The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-18
HE ADMITS NEARLY ALL.
But Principal Smith Soft
ems the Charge Against
Him.
MODIFYING HIS PUPILS STORIES.
But He Has Had to Make No End Of
Apologies and Explanations.

With view to learning what Principal
William Smith, of the Gutenberg Public
School, has to say about the charges that
have been made by parents Of his pupils
through The SUNDAY MORNING NEWS,
sought him for the third time yesterday
and found him at home.
He has been accused on different occa-
sions of imprisoning twelve-year-old
school girl, Dolly Topf, in closet for
seven hours, and the child WINS taken se-
verely ill; with imprisoning Philip
Majors daughter in the same cell; also
with striking Frank Evans over the head
with a loaded weapon, and abusing
Willie Ross and Henry Schultz, two
! other pupils, in such a manner that their
parents took them away from the school.
1t was alleged by the pupils parents
that Mr.. Smith was a cranky old man,
and had the children in q constant state
of dread, and as, they saw they could OBJ
tain no redress from the Board of Educa-
ton, the assistance of THE JERSEY Cry
NEWS was asked to expose Mr.. Smiths
methods.
NEURALGIA AND BAD HUMoR.
Mr.. Smith received me cordially, and
when l told himtwhat my business was, he
left the class in charge of the assistant
lady teacher and accompanied me into
the hall
'.Nfr. Smith, I, / asked, twill YOU tell me
if Dolly Topfs story about being locked
up in closet for seven hours is trueg''
''The main part of il is true,v he said.
THE day of the imprisonment of the
child was suffering intensely from neu-
ralgia, and did not intend to teach school.
As my assistants wanted to go away early
however, / determined to teach At about
five minutes before the morning recess,
Dolly Topf laughed aloud, and it so irri-
tatsd me that l ordered her into this
closet.o
Here Mr.. Smith showed me a closet
about five feet long and two feet wide,
with chair in the centre and no ventila-
ton whatever.
1T was my intention,'' . he went on, ito
release Dolly at recess, but my pain was
so great that had entirly forgotten her.
sAt three o'clock one of the children
said Here are Dolly's books, Mr.. Smith.
My memory, owing to the great pain
was suffering at the time, became mud
died, and | had a dim impression that
Dolly was absent on that day.
"About half-past three O'Clock one of
the children told me that Dolly was still
locked in the closet. Just then it flashed
across my mind of what had done and I
instantly released the child. The follow
ing morning visited Mrs. Topf and sim
cerely apologized for what had done.
DIDN'T GIVE HER FIVE CENTS.
But, Mr.. Smith, (" l said. ,'you areN2c
cused ofhaving given the child five cen
to not acquaint her mother with what has~
happeneo?n
THAT deny. The idea that five cents
will influence child enough to prevent
her from telling what transpires in school
is nonsense, and with my experience as a
teacher | would not think of such an act.
| The way that story originated Is this
When | released the child q couple Of
pennies dropped from her hand. When
asked her what they were for she said
that it was her lunch money. l then gave
her a five cent piece and told her to buy
some cakes on her way home.'s
"How about the imprisonment of
Philip Majors chiId?"I asked.
AN EXAGGERATED STORY.
s'Mr. Majors daughter was imprisoned
for about fifteen minutes" the principal
returned. 'and she told her parents an
exaggerated story. A couple of days
afterward | received a letter from Mr..
Major. | opened it. but did not read it
through. as it was the most scurrilous
letter / ever reao. / sent my assistant TO
Mr.. Shultz and the affair was amicably
settled"
"How about the accusation of Frank
Eyans?' l asked. ''He says that you beat
him over the head with sort of dia-
bolical arrangement"
''This is the diabolical arrangement re-
| ferred to, and Mr.. Smith exhibited a lead
pencil with a rubber on the end of it.
He then vividly illustrated what he had
doneiby hitting me couple of raps on the
head. The raps that received were Ger
tainly not very hard.
A TROUBLESOME BOY.
tEThis boy Evans, continued Mr.. Smith,
is very inattentive. He will scribble away
| on slate, and his mind will not be on
what he is doing. He gives me more
trouble than any boy in the school. The
morning of the alleged whipping, Frank
was more inattentive than ever, and after
administering him several times, l went to
his desk and hit him on the top of the
head q few times with the end of this
pencil. He did not cry at the time, and
/ did not think anything more OF the
matter until Mrs. Evans appeared in the
afternoon, and commenced TO abuse me.
Previous to this she had been one of my
to reason with her, but she left the school
IN a furry"
Don't you think Mr. SMITH asked that
it would be good idea to abolish the use
of that closet as means of pnnishments"
sit is onlyon rare occasions that use it
perhaps once in two months. When
ever | do it precipitates complaint. how
ever, and as have several political enc
mics in the town these complaints are
priced highly l think your suggestion
good one, however, and will consider It,"
1t is thought that the publicity given to
Mr. Smiths action by The JERSEY CITY
NEWS will have salutary effect and that
milder forms of punishment will prevail
in the school.
Singular Drowning.
About two O'Clock yesterday morning,
German, who had been conyersing with
1x,orl.r,an IN nie1. No of the Erie Rail-