St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-29
School Board Finds the
Charges Against Him
and the Schools
10 BE WHOLLY UNFOUNDED.
Committees Report Reviews
the Evidence, Showing
Its NothiugnesS,
AND RIB-ROASTS REARDoN.
Fublic Schools Will Open Tues
day--General Reports
Acted Upon.

At the special meeting of the school
board yesterday afternoon the special
committee appointed by the board to
against the superintendent of schools.
and also against the Madison school, re-
ported. Before the report of the COM
mittee, which is here given in full. was
adopted, Gov. McGili moved that vote
of thanks be extended TO the special
committee which had been called upon
to perform the extremely dlSagreeable-
duty of conducting the investigation.
and then, by unanimous vote. the fol-
lowing report was adopted:
Committees Report,
To the Board of School Inspectors:
Gentlemen: Your special committee
appointed at the meeting held Aug. l,
1894. for the purpose of investigating
certain charges made by Miss Rebecca
TAYLOR rejecting on the moral character
of our public schools, begs leave to re-
port as follows:
That before Your committee met one
Timothy ReardOn, member of the as
sembly. in his official capacity publicly
made the charge IN the city council
chamber that ''our public schools are
veritable sink holes of inquiry" and
secured the appointment of committee
OF the assembly to investigate the
charges made by him. In con-
sequence of these public proceed
ings and the gravity of the charge,
which gained wide publicity through
the city press, casting reflection OH all
our public schools ana alarming the
people, your committee deemed it wise
and for the best interests Of the schools
that the investigation should be public,
giving 10 all those interested an oppor-
tunIty to be heard. The first open
meeting was held Aug. 10, at which the
charges against the Madison school we're
fully investigated. Many witnesses
were examined at great length ana
established the iN,t that the immoral
note writing in the Madison school was
confined to Miss Rebecca Taylor's
room and was etfectually stopped as
soon as discovered, and that none eX-
listed for several months preceding the
close of the school year. and that the
morality of the Madison school is good.
Mr.. Reardon was called TO prove his
charge and made the following state
ment:
Mr.. Chairman, have no charges TO
make against any school or any teacher,
but against the superintendent" He
cited as witnesses to prove his charges
the names of Miss Rebecca Taylor, Miss
Roy Ogden. s. A. Farnsworth, e. II.
Congdon and c. E. Robb, none of whom
being present, your committee adj
journed.
The next open meeting was held Aug.
10, 10 hear the testimony in support of
L. Reardon'S charges. His witnesses
had beer duly notified by tie secretary
of the board, besides public notice had
been given TO all those interested to at
tend. A full verbatim report OF said
meeting is herewith submitted and
made a part of this report. We beg
leave to quote the substance of the
principal witnesses cited by Mr.. Rear
DIN relating directly 10 the schools.
Miss ineZ Bunker testified that the
moral condition of the Grant school,
where she taught, was good, and that
she did not know of anything which
would reflect against any school. Mr.
FarnSworth testified that ne did not say
anything 10 Mr.. Reardon rejecting OH
the character of our schools; that he
never talked TO him, and that he knew
him only by Sight. Miss Margaret
Madigan testified that she had not been
teaching since 1892; that she knew
nothing of the character OF the schools
al the present time except hearSay and
through the newspapers, and that
MIR. Reardon Wanted Her to Take
certain charges against the superin-
tendent of certain things which
had occurred at the Smith school
in 1891. She said that the
superintendent had appeared at her
school under the influence of liquor,
but during the time she was principal
the morals OF her school were good.
Mr.. Reardon here stated as follows:
''Mr. CHAIRMAN, made no charge
against any teacher. [ made general
charge against the schools" Miss Tay-
Tor testified relative TO the immoral note
writing in her room, and said she did
not know of any other immoral note
writing in the Madison school of her
own observation. and made this state
ment: You will understand that /
made no charge against the morals of
the public schools, neither did | say
anything against the morals of any
room in the Madison scnooi excepting
my OVID" She refused to give the
names OF persons who had made com
plalnlS 10 uef.
The foregoing is the substance of the
testimony OF the principal witnesses
cited by MIR. Reardon to support his
charges against the schools. The charge
of drunkenness made against Supt. c.
B. Gilbert by L. Reardon and Miss NJ.
Madlgan W asfurther investigated at
meeting held Aug. q. Ali the testi-
mony against Mr.. Gilbert related back
two or three years. Your committee
is fully convinced that the persons who
furnished the information were either
mistaken or actuated by improper mo-
tives, and That tie charge of drunken.
ness against MIR. Gilbert is wholly un-
founded. false and malicious.
There were many other witnesses eX-
amlned to enable us to arrive at Just
conclusion from all the testimony pre-
sented at the public meetings and ill.,
formation obtained from other sources.
yoUT committee Is unanimously of the
opilGon that the moral tone of our pub
lie schools is above reproach, and that
Timothy
Reardon Perpetrated an OUTRAGE
upon the people of ST. Paul in SANDER
ing ltS pubic schools. The charges are
wholly untouhded and Hnwarranted,
both against the schools and the sinner,
intendent, and such action on the bart
OF malicious people who seek notoriety
through sensationalism, cannot be too
severely denounced and condemned.
We believe that any person who will
fully and deliberately attempts to create
a prejudice against our sacred institu-
ton. the public schools, is all enemy to
society and dlsloyal to his country. The
board and the citizens of st. Paul are
10 be congratulated on the excellent
moral condition of the schools. All of
which is respectfully submitted.
Il. VANISH,
b. MCNAIR,
WILLIAM DAWSON JR..
Committee.
Reports were also received from the