New York Times, 21 September 1921

Missouri Judge Uses Shoe To Spank Truant Schoolboys

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 20. - Judge E.E. Porterfield, presiding over the Juvenile Court, stopped a session of that court today, removed one of his low shoes, and spanked four juvenile delinquents with it.

The four boys, in court for truancy from school, told the judge of they would not go to school and asked him to send them to the McCune Home, the county home for youthful offenders. The judge sent out for a suitable stick, but none could be found and he used his shoe.

"What about school now?" he asked, when he had replaced the shoe.

The boys agreed to return to school.