Iowa
Old Press
The Independent
Forest City, Winnebago co. Iowa
February 13, 1896
Grave Robbers Indicted.
The Des Moines grand jury returned four indictments against
certain parties. It is now known that two of them were against
persons charged with the recent grave robbery in the Saylorville
cemetery. These parties evidently got wind of the indictments, as
they have skipped out and cannot be found. The report was quite
generally circulated Saturday evening and all day Sunday among
those who were in a position to know that the indictments had not
only been found against the parties who have decamped, but that
they were already arrested. The indictments were found against
the parties, but they were not arrested and are not liable to be
soon.
[transcribed by P.N., March 2012]
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The Independent
Forest City, Winnebago co. Iowa
February 27, 1896
Discovery of Latin Translator Causes Trouble in Boone
Schools - Row in Boone's School.
Boone is in the throes of the worst tempest in it teapot that has
been experienced since public schools were established there and
the young idea was taught how to shoot. It is all about the
graduating class of the high school. The young ladies and
gentlemen have been remarkably proficient in Latin - all but one.
No matter how difficult their lessons were they were so well up
in Latin that it was not necessary to examine them. Cicero and
Caesar were given with a fluency that ought to have surprised the
instructors, but pride in the class under them overbalanced all
thought of anything else. Everything was going well when the
principal discovered a translator. This contraband caused an
investigation, and the teachers were horrified to discover that
not less than half a dozen of them were in use by the class. In
fact, nearly all the pupils that could raise sufficient money for
the purpose had ordered one through the book stores, and the
whole class, except one conscientious young woman, had
persistently used the aid in their Latin. The one exception was
as bright as any one in the cities, but she was away behind in
her Latin and her translations were not to be compared to the
smooth renditions of the others. The girl submitted to
inferior rating in her exercises, but said nothing. When the
denouement came the teachers were crazy. The pupils admitted
their guilt, but claimed translators had always been used. The
teachers were so indignant that the matter was brought before the
school board and threats made to suspend or even expel some of
the guilty ones. It is charged that translators have been used by
the pupils for years, and the present class has done nothing more
than other classes, graduated with high honors, have done before
them. Also that the teachers are largely to blame themselves for
being imposed upon.
Tragic Death of a Council Bluff Young Man - Suicide in
School
Toussaint E. Dubois, of Council Bluffs, committed suicide at
Dundee Place, west of Omaha, by stabbing himself to death with a
small pen-knife. He was a school teacher, and the suicide was
committed in the vestibule of the school building. Shortly after
the noon recess Mr. Dubois was overtaken with a fainting spell
and fell from his chair. He lay on the floor for several minutes
before he recovered, when he said to some of the larger scholars,
"If I have one of these spells again take care of me."
He seemed greatly depressed at the time and shortly afterward
walked to the door of the school, which is protected with a
vestibule. After a few minutes the scholars were startled by
hearing him kicking against the door. Several of the children ran
to see what was the matter, and discovered him struggling on the
floor of the vestibule and covered with blood. They were terribly
frightened, and jumping out of the windows the scholars ran home
and informed their parents. When several of the parents arrived
they found Dubois unconscious and bleeding profusely. He was
carried into the schoolroom and Dr. J. H. Van Gleson sent for
from Dundee. Dubois was dead before the doctor arrived. He never
regained consciousness. An examination revealed the fact that he
had stabbed himself twice in the neck and twenty-seven times in
the region of the heart. After the inquest the body was returned
to Council Bluffs and delivered to his friends for interment.
Unruly Medical Students.
As a result of an infraction of the rules, over seventy students
of the regular medical department at Iowa City are taking an
enforced vacation of two weeks at the request of the faculty. For
a long time the medical students have been doing about as they
pleased - yelling and passing one another up and down bodily over
the heads of the auditors in the amphitheater. Furniture has been
broken, clothes torn and Cain raised generally. The President,
Charles A. Schaeffer, has repeatedly remonstrated, but little
heed has been paid to hint.
[transcribed by P.N., March 2012]