Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-16
KISSING IN SCHOOL.
Did Professor Frazier Caress
Girl Pupils?
Editor Bentley Foully AS
saulted at AZusa
For Criticizing Teacher Charged
With Serious Faults.
Principal Frazier said to be too Familiar
With Pretty Azusa Girls-Charges
Which Were Made Against H i'm.

|
brought up again yesterday by the arrest
OF several alleged participants in the
outrageous treatment Of Mr.. Bentley,
editor of the Azusa Neus on Friday of
last week. Warrants were issued on
Thursday morning for the arrest of
Oliver Cummins, Will Potter, George
Morley Hamon, A. Eckles and Will
Hamlin, son OF the county auditor, on the
charge of having assaulted George
Bentley at Azusa on the 8th inst with
deadly. weapons. The allegation is that
Bently was forced into allowing him
self to be coated with tar and feathers
while revolvers were held to his head
by the accused. Warrants were issued
and given to constable Clements, who
returned last night with Oliver Cum
minis, Will Potter, Harry Anon and
young Hamlin. The men were taken
before Justice Austin last evening, who
released all of the defendants ON $500
bail each.
Miss Griffin's Statement.
Miss Griffin was the teacher at the
Azusa school, until the close of the last
term, and was the prime cause OF the
tar and feathering of editorBentley. The
lady is a teacher of excellent reputation
and generally liked in Azusa where she
has taught for five years past. Profess
sor G. E. Frazier came to the school as
| principal about a year ago and then the
trouble began.
Miss Griffin reluctantly made state
ment of her version of the matter to
HERALD reporter who called upon her
yesterday. She spoke substantially as
follows
There were many complaints about
Mr.. Frazier; one was that he allowed
certain pupils from Covina to retain ex-
animation papers from day to day which
is against the law. Then he violated
section 1896 of the political code which
provides that teachers should protect
children on their way to and from
school, He said that the boys could
do as they pleased after they left school
and so they did. They would fight, and
swear, and act outrageously. Another
case was, when one Of his boy friends
sent a vile note to one of the girls.
Frazier said he could do nothing about
it. That note went all over school and
the children looked up the meaning of
the words in the dictionary as many of
the terms were of Latin derivation.
This was brought to the attention of the
trustees and they referred it to the county
superintendent, and he passed it on to
the board and that was the end of it,"
'Were these the most serious char
ges?"
ooh, no. Two girls were removed
from the school because he would put
his arm around .them. He kissed one
OF the girls once, also. He made no
secret about these things, but would do
them openly. Then he went to school
one time when he had the measles. That
was against the law. His hands were
so scaley that the children would not
shake hands with him."
''Were these charges all brought
against him?"
eyes, they were all written out and
signed by the parents. But the trustees
took no action on them. When the
last selection of teachers was made, Mr..
Frazier was retained and / was replaced
by teacher unknown to that commu
nifty, where | had many friends.
''Did the girls object to his caresses ."
"No. When Mr.. Bentley wrote OF the
matter in his paper, more OF them
stood up for him."
"Mr. Bentley took up your cause did
he?"
eyes, Isuppose he did. He said in
the NeWs that if these charges were
true that Mr.. Frazier should be dismiss
ed. He also wrote an editorial asking
Mr.. Frazier if he caressed the girls as an
uncle, and kissed them as a father"
"These men arrested for assaulting
Mr.. Bentley are all old pupils of Mr..
Frazier's them"
ayes, most of them are. He pushed
them through their examination and let
them do about as they pleased"
Is it Politics.
Mr.. Bentley was yesterday still suffer-
ing much from the effects of his rude
treatment. An Azusa man who was in
the city yesterday said to a HERALD re-
porter, the whole affair grew out of
politics. County superintendent of
school Seamans is very anxious to be
reelected, and his crony Frazier was to
help him by gaining the support of all
the prominent Republicans OF Covina.
He favored their children and this
caused the trouble in the first place.
Miss. Griffin is of Democratic stock and
this becoming known of course Seamans
held no friendship for her. She is a
perfect lady and a very capable school
teacher and well liked by all, except
Frazier's own friends. l think he
ought to have left the school long ago.