The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-31
O'CONNOR SUSPENDED.
The Investigation of Him VIII
BE Resumed To-Day.
The Accused Pretends That the Boys Fright
full Bruises We're Not Caused by Him
But by His Mother.

Inc Rules anu 1ts VI
the Board of Education held a meeting in
President Sabn's private Office yesterday
morning to investigate the charge against
Principal J seph O'Connor of the Valencia
Grammar School of having .brutally whipped
the twelve-year-old boy Chester Kinsman
on Friday.
Messrs Decker. Dunn, Culver, Ames and
SWEET were present of the committee, also
President Sabin, Director Brooks, Principal
O'Connor Mr. and Mrs. Kinslnan, father
and mother Of the boy. and George A.
Knight, his attorney.
Chester Kinsman was the first witness.
He is u years old, in the fifth grade, and a
pupil of Miss Kershaw. Soon after report
ing at school on Friday morning he was
called out into the h all by Principal O'Cou-
nor and whipped. Then the principal took
him upstairs and beat bin with a rattan,
threw him on the floor and kicked him. He
had been whipped by his mother only
the day before, but her whippings never
amounted to much. She didn't hurt him
at all.
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
The cause of the trouble was Chester's re-
fusal to return TO school after having been
sent home for written excuse for former
absence. When he did return he brought
note from his mother that he had been Of
Tended because sent home and refused to 60
back. The former absence was excused on
account OF sickness.
The boy then exposed the parts OF his per-
son bruised by the beating his arms, back,
buttockS and legs, and they all showed plain
evidences of severe brulSlng. lie positively
declared that the mothers whlpplngS were
triflng and did not cause the bruises. She
had simply made his hands sting and his
legs below the knees, but 1.-THE principal had
beat him pretty much all over the body.
Mrs. KInsman said she was certain there
was not mark on the boy from her whip
ping, but she wouldn't whip dog tie way
O'Conn0r had whipped the little fellow.
When her boy came home on Friday after
noon he complained of being sore, and she
examined HIM and found all those marks OH
him. The marks had subsequently turned
black and blue, as the committee had seen
for itself
MRS. KINsMAN INDIGNANT,
About noon one of the neighUorS came in
and said the principal had thrashed her
boy, and she, all excitement and indigua-
ton, at once started for the school. When
she arrived there the children all told her of
the terrible whipping her boy had received.
She told Mr. O'CUnnor that she did not
like the reports she heard, but he replied
that the boy had not been unreaSonably
punShe When he came home IN the alter
noon she then discovered his real condition.
Mrs c. W. Kinsman, siSter-in-law of the
boys mother, gave cOrroboratlYe evidence
about his condition and about the excited
state Of his mother.
Principal OCOnnor thought 1t was impos-
sibe for the marks on the boy TO have been
the result of his punishment The whip
ping had not been as hard as all that. But
the boy, lie declared, had bad record, as
evidence of which he produced several writ
ten complaints from teachers. He knew OF
m IA WIN had his teachers a his
parents 50 much trouble.
The boy had played truant, and then had
refused to do the home work which had
been assigned him. Witness started in to
whip him for not having done the home
work. He knew that the boy wanted to be
expelled so that he would not have to go to
school. He thought that he should be con-
QGered.
MI Knight asked the principal whether
he didn't think that a whipping to cause
such bruises is unreasonable.
o'CoNNoR's PRETENCEs.
O'Connor thought not The boy had to
be conquered, though it took severe meas
ureS. But he wanted it borne in mind that
he did not admit having caused the boys
bruised condition. He was pretty sure he
didn't strike him hard enough to leave
mark
"rhen why did it make you sweat sir?'
asked the boy.
because / had to wrestle with you to get
you to 50 upstairs to the Off e." replied
O'COnnur.
President Sabin asked O'COnnor whether
he thought principal or teacher Is ever
justified in inflctiug such punishment, such
as striking heavy blows with the hands. as
had evidently been done in this boys case.
O'Connor replied that he knew of nothing
liz the rules prohibiting a teacher from
using bis hands in Furnishing pupil
Perhaps not. said Mr.. Sabin, nor do
the rules prohibit a teacher from drawing a
t,l If,. r., Vat / a. .Dh
whether the use of weapons as a means of
discipline would be looked upon with ap-
prOyal"
O'COnnor persistently maintains that the
bruises on the boy are not the result OF his
whipping The boy was bad and had to be
whipped or expelled; he had chosen the
first named course. He asked the commit
tee to examine the rattan he used aud to
question some Of the teachers as to how the
boy had yelled and screamed as though he
were being murdered, even before lie
(0'Connor) had laid hand on him.
The committee decided, after brief eX-
ecutive session, 10 suspend OCounOr pend
ing further investigation and resume the
case to-day. Meanwhile 1t is expected to
busy Itself in obtaining more information.
AT THE SCHOOL.
In the afternoon the committee went out
to the school where the flogging occurred.
and Inquired still further into the facts OF
the case. Some of the teachers who heard
the disturbance testified as to the cutlery
made by the youug>ter. The rattan used by
O'Connor to administer the punishment was
also found and measured. 1t was quarter
Of an inch in diameter
Tie committee thinks it has evidence
enough now upon which to base a report
without further investigation, hence will
file its report tomorrow night at the meet
ing of the Board of Education.
This affair of O'Connor's has strengthened
the views that the committee has enter
tanned for some time-that is. that corporal
punishment III the public schools should be
abolished, and it has decided to incorporate
in the departments rules a section to that
! effect.