The morning call., 1892-08-02
OAKLAND'S new SENSATION.
A Former Sch0Olteacher Makes
Some Serious Charges.
Sweeping attack Upon President Smith OF
the Poard of Education He Calls II LunacY,
and Coed Woman Has Been Traduced.

President II. T. Smith of the Oakland
Board Of Education did not know exactly
what struck him yesterday, as it sounded
like = hai-slorm, thunder and lightning
and the roaring wind all fumbed together.
When he went home and thought ii all
n1,t hoWavpr il did not seem 10 be much OF
anything after all.
Mrs T. q. Todd, an eX-teaeher in the
Grove School. who has frequently aired
grievances in the papers, had only aired an
other one And 1t was such good one that
the papers, # course, printed IL.
The grievance was not only written out
and then printed. but a copy of it was sent
10 every member of the Board Of Education
and of the Board of Public Works.
1t was Il very long statement, rambling
sometimes, and disconnected, rejecting
upon the morality Of the president of the
Board uf Education, aud charging him " it'll
a liaison with a certain dIeSSmaker
who lived in the Everts block. Smith,
she charged, won the woman'S confidence
by promisi her position in the Depart
ment OF Industrial Training. and on the
strength Of this he visited her and accom-
panied her to a Tenth-street restaurant.
More than that, Mrs. Todd charges, he has
been IN the habit of lntimidating teachers
IN the schools aud holding out false prom
Uses to others who want to get ID them, ana
all this TO serve his own evil purposes.
They found their way barred by big
villain, pampered son OF politics who de-
mands the sacrifice of their virtue as price
of the dread that is to be Ted TO their chill
dreD." says Mrs. Todd.
SHE SEES BENNETT
Last January she consulted Secretary
Bennett OF the Society for the Prevention
Of Wee. aud Of this interview she says:
! stated my business. which was to see him
of far he
Yentiou OF ice aud Cline. 10 become witness
10 some very immoral proceedings on the part
of present member OF The Board OF Education;
and that lie member referred 10 ID. J.. Smiia)
was Z one lime member OF The police force, a
position for which lie was admirably htled on
account of his bulk and physical strength, but
Hal lie had lOngeG fOT some more honorable p0-
sitlou. and he succeeded IN getting on the Board
Of Education. an once for which he was DE-
Cldediy untitled ca account Of his lack Of educa-
uCn aud His beastly immortality.
Mr.. Bennett, she says. told her that he
was not surprised, and that he knew that
Smith was immoral Bennett then wanted
Mis-. Todd 10 tell him about immoral teach
eTs she knew IN the department, out she re-
piled ID 1T she knew OF none. he wanted
10 know particularly about Isaac Wright,
and said that he was shadOwing him. If
she would tell him all she could about
Wright lie would trap the raSeaiiy pIesi-
dent" be said. He would get some of his
san Francisco female 'decOys' after Smith,
lie said, as lie always kept "decoys" at
hand The upshOt Of this was, according to
Mrs. Todd's charges, that Bennett aided
Smith instead of trapping" him and told
him Of her visit.
Then MIS-. Todd charges Smith. Bennett
and Al StilweN with being in collision to
close the Oakland Theater against her at
the last moment one night during the bond
election campaign, hen she wanted 10 de-
liver aSIeTeOpticOn lecture 10 be called The
Political Primer" in which the immoral di-
rector would be shown In the unyeiling Of
the political manikin.
Mr.. SMITH TALKS.
All these charges caused a very breezy
state Of things in Oakland last evening.
President Smith thought it was a cold wave
from the IcebeTgs, and then again he be-
lieYed himself spinning III hot desert ST.
moon with million Mrs. Todds grinning
and gibbeTing all around him.
Il have thought it over" said Mr.. Smith
10 CALL reporter last night, land i now
recognize it rs the insane freak Of an ire
spons Die woman | am the victim of cir
cgmstsnces and have been attacked by a
Innate. The charges, Of course, are false
The only unfortunate part Is that Mrs
Toad has tladuced an innocent woman.
II ind that any responsible person has
put he up TO this, Will deal with that per-
son vigorously.
Il knew Mrs. Todd when was a member
OF the board SIX years ago. l knew her
husband, who was an old soldier.
Mrs Todd had trouble with other teach
CTS in the Grove School and was trans
ferred, by request, to the Prescott School.
She never took that position, but began ia
attack members Of the School Board through
the papers. She was after me continually
TO get her Teinstated, and ! helped her all
could. but the board would have nothing to
do with her. With the coming in of the
new board she continued her opportunities
to NE, and was finally put on an equality
with other applicants, although the old
beard had her blackhsted. Her failure to
be given position is the animus of her at
tack upon me-"
c. r. Bennett was also seen, and he said
that Mrs. TODD did come to him, but that
he thought her charges rambling and
groundless and took but little notice OF
them. Further than this Bennett would
make no statement