New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-05-05
TIE PUPIL MAY DE-
SERIOUS CHARGES AGAINST a scliooL
TEACHER.

TEACHER.
rpc Az KNlcKrRBocliER. OF GRAMMAR SCHOOL
No 70 ACCUSED OF HAVING SEVERELY ~
JuRED ONE or THE BOYS IN HIS
CHARGE HAS BEEN Is SINH
LAR TROUBLE BEFORE
Edgar Knickerbocker the second assis'an.
principal in Grammar School NO. 3D. al w. ''
East Ninth-st. has been charged with MAKING
an assault on Of the pupils OF the SCHOOL, ",1
innicting Injuries from which the child may Ole.
Til. ,,uriI.s parne is Samuel Auerbach. twelve
wears Old who lives with his parents at NO w
Avenue C. The child's stepfather Is Aaron Han
over who is a well-known Tammany pohtlciah
in the Eleventh Ward. a special meeting OF the
school trustees and inspectors OF the Eleventh
Ward was held last night in the trustees room
in Grammar School NO II. in Seventh-st, near
Avenue y, for the purpose Of considering 'he
charge against Mr.. Knickerbocker. Inc eh're
board Of trustees were present IheV were George
Mundarn chairman: Samuel ID. Levy secre-
tary; Samuel Schumacher. Patrick ). Mco"e ana
William a. Graham. or the three inspectors 'or
this district, two. John l.. Hoffman ana HenJainih
Bunenthal. were present.
The assault with which Mr. Knickerbockcr IS
charged was said to hare been committed week
ago last FRIDAY. According to the testimony "d-
duced last night. the class Of which MT hhicKer-
booker had charge was engaged In reading eN'r-
ciacs. and the pronunciation Of the word Mar
auette" had given cor siderable trouble. some OF
the boys pronouncing it properly MARKET whlle
Others persisted in sounding the 'qu." When II
came time for young Auerbach to read ne pro-
nounced it wrong. upon which Mr. Kn.ckcrbocker
,r.ler IA nj al. he lei
and pronounce the word again. The boy sat at
desk next to the rear line and near the aisle lie
promptly went forward he was ordered. ana
stood beside Mr.. Knickerbocker.
The latter testified last night that MA OBJECT III
having the boy come forward was 50 that ne
could show him how II get his organs IN proper
position for pronouncing" 1t was shown on the
testimony II this teacher that the boy pro-
nounced the word right and then wrong ana
then the boy turned his head t. one side
and smiled at the otlxr pupils. Mr.. knlcKrr-
booker said that he Nicely reached out his leit
hand ana. Selling the boys garment turner
him round. 20 a to face him. Young AuerDich
declares. however that the teacher struck MN
and seized him about the ooly with sucn force
u cause him great pain. The boy cIieh OUT
and when Mr.. knckerbockcr told nm To STOP
CRYING and the boy would not do so. III l. S"l'
that he teacher stood the boy In the corner ~
tho room and kept him there n'teen minutes
Mr.. Knickcrb Jcker denies having hurt the boy
or having stood him In the corner. "u' the writ
ten testimony Of pupils ~ ne 'ihss al me tln'
was read. charging Mr. Kn.ckerbockcr with as
saulting young Aurrbach These boys were re-
ported by Alphcus - pu Bois. tn principal -
the 5 hool. a. being good and truthful boys.
number 81 othc. boys handed IL written tes''.
nlouy 10 the effect that Mt. KnicSrTbockcr mad
at different times struck thcm-one 81 them 30
ina, ne .taf blood Tor tire" days alterward.
Mir Knckerbockcr has several times been r"pri-
maulcl by the Board f School Trustees - IN"
Eleventh ward for striking the pupils. but the
trustecn have been cn.ent with him as thcy be
llcvci he had an unusually trouble me l"i az
bays 10 deal with IN one II the speeches la"t
night S'n 81 Iusurctoi Bumenthal reminded MI
Ku!rkerh' rtcr nai 81 Was only S'.i ago ih"
fruli0.s htd reason - rc9rimani him f1f striking
a BOY over The arm with a slate. inf ting blow
whioh caused ~" boys arm - %" b'ilF swollen
for week
2, D.. ID good and truthful boy. ON receiving ihe
alleged injury from Mi Nnickerb1clScr, Au"rba'n
sid Iothing 90 his parents. lIis M ~ ana
mothers SLATER Mis- Sarah fraud "cf, ., Inc
meeting lne' night. MIS- fraud sald. = dd NOT
notice ANYTHING nui - the way with gum until
sunday. whom H. complained - cramps In inc
stomach. hut told me not 10 say anything
about n 10 'ny sister he ala not want -
cause her anxiety. ON Monday morning he lay
on the lounge little while. and then wen; -
school. ~ usual. H. came back complaining or
PAINS IN thu stomach II" went = school Tues
day bu' again came back with Increased pains.
Hy wednesday morning he was feeling 50 ~ that
he could not * - school His mother sun
thought that he was suffering only from cramps.
but on Thursday morning his SYMPTOMS became
go alarming that hc told his mother what had
happened. His mother then called In Or. George
\ Macdonald. of No. 213 Scventh-st.. who made
an examination II The boy. and declared that an
abccss forming In his stomach II" said that
the abcoss was due - "A blow. Last night con-
suliaiion Of specialists held al the boys
home. and IT was decided that an operation must
be performed upon him. as the only hope OF
saving lis fc
Immediately upon learning 81 the alleged as
sault. Mr. Du Bos. the principal 4 the school
went into the assembly room with tn" school
trustees ana took he testimony OF fifteen boys
who we're In the room with Mr.. Knickerbockcr
when the affair occurred. The testimony OF the
bows corrObOrated Aucrbachs statement as 10
the assault. Trustee Levy then asked how
many boys had been strucl, hy Nj Knicker-
booker while in his cliss. number held up
their hands. and the specific 'cstim ny of ten was
taken. charging Mr.. Knickerbo, ker with strik
Ing them or throwing Them on the noor nj
various times. Isldor Fielder, of No. PIG East
Sevcntecnth-sf. testified that Mr. KnickcFb9cker
had dragged him from the rear 20 the front %
the room twisting his arm painfully Others
testified that they had been slapped on tho face
hit on the back punched under the chin n
struck In tn" eye. Truste, Mundorn then asked
the boys If Mr.. Knckcrboc%er was angry when
ne mad the alleged assault on Aucrbach, ana
the boys answered I'm the affirmative.
In view ~ the fact that corporal punishment
Of any kind Is strictly prohibited In New-fork
public schools the charges against Mr. Knlckcr-
booker are ~ the most s"riOus nature. ard may
result I'm his expulsion from the public school
system not only IN this city. but I'm the stat"
II Auerbach dies i; viii be csse for the Grand
Jury to look into.
Young Aucrbach In. attended this scho, ever
since he was i've wears old and II is said that
he has always been n submissive child.
Tho trletoos. after hearing the testimony. at-
formed to meet again this week at the call Of
the chair.
VEV-JEESEY'S scandal