The morning call., 1891-05-12
RESTORED TO DUTY.
The Charges Against O'COnnOr
Not Sustained.
So Ended the Long Pending Investigation Of
the Complaint That He Cruelty Beat
Sehool-Boy.

further investigating the charges OF cruelty
against Joseph 0'Connor, principal OF the
Valencia-street Grammar School, In the
chastfsement Of Chester kinsman.
Friends of the accused principal turned
out in full force and every seat IN the court
room had been taken half an hour before
the meeting commenced. Many teachers
were present, particularly from the Valen-
Ella school, and they all appeared anxious to
say pleasant things in defense Of 0Connor.
A crowd Of small boys peered over the rail
ing of the gallery as interested auditors Oh
the proceedings.
In calling the meeting to order Director
Brooks said he was anxious to have the in
vestigation concluded during the meeting.
The board then went into session as a Com
mittee of the Whole and Director hyde
took the chair.
Chairman Hyde asked Eugene \. Deu-
prey, attorney for the accused, wnetner ne
would consent 10 proceed IN the absence OF
President Sabin and to have the testimony
taken by stenOgTapheT. DenpTey said he
would consent to nothing. Hyde said he
thought it necessary to take down the tes-
timOny during the absence or any OF the d.
rectOrs, whom he held in the light OF jurors.
A STENoGRAPHER SWORN.
Several Directors argued that seven men,
bers constitute legal quorum, and that ae,
c0rding to HYde's view, any member could
block proceedings in the Investigation by
remaining away.
Secretary Beanston administered an oath
to a stenOgrapher, who promised to faith
fully report the proceedings.
Miss Nellie keTShaw, a teacher IN the a
lencia school, in whose class Chester hIns-
man was, stepped to the stand TO testify tor
the defense. She said that on March 9th
she reported the Boy TO 0COnnOr for not
obeyiug her. Chester returned to the class
room 10 80 O'Clock. lie made no COM
plant 20 her and she noticed no change IN
his appearance or demeanor The witness
admitted, however, that she heard Chester
crying before be returned.
WAS he an exemplary bow"
E"Ne; he was unusually uneXemDlaTy.'
Miss Hattie Wood, another teacher at the
school, testified that she saw Chester crying
IN the hail a few minutes after O'Clock.
Her attention was attracted by the boys
screams. " My class. she SAID, " was
having singing at the time Mr..
0'COnnor opened the door and said
be was sorry TO disturb my class. MIR.
O'COnnOr asked Chester TO go upstairs
several times, but he refused to 60. After
that l heard Mr.. 0'C0nn0r strike several
times with a rattan. Chester still refused to
90 upstairs, and MT 0'ConnOr entered my
room and asked some of the boys 10 help
Chester upstairs. | said my boys were too
small To do this. heard four or five strokes
Of the rattan. but heard nothing TO indicate
UNUSUAL To HEAR SCREAMS.
In answer to George A. Knights cross
questions, she said it was unusual tn hear
boys scream in the school. She did not
think that OCOUnOT had kicked, cuffed or
had thrown the boy down, although he
might have done so as her door was closed.
Chester had been screaming q bout TWO min
utes before the door Of her classroom was
opened. After O'Connor went out into the
hall again, Chester continued to cry and sob,
and asked to be allowed to 60 home.
Who was the boy O'Connor sent after
the rattan ?"
Robert Carson"
You viii swear positively that, although
your door was Shut Chester was not struck
more than five times %
80 1 Will; / could hear, as the transom is
half wire and the sound came in over the
door"
Deuprey said he wanted to show that
Chester was "a hOwleT'' on all occasions
before he was whipped, but in answer to
further questions the witness replied that
she did mol know that the boy Is " a
bowler"
Miss Bessie N. Craig, a teacher at the
Mission Grammar School, depOsed that
from her experience Chester was very un-
truthful boy. She taught him for one year.
Would You believe him under Oath?"
The question was objected To and the OBJ
lection sustained.
Witness continued, however, that Chester
would cry if sent TO the principal, Mrs.
Craven. He would cry and baWl also If he
thought the principal was about to whip
him.
No COMPLAINT AT GYMNASTICS.
". C. Flack, who taught gymnastics in
the Valencia School, testified that Chester
exercised on the day O'COnnOT whipped him
better than ever before. On that day Chester
made no complaint about exercising, al
though he had done so many times before.
Y nqpipnn EfqPE aid that fbaEtpr
had not been injured while exercising on
the bars He thought that one Of his cheeks
was swollen.
Angel Bruce, aged II years. testified that
be had known Chester for a year. On one
occasion he was induced by Chester 20 play
truant. A another time Chester informed
him that OCOnnor was going to be liked"
Isaac Mcdonald, who lives at 23l3b How
ard street, next to the Kinsman residence,
testified that on the morning of March 9th
Chester cid considerable bowling. From
this he judged that the boy had received "a
double dose" at home.
Superintendent of Schools SWEET was
sworn as a witness. He said that ne had
examined Chester after the whipping.
There were some bruises that could not
have been caused by rattan.
Mrs. l.. Gather, dressmaker, testified
that she had seen Mrs. Kinsman punish
Chester with the handle Of a whip.
Deuprey wanted to impeach the evidence
VI AAos hluollhB III ltlGtbuC6 10 tllb whip
used Dy her in Furnishing Chester, but Hyde
ruled that such testimony was not material.
The objection, however, was Withdrawn
and the witness stated that she saw Mrs,
Kinsman give Chester a severe beating with
the butt of a carriage whip. Mrs. KinsmaH
said on tina: occasion: If my boy wont
obey me I'll kill him."
ATTORNEY KNIGHT KISSED.
Upon cross-examination Mr.. Knight asked :
How many glasses Of whisky had you
drunk on that day?"
There was a roar OF Kissing all over the
courtroom, and Chairman Hyde raped
loudly for order.
When order had been restored Mrs. Gather
said " til considerable Indignation that she
drank no whisky on that day. She had
gone out and bought pitcher of beer and
helped drink it at lunch with Mrs. Kins-
man.
Attorney Knight asked that all of Mrs.
Gathers testimony be stricken out.
Hyde thought her evidence was imma-
terial and eheerfully granted the motion to
strike 1T out
Directors Woodward and Decker appealed
from the ruling Of the Char, but when put
to vote the action of the Chair was not
sustained, so the testimony of Mrs. Gather
was not stricken out
This closed the testimony for the defense,
and Mrs. Davis was recalled as a witness
in Tebuttal She said that she heard no
crying at the Kinsman home on March 9th,
and for that reason she did not think Ches-
ter was whipped there on that day.
Director Dunn was next sworn as wit
ness On the morning following the whip
ping. he said. Chester did not complain that
VConnOr had struck him with his fist.
Directors Ames and Culver testified to the
same effect and added that they saw no
marks or bruises on Chester's face wien the
boy appeared before the Rules and Regula-
tons Committee.
ARRIVING AT A VFRDICT
This closed the case in the opinion Of the
attorneys, but Chairman Hyde said other
charges were still pending against 0'Con-
nor, incOmpetency, etc.
Director Brooks called attention to the
fact that O'Connor had been suspended from