The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-15
j. p. j. DeBECK.
Investigation at Fourth District
SchOOl-Examina u alton of witnesses
This Morning.

SthOOl-ASAdhh Ol NItueSScB
This Morning.
The public are already familiar with the
alleged disgraceful conduct of the Principal
of the Fourth District School, ]. P. J.
DeBeck.
Yesterday the father of Fannie Hampton
preferred formal charges against DeBeck,
which he handed to the Local Trustees
Mr.. Arthur Miller, DR.. Thomas Feely and
IL. Gartick-who this morning began an in
vestigation.
The following is copy of the charges of
Hampton:
ITO the Local Trustees of the Fourth District
school OF Cincinnati, O.:
"GENTLEMEN-Whereas, Jesse P. DeBeck
Principal of the Fourth District School, of
which you are the Local Trustees, has been
publicly charged by the press of our city
with committing acts grossly immoral in
their character upon the persons of female
pupils now under his charge, and also upon
the persons of other female pupils while
under his charge as teacher in the First
intermediate School of this city:
Therefore, for the purpose of having
the said charges investigated and the truth
or falsity of the same ascertained, charge
that the same Jesse ?. DeBeck, while
teacher in the First intermediate School. of
this city, was guilty of the following acts
II. Putting his arm around the waist of
Kate Everson, one of his pupils, on several
occasions, against her will.
'2. That he took undue liberties with the
person of Mamie Herzog, one of his pupils
by hugging and attempting to kiss her
against her will during school hours.
"3. That he was guilty of improper con-
duct toward Clara Mears, also one of his
pupils in taking improper liberties with
her person. ....
'"That since he became Principal of the
Fourth District School he has been guilty
OF the following acts:
81. That on or about the - day of -,
1878, at the Fourth District School-house,
he was guilty of taking improper and indie
cent liberties with the person of Fannie
Hampton, then a pupil attending said
school, against her will. ...
w. That on or about the day of -,
1878, at the Fourth District School house,
he was guilty of taking improper and inde-
cent liberties with the person of Emeline
Hof, then pupil attending said school,
against her will. JAMES HAMPTON"
1t is indeed appalling that such a lot or
matter of an indecent character should be
brought before children ranging between
eleven and fifteen, as the several girls called
to les ify this morning were, but no effort
should be spared to arrive at the facts in
the case.
1t is fact to be noted that all the wit
nesses examined agree OH main points.
In justice 10 Mr.. DeBeck, the public
should withhold an opinion until his guilt
or innocence has been established.
Mr.. c. G. Archer, Trustee in the First
District, conducts the prosecution, and
Isaac Miller, better known as Ike Miller,
the defense.
After some preliminary arrangements
Fannie Hampton was placed on the stand,
and testified that DeBeck called her to his
room for the purpose of administering
reprlmand for bad language used by her.
While there s anding by his desk he placed
his arm about her waist and kept rubbing
her stomach end breast and then performed
an unmentonable act with his finger at
which she drew away.
He asked her if it hurt, and she crying
all the while, answered yes. He then eau
toned her not to tell her parens and after
commanding her to straighten up her face,
permitted her to go after having been in his
office some half an hour.
Fannie then went to her room. This was
on Tuesday, October 29th.
The next day she told her mother what
had been done. and she visited the Princi-
pal the day following.
The next witness called was the teacher
in the room in which Fannie was pupil,
Miss O'Connell. She testified that she re-
membered the child being called and re-
membered that she came back looking as
though she had been crying. AS near as
she could remember the child was called
between and 3:30 p. M, and returned
somewhere in the neighborhood of
0 clock, which corroboratcs the statements
of Fannie on the same point.
She testified that Fannie was "pretty
good girl in school, except talkative," and
that there had never been any complaints
from the outside against her.
After school, on The same dav of the al
legged disgraceful proceedings, she met Fan
DeBeck had sent for her2 to which she re-
piled Mo-" and Fannie said, in reply to
question as to what was the matter, that
Mr.. DeBeck would tell her
Little Emma Druck was then called. She
had been called to Mr. DeBecks room on
the same day for writing on fences. In the
evening, after school, these two girls, in
with others, on the way home,
talked about the events of the day, and
Emma made proposition that she should
tell Fannie what Mr.. DeBeck said to her
if Fannie would tell what he said to her.
but Fannie would not tell; but next day
Fannie repeated the statements as given
above.
There was slight discrepancy between
the statements of Fannie and Emma as to
the time when Fannie Told her story to
her, but on all the important facts they
agree.
Katie Mcdonald, schoomate, testified
that on Tuesday, the Goth of October after
school, Fannie told her that Mr. DeBeck
had called her to his Office, and after telling
her to shut the door ''stuck his hand down
her clothes"
Ida Smith, in the main points of her
tes imony, corroborates the foregoing state
ments
Clara Anderson stated mainly as above,
with the addition that Fannie Hampton
told her on that unhappy Tuesday evening
that DeBeck felt her (Fannie's) clothing
eic.
Clara Smith, who testified next, agrees
with that above.
At this point Mr.. DeBeck stated that it
was now near Il O'clock, and he would ask
an adjournment till p. m. to give him
time to attend to school duties which was
finally done.
Monv of tho residents of tho DISTRICT ora