The San Francisco call., 1896-08-12
Professor Bonnell Said to Be a
Victim of Intrigue and
Ingratitude.
oUsTED By FLAGGs FRIENDS.
Regent Wallace Told the Story oi
Wrong and Demanded That Jus.
tice Should Prevail.

On motion OF President Kellogg yeSter-
day the regents of the University of Cali
fornia went into executive session. The
secret conference lasted for two hours.
Governor Budd~was not there to tell the
newspaper men to remain in the room, as
the transaction of public business did not
require secrecy, so the regents were left
quite alone to talk among themselves
without fear of comment or criticism from
the ignorant masses.
The regents attending were Phelps (pre-
sidingl, Wallace, Kellogg, Martin, Jeter,
Denicke, Hallidie, Marye, John E. Budd,
Chase, Reinsteln, Miller, Foote, Waymire,
Slack and Lynch.
The session of secrecy was moved when
Judge Wallace called up a resolution to
declare vacant the position of professor of
Greek, now held by Isaac Flagg. Some
weeks ago Judge Wallace said to his asso-
ciates on the board that great wrong had
been done to Professor Bonnell. VINO was,
he said, displaced after twenty years of
honorable and efficient service by the in
trigues of Flagg. Judge Wallace also re-
marked that when Flagg came here, poor
and friendless, Professor Bonnell gave him
shelter and assistance.
For two hours the regents talked It is
said that Judge Wallace demanded JUS
tice for Professor Bonnell, and that Re-
gent Marye defended Professor Flagg. 1t
was assumed that Flagg's friends were
anxious for the secret session, for after the
adjournment of the board, Judge Wallace,
replying to an inquiry by a CALL reporter,
said, Il did not suggest the executive ses-
sion"
1t was ascertained that a vote was taken
on the Wallace resolution which resulted
in a tie-eight for and eight against its
adoption,
The story of the positions of BonneIl
and Flagg as told in the executive session
and sustained by letters and documents,
is as follows:
For twenty years prior to 1893 Mr.. Bon
nell was professor of Latin and Greek in
the State University. Among his pupils
were many young men who have since at
tanned high places in the profession OF law.
In their estimation he was an ideal pro-
fessor, a man of excellent attainments and
broad human sympathies. One day in
June, 1898, Professor Bonnell stepped into
the secretary's office at Berkeley and re.
ceived letter. He was overcome with as
tonishment when he read that the ad-
visory com mittee desired his resignation.
All that he could ascertain was that the
advisory committee, consisting of Regents
Horatio Stebbins Colum bus Bartlett and
George T. Marye, regarded him as "insuf-
hclent in Greek and discourteous to Pro-
lessor Flagg."
1t seems that Professor Flagg in 1889
was teaching in Cornell University. From
that place ne wrote to Mr.. Bonnell that he
was meditating a change. and had in mind
a project to open preparatory school in
California. Professor Bonnell replied, but
did not encourage the Cornell professor to
come West. They did not know each
other at that time, but as they were en-
gagged in the same line of work they cor
responded with perfect freedom.
Some months later Flagg came West
and called on Bonnell, who was then
living in Oakland. Flagg was received
with kindness, and Professor BonnelI and
his wife did all they could to make his
sojourn agreeable and to obtain for him
suitable employment. The outlook was
SO unpromising for Flagg that he was
talking of going to Fresno for employment
as raisin-packer. Mr.. Bonnell redoubled
his efforts, and tried to get Flagg a place
as teacher in the Girls High School of
San Francisco, but in this he failed,
Finally the way was opened for the en-
gagement of Flagg as an assistant pro-
lessor at Berkeley.
When Bonnell heard that he had been
accused of treating Flagg discourteously
and sending him on errands, he insisted
that the latter should go with him to the
president of the university and there state
II he (Flagg) had ever received from Bon
nell any treatment other than kindness.
Fiagg did state to the president that Bon
nell had been kind and helpful. Professor
Bonnell desired the statement in writing
and it was written by Flagg. Judge Wal
lace read the letter at the meeting of tho
regents yesterday.
Having disposed of the charge of dis
courtesy to Flagg, Professor Bonnen con.
sidered the accusation that he was ''insuffi-
cient" in Greek. He referred this CHARGE
to his graduates: Judge Henshaw of the
Supreme Court, Judge Daingerfield.
Walter Cope of Santa Barbara. RvIand
Wallace, Duncan Hayne, B. Hayne. IL
Dwyer, M. S. Eisner, A. Ruef, Alex.
Morrison and Jerome Lincoln. When
what Professor Bonnell in twenty years
faithful service had done for the classics
at Berkeley, Horatio Stebbins became con-
vinced that Professor Bonnell had been
wronged. When the fact was advanced
that Professor Bonnell held letter from
Mr.. Flagg, IN which discourtesy had been |
denied, one of the regents said: "We
know how that letter was obtained. |
Bonneli bulldoced it out of Flagg."
Professor .BonneIPs supporters in the
Board of Regents are determined that he |
shall have justice accorded to him. They |
are willing that all the facts should be
given to the public, and will probably call
up the case at the next meeting of the
regents.
The regents authorized the printing of
5000 copies of the viticuItural report.
Regents Reinstein and Chase were ap-
pointed to assist the faculty in arranging
for the meetings of the Farmers Insti-
tute.
Regent Reinstein was authorized to
send the grand plan of the university