Young Miss Whips Her Male Teacher
March 10, 1906
Summary
A young girl and her male teacher physically fight each other in the classroom after “war was declared” between them, the girl proving “that the American girl is abundantly able to take care of herself.”
Transcription
Young Miss Whips Her Male Teacher
Fight creates pandemonium in a school-house
Girl “sasses” pedagogue
Latter soon learns his mistake when he attempts to punish her--Help finally comes to his rescue.
Maryland, N.Y.-- Last Friday was a day of unusual activity in the school house in the Gurney district on Crumhorn. On the previous Wednesday, so the story goes, the teacher, Charles Tubbs, had an altercation with two of his scholars, Otis Blencoe and Frank Hitchman, about eating candy in school. Both were told by Tubbs to go home. Hitchman obeyed, but the Blencoe lad refused to budge. When leaving the school house that afternoon he was told not to return until the following noon. He replied that if he could not return in the morning he would not come at all. He did not present himself at school the following day.
On Friday a bout of words took place between the teacher and Miss May Blencoe, the 15-year-old and buxom sister of Otis. It is alleged that the young miss “sassed” the teacher, who seemed to think the dignity of his position had been assailed, and he ordered her to take her belongings and go home. This she peremptorily refused to do.
At this point war was declared, and the teacher cleared the deck for action. Seizing a heavy stick, he demanded the young lady’s hand- not in marriage-- but for the purpose of playing a tatoo on her pal,. She refused to to present her hand, and the blows from the stick descended thick and fast on her shoulders. This was more than her American girlhood could endure, and she made a catch -as-catch can rush on the rural pedagogue, with the result that he found his pedal extremities flying in the air and his black resting on the uncushioned seat which had been occupied by his strenuous pupil.
This was only the opening of hostilities. The girl had scored in the first round, but the schoolmaster was determined not to be done by a schoolgirl. Pandemonium reigned supreme. The small children rna from the building crying from fright. The teacher called upon one of the pupils for assistance, but this was refused. Finally his hands found the white throat of his adversary; but this did not work, for a longer arm than his own fetched down on his larynx and a muscular hand made his breathing heavy and difficult.
The young girl’s hair was disheveled and hanging down her shoulders. Seeing this, Tubbs grabbed the golden locks, and it is said he gave them a severe pull. This redoubled the anger of Miss Blencoe, and she raised her assailant up and threw him on the floor with a dull thud. With a firm hand she gently pressed the teacher’s windpipe, while her knee made his vest grate on his spinal column. In this manner she held him until assistance came, when she released him, and, taking a younger member of the family with her, she quickly left the schoolhouse. It is said that her waist was nearly torn from her body and that her back and shoulders were literally covered with bruises. She has demonstrated what has often been proven before, that the American girl is abundantly able to take care of herself.
Fight creates pandemonium in a school-house
Girl “sasses” pedagogue
Latter soon learns his mistake when he attempts to punish her--Help finally comes to his rescue.
Maryland, N.Y.-- Last Friday was a day of unusual activity in the school house in the Gurney district on Crumhorn. On the previous Wednesday, so the story goes, the teacher, Charles Tubbs, had an altercation with two of his scholars, Otis Blencoe and Frank Hitchman, about eating candy in school. Both were told by Tubbs to go home. Hitchman obeyed, but the Blencoe lad refused to budge. When leaving the school house that afternoon he was told not to return until the following noon. He replied that if he could not return in the morning he would not come at all. He did not present himself at school the following day.
On Friday a bout of words took place between the teacher and Miss May Blencoe, the 15-year-old and buxom sister of Otis. It is alleged that the young miss “sassed” the teacher, who seemed to think the dignity of his position had been assailed, and he ordered her to take her belongings and go home. This she peremptorily refused to do.
At this point war was declared, and the teacher cleared the deck for action. Seizing a heavy stick, he demanded the young lady’s hand- not in marriage-- but for the purpose of playing a tatoo on her pal,. She refused to to present her hand, and the blows from the stick descended thick and fast on her shoulders. This was more than her American girlhood could endure, and she made a catch -as-catch can rush on the rural pedagogue, with the result that he found his pedal extremities flying in the air and his black resting on the uncushioned seat which had been occupied by his strenuous pupil.
This was only the opening of hostilities. The girl had scored in the first round, but the schoolmaster was determined not to be done by a schoolgirl. Pandemonium reigned supreme. The small children rna from the building crying from fright. The teacher called upon one of the pupils for assistance, but this was refused. Finally his hands found the white throat of his adversary; but this did not work, for a longer arm than his own fetched down on his larynx and a muscular hand made his breathing heavy and difficult.
The young girl’s hair was disheveled and hanging down her shoulders. Seeing this, Tubbs grabbed the golden locks, and it is said he gave them a severe pull. This redoubled the anger of Miss Blencoe, and she raised her assailant up and threw him on the floor with a dull thud. With a firm hand she gently pressed the teacher’s windpipe, while her knee made his vest grate on his spinal column. In this manner she held him until assistance came, when she released him, and, taking a younger member of the family with her, she quickly left the schoolhouse. It is said that her waist was nearly torn from her body and that her back and shoulders were literally covered with bruises. She has demonstrated what has often been proven before, that the American girl is abundantly able to take care of herself.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Right Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Emma Roberts
Citation
“Young Miss Whips Her Male Teacher,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed April 24, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/398.