SCHOOL BLACK HOLE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 12 March 1912, Page 6

SCHOOL BLACK HOLE

GIRL SHUT IN DARK CUPBOARD. An extraordinary action was opened at iSorthwich County Court against the Alanagens of the Castle Giris' [School and Mios kobina Wother.spcon, teacher, wJio were sued bv Joseph Astbury for £2O j damages for medical attendance and injury to ins child, Barbara, aged 11, I through being locked in a dark cupboard by the defendant YVotherspoc-n. Mr Brccklehurrt, counsel, raid it was astounding that in the- 20th century incidents cf the I.idian Mutinv .should .be reproduced. Because the child stood up the defendant locked her in a cupboard like tha Black Hole of Calcutta. Hysterical epilepsy and St. Vitus dance deve'.oprd. and the child's health was now endangered. Entering into details, counKvl said that on May 16 the girl had entered the school after pw.v, and a readinp lesson had begun. The teacher wae explaining the meaning of a word, and in order to catch the Explanation the girl stood up on the rear form. Ihe moment phe stood up she was ordered foi punishment bv the teacher, and instead cf sending her to the headmistress, the teacher. Miss Wotherspoon. put the chi'.d into a cupboard under a staircase, and locked her up in what might be described as the "Black Hole cf Calcutta. In that cupboard there wer- shelve? with inkpots upon them, and this sensi- j tive child was forced into that place, and her mind additionally terrified by , th< intimation that if she moved she wou'o knock the thing? down upon her. Not content putting her in the "black hole" .under the staircase tho teacher locked the door upon her. They cou'd j imagine the state of the child, a hiehlv r.trunpr, nervous child, fastened ur> such conditions. Even a strong, healthy person would havp felt a sense of imprisonment. She cried out and her crier "'pre herd outside. At length she wa r liberated and sent before the headmistress to be caned. The other ehildrer had IT-en sent out to driP. but th° chiV was incannble of proceeding to the dyl lr".«on. Before manv minutes the ohi'd. wb<"> h°d never f"inte.-l V* -for", fell int<n faint. The pffect* -f the sh— l " a kind of oarnlvsK TV. rpothc was sent for and a w."" and then th« child w°' horn": At fvn o'clock, th-;' ' "•Vht chi'-i +o lia"» enileoti-r-1 continr'H fo M-ve inf" -"it.tent'v ur 4 -I P*"" condMon vis s'-oh ri) th° r->ht of t.he currrr>r» that the headmistress en h"" owfi initiative sent for a d"etor. who at tended her for ten days. He put her tc bed. the blinds were and perfee quietness wes ordered. . . After the doctor had ceased to visi' her she was found on the floor in a fit, and another doctor was called in by the family, and found all the symptoms of St. Vitus dance. Th e eirl was kept m bed from May 27 down to Ju.v 13, an< was physically incapacitated during tli whole cf that time. Even as recently a. November a slight elap on trie face b\ another child had had the effect o. bringing on another of the fits. The child, Barbara Astburv. went inti the witness-box. and in the mam bort out Mr Broeklehurft's opening, asserting that she was much frightened when shi was put into the cupboard, and that sh( to cry. Medical and other evidence was alsr given in support of the claim. ° The headmistress denied that the child fainted in the school, but said she wa: given a stimulant and walked home wit' difficulty. There were five or six g'.rl: in thit particular class who were mosl troublesome in the school. Two pupils gave evidence, ard ad* mittrd that the L'irl Barbara was rathe.inrulv. The teacher did not out her ir. the cupboard, but ordircd her to go intr it.

Dr Howa<d stated that in his onmki: St. Vitus <l.-11100 and hysterical epilepsy which develoned were consentient upon «hock from plaping the child in the cup hoard. Mr J. H. Cooke, on behalf of teacher. submitted a* a noint of law that nnv teacher had the inherent ritrht to administer nunu?hment. Hi< client wa--nuile prepared to accept the blame, but she denif I that there was any assau't. and contended that what .«-be d-d wnp reasonable pnd moderate nunishment for a vn,. v rnrulv chll<l in nn nnrulv case. Mr Hutt Cook, for th? managers, arrrnrd that while there wis a complete fin'-wec on the r i erits of the raw no resnrn.«lh!lltv con'l attach to the mam CPi'3. and thnt th" sflvol and the t«?acl> pvo \\ere nh'tfilnte'v n»vlpr the control of F-l"Ciition ni'th-ri 1 At this stare. ifter fi'V hour?' hcarint the ease \va.s adjrunicd.