The Dickinson press., 1892-02-13
A Few Words in Self. defense.

l feel as though l have been tried
for murder and found guilty of horse.
stealing. Did anyone ever hear of a
fair and impartial court finding u man
guilty of a crime of which lie has
never been accused! Still that is ex-
actly what our county superintendent
has done with your humble servant.
1 have been found guilty of neglect of
duty on three different charges, so
says the county superintendent.
LIST. l did not notify the county SUI.
perintendent that l had commenced a
six months term of school in the prin-
cipal's department of the public
schools of Dickinson, Stark county,
North Dakota. AS the time and
place of beginning the above men.
toned school were entirely unknown
to the county superintendent, and he
had no means of acquiring data on
the subject, l certainly must have
been guilty of neglect of duty OIL this
charge. I'd. l did not teach physi.
ology and hygiene and the effects of
alcoholic drinks and stimulants on
the human system to the students of
my department, consequently 1 am
again guilty Of neglect of duty. Our
county superintendent did not inquire
why 1 had not taught these subjects.
Whether 1 ever intended to do so;
nor did lie ask any explanation of my
conduct. Sd. He found that l had
usurped the powers'o of the board in
organizing a Latin class without the
consent OF c0gnizance of the board.
l might say something about this last
charge, but l know that the reading
public of Dickinson know that my in.
t%ention of organizing this class was
mentioned in the local columns of the
Dickinson PRESS before the class was
organized, so comment is unnecessary.
In ~self-defense, allow me to say that
no one of these three charges was
ever made against me, at any time,
by the members of the school board.
and at the hearing the board testified
that they did not know of the last
two, and l assure you that they did
not know of the first one unless Su.
perintendent Stickney had Informed
them of it. Judging from the county
superintendent decision, 1 conclude
that the board failed to establish any
one of their many charges against me
and the county superintendent think
ing that it was his duty to find MT
: guilty of something, made the above
charges himself and rendered his de
e cision OH them. Perhaps l am doing
t him an injustice in thinking this, bu'
it is the way it looks to me. In con
clusion, allow me to say that no maj
in Dickinson, members of the schoo
e board excepted, had ever, within m.
e hearing, objected to my acting a
secretary of the Law and Orde
a League of Stark county. That l too
the grounds that the school boar,
T. had no control over my persona
s. actions as long as my actions wer
e not immoral, and l believe that 1 wa
!" right. 1 am at present disg1aced
the eyes of the world, or at leas
a where people do not know what lie
to my dismissal. and some kind frien
of mine, recently t%elegraphed til
Ia Minneapolis papers that l was di'
1g missed for neglect of duties and il
be competency, and that the county 81
he %perintendent sustained the decislo
ng of the board. In self-defense l al
III obliged to clear my name, and l migl
add that l expect to do so. l a
fit very sorry that this has happened,
it l know that it has seriously injur,
int the schools. hut ! believe the blar
RESTS almost entirely with those pa