The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-12-01
THE CHARGE GROUNDLESS.
+. l.. Wormser.
W. s. I.angStaf,
o. b. Sclreifer,
A, l.. Francois,
G. Ii. CnraOll.

a motion was made to adopt the re-
port. and it was amended by Mr.. Bar
ker that the report be adopted and the
action of the committee in conducting
the investigation be indorsed. Before
the motion was put Mr.. Jennings had
the amendment included that all pa
pers in the case be placed on file in the
office of Secretary Fellows.
When the motion went through as
twice amended, Mr.. Welsh said that
Mrs. Booth was in the next room, and
he moved that she be accorded the
privilege of making a statement. His
motion was passed.
Mrs. Booth approached slowly from
the secretarys office, leaning upon the
arm of her son, a boy in his teens. She
looked i'll and pale. Her words We're
uttered in subdued tone, easily loud
enough to be heard in all corners of the
room: but there was a distinct ring in
every syllable, and she seemed to be
pouring out the vials of her hate in ev
cry sentence. The room was as silent
as the grave. This is what she said:
WOMAN's REPUTATION.
No matter could be more grave than
that which has been under consideration
here. No charge could be more deeply
fraught with disastrous consequences.
Viewed from a point of results. a charge
The ending of Il life physical Is less
crime than the wanton destruction of that
which makes life desirable. 1t is not all
of death to die, nor all of life to be per-
mitt,d to exist. Society is so constituted
that Il woman really lives or virtually dies
according to the reDute in which she Is
held in the community.
| came to this city five years ago with
an unblemished reputation, II high stand
ing as Il director of drawing, and the most
implicit confidence ana warmest esteem CT
have worked in your schools faithfully
and Loyalty. ! have lived my life among
you openly, quietly. blamelessy. ! have
been so fully occupied with my work that
| have given myself little time for social
enjoyment, and l have very few ac-
quain,anccs in the city. a knowledge of
this fact may have emboldencd malicious
ly-incliacd people to make this attack
upon me.
ON Saturday evening, Nov. 81. / received
a communication signed by six men. and
Mr. Howell. the import of which is known
to all here present. 1t W as a pcrrmptory
reuqest for my resignation to be read be-
fore the board of Nov. %. No reason was
| assigned. | was overwhelmed. | was
stunned. ] had been so sure of the conf
dcnce and esteem of the board, and when
Mr. Howell told me. some time previous
ly, that the committee had voted me my
salary during absence, | had taken tn It
as a mark Of their sympathy on account
of my Illness and their appreciation of my
services
| mentally reviewed my work to dis
cover where, If at ALL | had been remiss in
duty. | recalled the various utterances
that had ever made in regard to the board
of control as body or to Mr.. Howell as
superintendent, but could find no lack Of
professional loyalty to the one. no failure
/ called on Mr.. Howell early on Sunday
morning. Nov -. His manner to me was
discourtcous in the extreme: his tone and
bearing insufferahly insolent. Were | en-
tt.ith hn ,l1N rc ~ trnn nUt tn ma I.
such treatment etiicac,ous, ana any man
had borne himself to me as Mr. Howell
did, would have crushed him to the
ground. ] care not how high his position
nor how contemplate his character, the
proper answer would have been blow.
NO EXPLANATION.
He would make no explanation except
that grave charges had been brought
against me and that the committee had
given mo the privilege of resignng. ii /,
refused to state the nature of those charg-
es or the name of the person who pre-
fcrred them. He stated that the COM
mitttc had not acted hastily in the mat
ter ana that Il conclusion was arrived ut
only after due and careful consideration
and while acting under legal advice.
asked II there was no one from whom |
could obtain the information. and he said
mot from anyone. for those men whose
names appear, on that paper are pledged
to secrecy" He added. as an after
thought. that Mr.. Wormser might tell me.
though why Mr.. Wormser should be "x-
peCteCHto divulgc a secret he was pledged
to keep did not aprear. He further ad-
vised me to send in my resignation and
hush the matter w and prevent ii from
becoming public But. gentlemen. | had
nothing to hush up. and told Mr.. Howell
that If IN order that | might know the
nature of those charges it became neces-
sary to make them public, then they
should be made public, for | must know.
Gentlemen, | ask you if this is true: was
this done after due and careful consider
atom" Look you TO see Mr.. Howelfs at
titudc in this matter. When these things
came TO him did he investigate the
charges, did he inquire into the veracIty
or standing of the rerson making them:
did he come to me to see what. If any
thing, had to say In answer to such acctl-
satiOns? Mr. Howell may plead that It
was "A delicate matter to speak Of to a
woman. / grant that-a very delicate
matter; and yet If the suoerlative delica-
cy. the abnormal modesty that charac-
terzcs Mr.. Howell, as evinced by the pa
per he has read to Nhe gentlemen of the
committee. prevented his speaking to me,
he could have gone to some of my friends,
he could have mentioned the matter to
a hundred people who now stand ready to
vind,cate my honor and sustain my repu-
tation Why did he not do some one or III
Of these things; why did he not tell me
when | called on him on Sunday morn
ing? I will tell you. 1t was because he
dare not II was the act of coward who
raises his arm to strike but has not the
courage to give the blow.
Gentlemen. ] am not "ontnnding for my
position but for that which every true
woman holds dearer than ,'fe itself---a
spotlcss reputation. 1t Ia not solely for
my own sake that / speak now, but for