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

|
Last Saturday the case of VIM. Cra-
ven, or The State, against Joseph Glib
son for assault and battery on the person
of Curtis Craven, came on for trial be-
fore Justice Baldwin in this city. VIM.
Craven is father of Curtis Craven, q
minor student, and Joseph Gibson, the
defendant, is teacher OF certain
Union school. The Union schooihouse
in question is situated in the center of
| the town of Lima, in what is known as
"String town. and has two depart
ments-the primary, taught by Miss
Hannah Reddy, and a higher room,
presided over by Defendant Gibson. A
criminal warrant was served upon Glib
son charging that on Friday the 29th
day of January he did "with force and
arms, in and upon one Curtis Craven,
make an assault, and the said Joseph
Gibson did then and there beat, bruise,
wound and illtreat and commit other
wrongs to the said Curtis Craven, and
praying that the said Joseph Gibson
be arrested and dealt with according to
law
The case is one of considerable inter-
est, inasmuch as it invoices the question
of where the line should be drawn be-
tween inflicting legitimate punishment
upon refractory pupil and committing
an assault without due provication up
on usually docile student; to say moth
ing of the curiosity excited by the high
responsibility of the persons in conflict.
MIR. Craven, the plaintiff on behalf of
his son, is prosperous farmer living
in Lima, of respectful, quiet demean
or, while his son, ro-
bust lad, has those distinct marks of in
telligenco and integrity always found in
well-bred boys of his age
Mr.. Gibson, the defendant schoomas-
ter, resides between Belmont and |
Rewey and was student at the Nor
NAL in Platteville. He is about % years
old, muscularly built, light complexion, |
and in conversation Furnishes his SEN
fences with Webster's choicest orthog- /
raphy. Wlthal, Gibson appears per-
feet gentleman and is undoubtedly a
cool-headed scholar. A jury, composed
of S. Mitchell, Dan Decker, Chas Lang
ridge, Chas Zeigler, James Kilbourn.
l.. A. Jackson, was sworn ia Saturday
forenoon, and r. A. Watkins opened
with brief statement OF the States
case, and Archie Bell followed with a
few words for defendant. Below we
give an outline of all the testimony
presented in the case:
CURTIS CRAVEN. being duly sworn
for plaintiff, testified: | am 10 years
old. Live in Union school district, town
of Lima, and go to school to Mr.. Glib
son. He made rule that we should
not whisper, and at night each scholar
reported to him whether he had COM
municated or not. Last Thursday in
history class we had to draw some maps
and, as another scholar couldn't find a
certain town on the map, | told him
where it was. When | reported that
night | told Mr.. Gibson what | had
done and asked him il that was COM
municating. He said it was and ordered
me to stay in the next day AT recess.
staid in. The children were playing
about me. One of the girls wrote off q
song for boy and as she gave it to
him asked her to copy one off for me.
Spoke out loud and the teacher heard
me. When school was dismissed at
noon he told me to remain. Told him
| did not know 1t was against the rules
to communicate at recess when one was
kept in. Gibson said: Anybody with
human intelligence would know better
than that Told him he ought not to
talk to a scholar like that, or something
like that. He was seated behind his
desk and | was standing in front of his
desk with my elbow resting upon il, He
got up and walked around the desk
without saying q word and made rs if
he was going to walk down the aisle,
when he suddenly grabbed me by the
| front coat collars with both hands and
ierked me backward over one seat and
struck my head on the iron of second
seat. He did not let go of me but raised
me up and chugged me back again.
Struck on my shoulder blade that time.
Chugged me down against the seat un-
! til it was pushed out across the aisle |
struck the seat and drove it back
Chugged me down four times-struck
seat twice and floor twice Lifted me
up and showed me toward my seat and
| 4ol I oA,,IAnff
grew awful dizzy and after some talk
he let me go home. Hurt me bad
bad that it hurts yet when go to walk.
Raised lump on my head, hurt my
shoulder blade and the end of my back
bone. Hurts me now so that | cannot
walk fast or run. Went to a party at
Mrs. Corners that night. Went to
Platteville next day behind a cord of
wood. Head is sore now whenever |
touch it. End of my spine is very sore.
| CLARENCE MEDLEY, sworn for plain
tiff, testified: Am 16 years old Go to
Union school. Saw trouble between
Curt and Gibson. Got in the room lust
as Gibson got up and grabbed Curt
Saw Curtis head strike the iron. Saw
him strike the seat the second
|
he struck on the floor. Gibson raised
him up the fourth time and told him to
go to his seat. He jerked Curt clear
over the first desk. Only two boys be-
side me were in the room at the time.
The girls were in the closet eating their
dinners and when they heard the racket
they rushed out.
| FARNHAM JOHNSON, sworn for plain
tiff, testified Am Ia years old. Live in
Lima and 60 to Union school. Heard
and saw the trouble Gibson said
"Anybody with ordinary intellect would
know better than to whisper when kept
in at recess" Curt said: "You might
as we'll have told me that ] didn't have
ordinary intellect The teacher said:
II didn't say that at all.n That was all
the talk | heard. He chugged him
round while and hit his head against
the desk and drove it across the aisle
He did not strike or kick Curt. Had
him down on floor in aisle, but was in