A PUPIL teacher in Worcestershire got away with virtual murder at this time a century ago, judging from a dramatic report in Berrow's Journal for 1901. The young teacher, Miss Jones would surely have been charged with manslaughter nowadays for the fatal injuries she inflicted on a seven years-old pupil in her class.

However, she escaped with just a severe reprimand from an inquest and was warned not ever again to inflict "an objectionable form of corporal punishment" on children in her charge.

The inquest at Bromsgrove was into the sad death of Lily May Waldron, the seven-years-old daughter of a market gardener. Lily was a pupil at a Board of Education school for girls at Catshill, but came home at dinner time one day, complaining that her teacher Miss Jones had been "boxing her ears with books".

She returned to school in the afternoon but was brought home by her sister a few hours later, saying she felt ill. She had a bruise on her forehead which she claimed was the result of being struck with a pointer by Miss Jones. There was also an abrasion on the girl's right left which she alleged had been inflicted by Miss Jones kicking her.

Alas, Lily's condition gradually got worse through the night and she died the next day. Witnesses told the inquest they saw Miss Jones shaking Lily on the day in question because the girl "could not read well."

However, the teacher denied in evidence that she had struck Lily with a pointer or kicked her. She had not "boxed her ears" either on the day before her death though she admitted having done so on the previous day.

A post-mortem revealed that the girl had died from swelling of the brain due to blows to her ears.

The jury returned a verdict of Death Due to Inflammation of the Brain and recommended that Miss Jones be "severely reprimanded for having boxed the child's ears."

The Coroner, Mr E. Docker warned the teacher to carry out her duties in future in accordance with the law. He reminded her that "to box a child's ears is one of the worst forms of corporal punishment."

Crowquill, in his Journal comment column, said Miss Jones had been justifiably reprimanded and cautioned for inflicting "an objection form of punishment.

"However, pupil teachers are much tried and have the failings of youth, and therefore require to be more carefully overlooked and checked."

Another case of excessive corporal punishment landed a 51 years-old labourer in court before the Worcester County magistrates in the same week of 1901.

The Journal reported that the man from Green Street, Hallow was sent to prison for two weeks for assaulting his three-years-old son.

He had "corrected" the toddler by hitting him with a thick leather strap, leaving large black weals on his back and legs.