Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1881-12-21
THE SCHOOL TROUBLE.
Committee OF Citizens Exon0rate Miss
Kelley of All Blame in the Recent
school Whipping Affair.


and unnecessary punishment upon on
Of her pupils, the nine-year-old son o
Colonel a. c. Ellis, on Thursday last
the press, as we'll as Miss Kelley, calico
upon the Board of School Trustees t,
investigate the matter. 1t seems tina
| the member. of the Board, numbering
three persons, Messrs. Harris, Webl
and Kelley, got together on Saturday
and as Mr.. Kelley WAS the father Of the
accused, the Board deemed it proper to
summon Il committee of citizens and
transfer the matter of investigation ia
them. The committee, consisting of
TrenmOr Coffin, G.. w. Kitzmeyer,
George Myers, Jacob Muller, DR.. Lee,
Jacob Tobriner, George c. Thaxter and
M. A. Bowker, met yesterday morning
in the school building and proceeded
with their investigation. Members of
the Board were also present, and repre-
sentatives Of the Tribune, Inter and
APPEAL. The following note had been
received by Mr. Harris, of the Board,
the previous day:
Mr.. Harris If it be any way
possible to proceed with this in
vestigation this afternoon l would
like it SO much. l do not wish to be
kept in suspense any longer, giving the
press chance to discuss the other side
Of the story. Respectfully.
NJ. j. KELLEY.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr.. Harris, Chairman of the Board of
Trustees, who stated the object of the
and why the Board waived
their right to conduct the investigation
said, with view Of having the matter
thoroughly and impartially examined
into. There had boon much talk oc-
and in justice to all sides the
Board had resolved on an investigation.
Colonel Ellis was present, and asked
0y Trustee Webb if he was satisfied
with the manner of proceeding.
The Colonel answered that he had
lad nothing whatever 10 do with get
ing up the call, and had suggested no
lame on the committee. He had been |
waited upsn by the Trustees and names
or committee had been suggested to
Inn. He had no objection to offer. |
Hoped that none Of the committee were !
in advance. He regretted |
he affair very much. 1t was, he
bought, no matter Of great magnitude.
lad always been strong friend Of the
'oung lady teacher, having sent his
hildren to her during the vacation of
he Public Schools. He recognized the
light of a teacher to lnf1ict corporal
unless otherwise requested
" parents. But under the present
she had no right to whip
is son to the extent she had. The boy
ad lately suffered from headache, and
he teacher had been keeping him in.
lis wife had written note requesting
hat tie boy be sent home if he caused
er any trouble. The teacher had
whipped him unjustifiably, he held, for
he offense of walking noisily across the
DOM. He was informed that it was
he custom of teachers throughout the
United States, when parents wanted
hildren sent home to comply with the
equest. He did not pretend that his
hildren were any better than any
Their, but he did claim the right
!, have his children sent home when
esired. She had failed to inform the
of the school of the whipping
the time, which was wrong. The
lild had said when whipped, ''Send
le to my mamma" To which he had :
cen informed the answer was, I" Are
ou any better than anybody else's
lildren The punishment Inflicted ;
as extreme. There were bruises on I
lie arm, and between the shoulders
listers, besides long stripes. No child t
his age, he said, was capable of doing t
lything deserving the punishment he 6
ceived. It was not the first time the s
,acher had done these things. 1t /