The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-09
A FIAsCO.
,o.,<r crimes" Sensation SAT Down On


On Saturday last the Times published mo:
brilliant effusion entitled ''School Teachers" tn
production of a correspondent" who signs hin
self "Reform" Omtting the preamble and tn
Beroration the article says:
"My attention has been called several times t
the teachers of the 5th ward school, where it is
very common thing for them to use such expires
sons as these--You dirty little hussy, don't tel
me that or I'll slap your MOUTH or, I'll knoc'
your head off, or III slap your face or, 'Shu
your mouth, you dirty SOW, and many other lik'
vulgar slang phrases, which tend to degrade ln'
teachers in the minds of the intelligent pupil
The teachers daily in the habit OF pulling th'
scholars hair for the least possible fault ana oth
erwse furnishing children contrary to good NOR
ais. Is there no way to remedy thisT
Ofcourse to most people charges of that nature
were ridiculous on the face of them; but TIT
board of education, anxious to know the truth o
the misunderstanding they mjHt be deceived il
some of their teachers-sent committee 10 tn,
Times where they learned that Mr.. VIM. Gregg
then ansemploye of that Office was the modes
author The committee demonstrated with hin
for making the publication, but he declared tina
every word Of il was true and he could prove it
That seemed to strengthen his side, whereupor
the board called special meeting to investigat,
Miss Mclnhill, Miss Mckinley and Mr.. Thorp
which took place at the Office of the board on
last Thursday Mr.. Gregg and his wife and two
children were on hand, well as the teachers
assaulted, with number of children from each
of their rooms. Since the teachers had not been
summoned to the trial till late in the afternoon
there could evidently have been no doctorng Of
witnesses.
Mr. Gregg's naughter Sarah was first question
ed in relation TO the first Xpression-"You dirty
little hussy," etc. Mr. Gregg said Miss McGin-
ley had used it to the girl. Sarah said: 81 don't
remember just when Miss Mckinley said it, but
it was when was working my example; | said
II and s are 20 and then she said | was counting
on my fingers and | said no. and then she called
me dirty little hussy etc. She did not say
was a stubborn little thing; said two times
was not counting on my fingers, and said it not
roughly" She did not hear the other express
sions as printed and did not know who said them,
or that any one said1oicm.
Mr. Gregg then said the other charges were
made to him by Others who are not willing to
have their names used, nor willing to come to
testify because they will have to undergo course
of "bull doing" afterwards at the hands Of the
teachers! However, he didn't know who had
said shut your mouth, you dirty ,"but had
only heard it had been said! Sarah his daugh.
ter, had never heard it; nor had she heard any
one say "Tll knock your head off," heard "slap
your MOUTH several times; heard "slap your
face" once. In regard to the latter particulars,
Mrs Gregg said they couldn't be traced to any
one teacher in particular, but the ncighbors had
said to her that they were common expressions
about the school!
Then the boy, Willie Gregg, was examined; he
had been In Miss McInhils room last fall, but
not since last October. He said that when he
first went there he whispered once and was told
to stop it; he stopped for day or two, and then
doing it again Miss Mel. boxed his ears, he said
Another time he had piece of paper which he
threw on the floor, and she said ~ have mind
TO make you swallow It," He said it was a com
mon practice to slap, etc. but could not think Of
any who were slapped, except Charley Harrison.
He was kept often after school, supposed it to be
to make up lessons. Mr.. Thorp had slapped him
and showed him a rawhide and threatened him,
and generally misused him. He hadn't heard
those expressions mentioned, but had had his
case to begin with.
Miss McInhll went on to deny that she pulled
his hair; she had turned him around in his seat
once by the ear; and had not used the expression
AS charged. On the contrary she showed that
the boy II restless unruly lad who would not
study and with whom she had constant trouble
and furthermore the boy told fbs ond could not
be relied upon
Mr. Thorp told his story, that the boy had pro-
baby been sent to him. though he did not rcmcm.
Der him, but he had never slapped any boy nor
threaten him. He then showed by taking one Of
the boys how he had punished the boys he dealt
with. II seemed to be great fun for the boys
Miss Mckinley said Sarah was saucy, and on the
day mentioned had counted on her fingers and
contradcted her repeatedly when told of it, and
then u was that Miss NEG. called her a stub
born little thing"
Joseph Mailman, Daniel Grace Hattie Rout.
ellie, Katie Shuler, Hattie Jekyll, Julia Van Tif
lin, Lizzie Hayes, Blanche Calkins, Willie Shulcr
and Seward Gibbs were questioned, and all sub
stantiatcd the truth Of the teachers statements.
Gregg then said he was dissatisfied he knew
he had lame case, but ii was because he had
not his witnesses, for reasons above stated; show
ever, the stories Of the children were only hear
say" as his own charges were 2 for each told
the same story as the one before him or her
Mr.. Markle then went on to say that they had
expected as much, and on Thursday afternoon
had taken the prccauton to forestall that by cx-
aiming into the case secretly for themselves and
the evidence thus obtained corroboracd tins ev-
cning's in every particular Gregg objected 10
this a. unwise, but gave no sufficient reason;
and on motion Of Mr.. Mcgalin the teachers were
eXonerated from all blame and sustained in all
they had done.
Every one can draw his own conclusion Of
the effects Of such trials on the minds of the pu-
pills And could we be permitted u suggestion,
we should advise parents TO 90 TO the proper
headquarters when they have grievances, and
spare The public by not rushing into print before
they have tried other means of redress. Inthc
latter case, at any rate, one is not apt to fire
Al hafcock as did Mr.. Gregg with his little fusll.
I'm IL, Los. fhp city Cpuugi1 nc