Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-06-04


of q Public school Pupil by Misses MIL
Ter, speakman and Steele.
The visiting committee OF School
No. "a Tuesday afternoon commenced
the investigation Of charges preferred
by Judge and Mrs. j. Frank Ball
against Misses Miller, SpealSman and
Steele, teachers at the school, who
have been accused Of maltreatlng
Ethel, the ll-years-old daughter Of
Judge and Mrs. Ball, last Friday after
noon week. The investigation took
place in the assembly room at the
school. and was conducted by Messrs.
Il. b. Morrow. @. M. Leitch and
David II. Coyle, the members of the
committee, the witnesses being cross
examined by Peter l.. Cooper, Jr., and
United States Commissioner s. Rod
mond Smith. who represented the
teachers. All of the interested parties
we're present, as were also John Pyle
and Samuel T.. Belts of the Board of
Education and Magistrate Sasse, who
had been engaged to swear the wit
nesses. The investigation commenced
at 400 o'clock, and at O'Clock adj
iournment was made.
After Mr.. Morrow, chairman Of tho
visiting committee had read Judge
Balls complaint 10 the Board of Etlu-
cation and Mrs. Balls letter to Presi-
dent Baird, the judge made brief
statement, In which he said the reason
for bringing the charge was the desire
Of himself and Mrs. Ball to give the
Board of Education an opportunity TO
learn what had been going on at the
school.
EthaI Rail ,,.,a a. a na& ,,;taoa, a.l
as her father objected to her being
sworn on account of her tender age,
her testimony was given without
taking any obligation. She related,
az best she could remember, what had
occurred on Friday afternoon a week
ago. The substance OF her testimony
was to the effect that she and the
three teachers had a misunderstann-
ing, and upon her refusal to be hu
inflated as means OF punishment,
she was forcibly taken out of one Of
the class rooms and when she caught
hold of the railing in the hall, force
was used to compel her to release her
hold. She said that in carrying her
from the room one of the teachers hadt
hold Of her feet and another caught
her under tho arms and after she had
been forced to release her hold on he
rail she was taken back to the assembly
room, where she was Inundated still
further. While in the class room she
was badly frightened and cried out for
her father and mother, whereupon, she
alleged, one of the teachers asked her
if she should telephone to her father
, She also stated that she was slapped
I in the face and on the side Of the head
by Misses Miller and Steele. Messrs.
Ginunar nd Smith L..
witness.
Isabelle Tuchton and Edgar r. Mar
tin, pupils at the school, stated that
they heard Ethel crying and the lad
corroborated Ethel's statement con,
corning tho teachers carrying her out
of the room.
At this juncture Judge Ball stated
that as there had been reports con
corning alleged misconduct on the part
OF his daughter while she attended No.
0 School, he would like to have two
teachers at that school testify on that
point He desired to prove that tho
reports were untrue. Messrs. Morrow
and Cooper objected on the ground
that il side issues were brought in the
hearing would be prolonged almost in
definitely, and in explanation of his
position Mr., Morrow said he had heard
things he would not like to bring up
at the investigation. Judge Ball de,
manded of Mr.. Morrow that he tell
what he had heard, whereupon some
personal REMARKS passed between the |
judge and Mr.. Morrow. The latter kept
cool, and the excitement soon subsidized. |
Hayes Taylor, William Hughes.
Miller Shaw, May Hawkins and Nellie |
Simmons, pupils at the school. gave |
-. A
had been given by tho other children, |
Mrs. Alice Reed, who was at Judge |
Balls residence when Ethel went |
home after the trouble at the school, |
said the little girls face was marked, |
the result Of being struck by some |
ones hand. She also said that the |
child was mentally uneasy and sho |
required immediate attention.
Mrs. Ball corrohorated Mrs Reed, |
and eaid further that on the following |
Sunday she was so SOTO that a walk of |
a few blocks made her ill., Mrs. Ball |
also gave as her belief that nervous.
ness, which had developed in her |
daughter since she had been attending |
the school, was caused by the bad |
treatment she was receiving there. |
Concerning the teachers, Mrs. Ball said |
that Miss Speakman, whom she and |
her husband had called upon, denied
the accusation and emphasized her de-
NAL by using language which was un-
called for and highly improper. An
effort had also been made to see Misses
Miller and Steele, but without SUCCESS.
Judge Ball corroborated Mrs. Ball,
and at the conclusion Of his statement
the committee adjourned until last
evening, when the investigation was
resumed