Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-02-11

NCASTER, WISCONSIN, THU
behalf, said: am plaintiff in this &C
ton. Am father of the boy assaulted
Got home from Platteville about dark
Curtis showed me lump on his heat
as large as blackwalnat. Boy was
feeling very bad, / examined and
found a red streak across his shouldeS
blade End of his spinal column wal
badly hurt and | thought from examin'
alton that the hurtmight be permanent
The skin was not broken except that
his hands were skinned a little and
bleeding. End of his spinal column
was red and inflamed and ] thought il
an injury that might give him trouble
always. He went to party that night
with my consent. Rode pony. Dis
lance to Mrs. Conner's is about two
miles. Since then he has been engaged
in hauling wood helped load it up,
but he unloaded it all alone. Mr.. Cra-
ven was shown a note By defendant
and acknowledged it 70 be his own
writing. Ihad some ANNOYANCE about
| four weeks before this. Found that
Curtis was not reading. Wanted HIM
to read and told him to take it up inn
mediately. Gibson would not let him
read. He said il / wanted change of
studies | must see the board or see him
or send him note | was provoked,
Sent Curtis to tell him TO let him read
or would find way to make him.
Hate to write notes. Things went on
for week or two when Curtis brought
home his books and wanted me to let
him remain away from school. Saw
Mr.. Harper and told him about it. He
told me | had better write note-a
sharp note. No. not short note, but u
sharp note, which did. Then the boy
went back to school with the note.
Here the note was introduced in evil
dence and read by defendants attorney
as follows
Mr.. GIBsoN.-Sir, Ihave been very much an
noyed by your iusolent way Of using Curtis and
myself in regard TO his reading. Now. / want
him to Fcad. and you must either shorten
Mabels lessons or she will have to drop some of
them, and forbid you to keep her in at recess
or noon when she can get those long les on- ia
school hours aud at home, as know she stuqes
sense enough to know what scholars should learn
and how much they can stand, you had better
60 home or 70 some other iunatie asylum. Now.
yon can read this to the school If YOU wish
Yours WM. CRAVEN.
Mabel is my daughter. She was study
ing too hard-talked about the studies
in her sleep and moaned aloud Glib
son had read some notes out in school
that had been sent by other parents
and made light of them.
The state rested, and defendant intro
duced the following testimeay:
JOSEPH GIBSON, the defendant, be-
ing duly sworn, testified: When / be-
gan school | made no rnles-thought
Lwould make them as | found neccs-
sary-eXcept against communicating
Farther along | made requirement
that a scholar wishing 10 90 ont of one
class into another must bring note.
Curtis Craven wanted to make the
change, and told him to bring note
He would not do so and left school, but
came back again. He was an obedient
scholar then for awhile Received the
note from his father sometime after
that and let the boy take mp reading.
About the present trouble, the boy re-
ported that he had communicated for
which | kept him in at recess. At re-
cess caught him communicating with
the girls and kept him in ri noon
said: "A person Of ordi mars intelligence
would know that it is agai 1st the rules
of the school to comm. ;cate when
kept in at recess Curtis ircd up and
asked if l-meant to say TT he did not
have ordinary intelligep i said no,
that / did not say that1 e. Va: lyon
might rs we'd nave said Il, = f'waTked
around aud shook him little In my
jerk his body went furtn er than his
legs could 90 and that brought him
down on top OF the desk which had a
slanting top and from which he slid
into the next seat / did not push him
down into the seat. Tried to bold him
as he went down VIII swear that |
tried TO hold him and keep his head
from humping on the back OF the seat.
When he got into the seat LET loose Of
him / did not feel or hear his head
bump. Did not throw him upon the
floor. He was no nearer the floor than
the seat upon which he sut After that
he went home. did not throw him
over the seat Tried to guard against
hurting him when he Slid down into the
seSt. Hit the desk with my feet and
slid it across the aisle, as IN shaking. a
boy of his size the teacher usually gets
shaken as much as the boy He did not
strike against the desk that slid Shook
him two or three times before he cot
into the seat. Never kept Mabel Cra-
ven in or punished her III any wav.
She is one of my leading pupils and
have compimented her before the
school. Curtis manner was unpleas-
ant at the time of the difficulty. Never
had occasion to use corporal punish
ment before-was my first attempt at
laying on Of hands in the Union school
Think the boy and the parent were CO.
operative in lighting me. The Ian
guage used was ordinary intelligence. -
was not mad, but had enough enthu-
siasm to do the chastising Did not
allow my anger to rule my head. Am
confident that | did not hear or feel his
head strike the casting or wood of the
seat behind him. Curtis did complain
of his head hurting, but / believe il was
a myth gotten up for the occasion was
cut and dried. 1t was his manifesto
tons, or facial indications Of Il row that
made me come around and shake him.
did not strike him.
Miss LAURA CONNER, sworn for de-
PENDANT, said Am student in Union
school. Saw Curtis that night at on,
house at the party, He appeared as
well as usual. Conduct was as usual
Was in the cloak room at the time OF
/ trouble and did not hear any scuffle OF
noise. There is thin board partition
between the rooms A good many o
us were in the cloak room eating din
ner. Saw Mr.. Gibson pulling the sea
back and Curtis was in his scat when
came out.
Miss HANNAH REDDY, sworn for de
PENDANT, testified: Am assistant teach
er in Union school, Heard no noise o
scuffie during the trouble. | attend
ed the party that evening at Mrs Con
ner's. Saw Curtis there and / have n,
+ eason to think that he was otherwis
t han perfectly well. Played all sort
of games there in which he participated
Coming home he rode on horseback
/ was in sleighload and he ran hi
horse around aud around the load a,
we went along and reached for th