me. Then I slapped her with the back of my hand. Her nose began to bleed, and with her hands she smeared the blood over her face and dress and went home."

Superintendent of Schools M. E. Pearson said last night that the matter had been called to his attention, and that he is investing it. The warrant for Principal Evans' arrest was in the hands of the police.

Labels: abuse, children, Kansas City Kas, schools