Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-16
LEAVE is GIVEN HER TO RETURN,
Provided She Is Willing to Conform, to the
Rules and Regulations as
Laid Down.
HER FATHER RESERVES HIS DECISION
Full Meeting Of the Scholastic staff Present to Give
Evidence.

tral Board of Education, appointed to in
Quire into the circumstances attending The
suspension of Miss Nellie Nobbs, heard the
evidence in the case yesterday, and decided
to report to the board sustaining the posi-
tion of the faculty in the matter. The Sec
retarv was directed to write to Mr.. Nobbs
informing him that his daughter was per
fectly welcome to the use of the school pro
vided she would conform to its rules Mr.
Nobbs declined to express any opinion a!
to whether his daughter would accept this
finding, until the report should reach hin
officially. The finding of the committee
will be reported to the board on next Tues
day for confirmation.
The investigation committee met at the
High School yesterday afternoon. 1t in
cluded Messrs. d. Z. Torrens, Phelps, Adams,
Blaze, Henderson, Rogers, McKain, Nc.
Candless and William Holmes, the latter
gentleman presiding. DR.. McKelvey and
the members of the faculty to the number
of Is were present Miss Nobbs occupied a
seat beside her father and grandfather.
PROF. Wood States the Case.
Prof Wood, in response to an invitation
from the Chairman, explained his connec-
tion with the suspension of Miss Nobbs.
He related the history Of the case at length.
The adoption of rules prohibiting any per
sonai notices rejecting on the faculty from
appearing in the papers read before the So
cieties had been made some years ago; the
right of the faculty to make these Jules had
never been questioned, and the insistance of
the rules in Miss Nobbs' case was not in con-
sequence of any special PRONUNCIATION in her
regard, but because of determination of
the faculty to have the rules enforced.
''AIiss Nobbs said she was aware of the
rule" continued Prof Wood, "and why
she insisted on inserting paragraphs refer
ring to the faculty we do not know. Prof
Patterson was the first to see the paper,
and what he said there and how he acted he
can explain when called upon to express his
views. When the paper was presented to
Prof Sleeth he cut out many of the articles
containing those references. Miss Nobbs
became very angry, and protested against
the matter being cut out. The Professor
spoke to me regarding the matter, and 1
told him to cut it all out, because the rule
was absolute that no mention of the faculty
should be made in the papers. He told her
TO cut out the matter and she did 60. The
paper was left just as good as before.
Why Miss Nobbs Was Absent.
''Iiss Nobbs asked Prof Sleeth if the
paper was all right and he told her it was.
He told her she could give very good per-
formance and she replied that she might not
be present in the evening When the young
lady was asked afterward why she had not
been present she replied, oh, could have
come if wanted to.
''The society had issued programme and
invited the public TO be present. One of
the performers was absent without cause or
reason, and that fact was regarded as suf-
ficient cause for suspension. But there
were mitigating circumstances in this
case, which impelled the faculty to
regard the matter leniently. Miss
Nobbs' peculiar temper was taken into con-
siderati0n, as was also the fact, that she
had probably already sufficiently punished
herself by refusing to read the papers. The
offense could have been condoned if she had
teUdered an apology, and the faculty would
have been willing to accept it and terminate
the matter there. There was not any inten-
ton on our part of humiliating Miss Nobbs,
who subsequently signed the apology, but
refused to read it. She wanted it read by
the Secretary, but didn't think that would
comply with the spirit and letter of the
resolution of the faculty, which provided
that the young lady should be reinstated if
she offered an apology. The result of the
whole affair was that she was suspended
from the school and there the matter
stands"
Mr.. Phelps-There is no use in taking up
further time by going back into the history
of the case. The question We have to in
vestigate is whether Miss Nobbs acted
wrongly in printing notices relating to the
faculty. and whether she and her father
were properly treated by Prof Sleeth. The
suspension did not occur until after the
young lady had been given a certain amount
of prOvocation, and the investigation should
commence by inquiring into the manner in
which the young lady was treated by Prof
Sleeth.
Prof sleeth Tells His Story.
The Chairman-Ib believe we had better
hear what Prof Sleeth has to say.
Prof. Sleeth began his recital of his con-
nection with the case by saying that he was
interested in having the affair fully investi-
gated, and he hoped he would be allowed to
state his case fully. He said that Miss
Nobbs' paper was anywhere from 25 to 30
minutes in length, and he found it necessary
to cut it in a stalwart manner. He didn't
cut it all at once, but continued cutting it at
each rehearsal. Miss Nobbs told him she
expected to have the paper cut.
Mr.. Phelps, interrupting, said that he in
sisted on his point being carried. The in
vestigation should be kept within the limits
he had pointed out.
McKain said he desired to hear the mat
ter fully investigated. In this he was sup
ported by several other members.
Prof Sleeth-If / am interrupted must
appeal to the chair for protection.
The Professor then continued, recounting
his interviews with Miss Nobbs He stated
that he had said they should get all the rub
bish out of the papers, and Prof. Wood told
him it would only be a fair thing to tell
Miss Nobbs that it would be better the mat
ter should be cut out, else she would be sus-
pended. There were several paragraphs in
which the faculty was coupled with
fishmongers, and at the final rehearsal he
asked Miss Nobbs to cut that word out. She
broke forth in a torrent of words, and he
demonstrated with her in friendly way,
pointing out to her that if she persisted in
inserting these words that the faculty would
have to suspend her. Miss Nobbs had
peculiar temper and she did not want the
matter TO be cut. She intimated that she
would not be present at the performance.
Things Prof Patterson Couldn't Approve.
Prof. Patterson said that Miss Nobbs had
read the paper to him. 1t had been cut and
he made no sort of correction, knowing
Prof Sleeth would see it before the evening
set for its reading. There were things in it
he could in no wise have approved of, and
he had no idea the paper would be presented
to the faculty in that shape He