The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-28
BRUrA1IrY IN 4 PrBLIC sCHooL.
Three Jersey city Tcnchers Arrested on
Charge ofCrueiIy Fiogging n six-Yonr-Oid
boy and Tearing Hair from his Head.

Nhnrgc 0ttruelIy tlOggtnu " rlN-hfnr-Oid
boy and TEARING Hair from his Head.
On Saturday afternoon Mr.. and Mrs.
Craig OF 40 Poplar street, jersey City, and their
son, Edward Craig, aged six years. went before
Justice Nichols to complain OF brutal treatment
sustained by the child at the hands OF Chir
A. Hoyt, Principal, and Mrs. Celeste Townsend
and Miss Mathilde Stagg, teachers, Of public
school on Jersey City Heights. Mrs. Craig said
that on Friday her youngest boy told her she
had better 60 to the school, as they were "kill-
ing Eddie" She went, and Miss stsRr referred
her to Mrs. Townsend, who said she had given
her son "a tremendous beating" adding that
had he been her child she would have killed
him. Miss Stage said she did not make
any OF the marks on the bows body, and
Mrs. Townsend told her they were produced by
the lad knocking himself against the wall The
story told by the child was that while sitting In
the schoolroom he put bis hand upon the neck
a nice colisri Miss Staeg, in whose class he
was, told him to stand behind the blackboard,
and on his refusing TO do so, she attempted TO
whipping him severely. ebe called Mrs. Town
send, who hogeed him with n rattan, raising
I'll large bandfuls OF It were torn out. Finally
she forced him into the cellar, where his
said that Mr.. Hoyt bsat him, but hls
mlnd dd no, seem ySTy ss1r uIon This point
IL was at once apparent that he had been very
severely used by some one. Great livid and
swollen black and blue marks dis0gured his
back, sides. and arms. and wide bald space ex-
tenoing from his forehead almost TO the back OF
his head showed where his hair had bcen vio-
lently torn out. Mrs. Craig said the school chill
dren In the neighborhood corroborated her sons
story, and Justice Nichols granted warrants for
the arrest Of the principal and the Two teachers.
They were arralgned In the Second District
Police Court yesterday, but the slx witnesses
produced by the prosecution were so young and
70 frightened that their testimony was worth
less. Even the child himself was unable to tell
anything like a connected story, and the strong
eat evidence against the teachers was the boys
lacerated back and sides and his bald head.
Justice Nichols said II was very evident that tho
boy had been shemcfully beaten. but the testi-
mOny was not sufficient to Justify him la hold
ing the defendants, and they were accordingly
discharged.
Mr: lloyt saws he did not soc the boy whipped,
nor did he subsequently beat htm himself, and
even the child's parents are inclined To acquit
him OF all blame. He Ia not disposed to be
lenient toward them, however, and contem-
plates proceeding against MIRA. Craig for having
him arrested. He does not think Miss StaRg
20 lie gives Mrs. Townsend an excellent roputa-
tlun. She has served IN his school, he saws, for
twelve years. and has been uniformly kind and
cunsidctate toward the pupils.
Miss Stngg says she did not strike tho child,
and Mrs. townsend, while admitting having
whipped him, says he deserved IL, but denies
that she beat hun hard enough To make the
marks on his back and sides. These, che al
lcgcs, were made by his struggles, which
brought him into violent contact with the walls.
says -ho wound her hand ~ bis SON ewhat luXu-
n mt locks to keep hiu stll, and to her unspcak-
able nuhIrmrnt all the hair came out In her
Era-p like the feathers OF scallcd chicken