The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-09-24
TEACHER AUSTIN
Dismissed BY Board Of Education
Yesterday.
RESULT OF INVESTIGATION
Bumped Pupils Head
Against Blackboard.
Routine Matters Disposed of-Trans'
fers and Appointments
Considered.

Minister Cooper, Mrs. Jordan, Pro-
fessor Alexander, Mr.. Bowen and Dep
uty Inspector General Gibson were
present at the meeting of the Board of
Education yesterday when Secretary
Rodgers read the minutes of the pre-
vious meeting.
Mr. Gibson reported on the condition
of the Beretania Street School, the re-
port being suggested by a complaint
that Chinese were focking to the
school. The investigation did not bear
out the statement and no action was
taken. Mr.. Gibson suggested that all
schools be supplied with paper, pen
holders, ink, chalk and slate-pencils.
On motion of Mr.. Bowen the sugges-
ton was adopted.
The matter of teachers examination
was brought up by Mr.. Gibson. This
was to take the place OF the examl-
nation at the Summer School. Mr.
Gibson thought notice should be sent
out to the teachers. Mr.. Bowen said
Easter would be a good time, and that
the examinations should be held 81
multaneously over the Islands.
Several applications for positions
under the Board or for transfers were
read. and the usual action taken. One
lady teacher complained that on reach
ing her school a few weeks since she
found her place taken by some one
else. She had not been notified of her
dismissal and asked for information.
1t was sent.
The School Agent at Kaunakakai re-
ported that two school buildings there
were unfit for use, and recommended
that they be sold. Mr.. Smith said it
might be a scheme of one or two peo-
pie to put the buildings up at auction
for the purpose of getting the lumber
cheap. Mr.. Bowen moved that the
Agents recommendation be acted up
on; he made the motion through the
confidence he had in Mr.. McCorriston.
The motion carried unanimously. Mr..
Smith said ne was satisfied, so long as
the other members knew the Agent.
Miss Zoe Atkinson submitted that
she will have taught for 10 years on
January l next, and asked that she be
given a life certificate. On motion OF
W T.
that her request was denied for the
reason that the rules governing such
cases had been changed since she had
entered the service of the Board.
The next. and most important, item
for consideration by the Board was tht
report of Minister Cooper on the
charges preferred against Harry z
Austin, a teacher at Lihue, Kauai. Be
sides a typewriter report covering
several pages, Minister Cooper had OF
the desk a number of affidavits, peti
tions, etc, bearing on the case
The only charge taken up by tn,
Board was that of striking pupil 81
that his head struck a blackboard
thereby injuring him to such an exten
that the boy was confined to his be-
for some days after. The statements
of the injured boy and several of tn,
scholars were to the effect that the boy
who was at the blackboard was asked
to spell the word conjunction" anC
define it He was unable to do eithel
and when Austin found that the DO!
was deficient in knowledge he frs
pushed him and then struck him OIL
the back of the neck, forcing his heaC
lent manner as to raise a large lump
The boy was sent to his desk by Aus
tin and told to write the trouble-mak
ing word 100 times, and when this wa
accomplished the dose was repeated.
At the close of the day the boy wen
home, but said nothing to his parents
for fear of being whipped again. TIL,
next day he was too i'll to attenC
school, and on the following day Aus
tin sent a policeman to his home t
look him up. On the road he found
horse nibbling at the grass and lyinl
unconscious in a field adjoining wa
the boy When brought to his sense
he explained that he remembered moth
ing of falling from the horse; his heat
was spinning around, and after that al
was a blank. The policeman took hin
to school, and Austin, some time later
sent him home Then his siege of i'll
ness began, and DR.. Hugus was callet
in. The boy was delirious and the doc
tor pronounced it a case of congestion
OF the brain. DR.. Hugus, having u
leave the locality temporarily, tn
case was given to a Japanese TO
treatment. Austin secured a statemen
from the latter to the effect that tn
disease was bronchitis.
When this statement was made, Aus
tin denied the truth of it, but said tina
if all or any number of the pupil
verified the statement he would NO
deny it.
Some of the scholars testified tina
Austin had got them to sign papers t
the effect that he had not struck tn
IL
almanac was consulted it was foun
that the day was the one on which th
policeman brought the boy back
school.
Among the papers were a number c
afidavits in the handwriting of Aus