Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-05-27
THE SHELLBERG CASE
Investigation by the State
Board.
DECISIVE ACTION TAKEN,
Also Some Agitation in the Blind
Institution.

The state board Of education held
their first formal session this forenoon
at the governors office. There were
present Chairman Supt. Irwin, Cover
nor Lord and Secretary Kncaid and
Mr.. Shcllberg was before the board.
lie made complete statement with
some mitigating facts in his favor.
Supt. Early and his main witness
were before the board last week.
Mr.. Early has sought no publicity
In the matter and the investigation
conducted by THE JOURNAL was
entirely brought about 10y parents of
children there, and solely in the inter-
est Of helpless class that are de-
prlyed OF the one sense that protects
the ordinary child against intrusion
and insult. The Statesman report Is
incorrect in saying that Shellberg
looked In upon the girls bathing
"through an Oritice made'by himself
for that especial purpose" The holes
are 10 admit plumbing pipes and were
not made by Shellberg. But they are
up ia a dark shaft Of brckwork, where
no one but the engineer familiar with
all the plumbing would ever think Of
climbing. The board placed so as to
make a platform just the right height
to look into the bathing tank, and the
fact that ho knew when they bathed,
are hard circumstances TO explain
away.
There has been feeling between
Supt. Early and Shellberg for some
time and Early has tried TO dispense
with his services; but Shellberg had
strong friends on the board who
stood up for him Any reasonable de-
fense or facts In his favor will be
printed by THE JOURNAL and he will
be given the benefit Of exoneation IL
he has been wrongly accused or un-
fairly dealt with, but the conduct of
every employe about such an lnstitu-
tIon must be aboye just suspicion,
OTHER REPORTS.
The OregOnian says: "rhe state
board of education was in consulta-
tlon today, relative to the manage
ment Of the deaf mute and blind
schools. Both have been sources of
unnoyances to the board the past
year. The blind school pupils have
complained Of the lncompetency of
Superintendent Carter rs a teacher,
and the members of the board have
observed that the superintendent re-
talns himself, wife and hired girl on
the pay roll during vacation, and also
keeps his family at the states eX-
peDse. Superintendent Early, OF the
deaf mute school, accuses Otto Shell
berg, an employe, Of watching the
school girls while bathing. Shellberg
denies this. Minor charges and
cOunter-charges, eyidencing Il poorly
conducted school, are talked Of among
the employees. The board will meet
again tomorrow,to TO consider the affairs
OF the two schools.
"It may be that Il. 5. Bollinger Of
Astoria, Superintendent Carter's pre-.
decessor, will become his successor,
and that p. $. knight OF Salem, form
erly superintendent of the mute
school, will be asked to again resume
charge OF that school,
THE JOURNAL has information of
number of complaints made against
MIR. Carter's management. But they
are not of n sufficiently serious char
acter TO warrant publicity or to reflect
upon the character and qualifications
of Supt. ana Mrs. Carter In any way.
NO ACTION TAKEN.
No action was taken by state board
OF education at its sessions today.
Further witnesses are To be heard In
the Shellberg case. The members OF
the board deny that any changes are
contemplated by the board at the In.
stitute for the Blind.
SHEl.LBERa DENIES.
There are no written charges filed
against Shellberg, and he appeared be-
fore the hoard and made specific de-
NAL OF all that has been charged
against him.
REV, n, r. KNIGHT.
Who with his wife engaged in the
deafmute work for - Years, saws he
Is not, has not been and will not be an
applicant for the position OF super
lntendent. AS any one knows there
Is no one more competent than he TO
run the school.