The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-01-22


to the little disturbances which are
liable to occur in the schools in any
city, believing that the best interests
of the schools are subserved by allow
ing the petty disobediences and the
resultant assertion of the authority to
pass by without comment as matters
which have little place outside OF
the walls of the school buildings. The
policy of the FREE PRESS has been to
pass by such matters, and the
happenings which are agitating
the student circles of the city
this week would have been IN
noticed in it's columns but for the
fact that the matter took forward
step today and is now in the courts,
where public airing Of the case will
be had and the true facts arrived at.
The stories told by the different
parties interested fail to agree in
many important particulars, and with
out comment or attempting to pre-
Judge the casey will simply give the
dS IAouS w OhS ASPoi oSh'
1t appears that Kenneth Fuller,
the fourteen year old son Of Mr..
and Mrs. Fred Fuller, and a student
in the eigth grade in the high school
building, became involved in con-
fiict with the lawful authorities of the
school Tuesday afternoon and again
yesterday forenoon. AS a result,
the boys mother, Mrs. Isabella j.
Fuller, this forenoon made COM
plant in the municipal court
against Superintendent Kenaston
and Principal o. M. Searles, of the
high school. A warrant charging
these gentlemen with assault in
the third degree upon the boy
yesterday were served upon them this
forenoon at the high school building
by Chief Yates, and they agreed to
appear in court at four o'clock, at the
close of school, to answer to the COM
plant. The same charge lies against
both, the warrant covering both
cases. The defendants have retained
Pau & Pau and will fight the &C
tion. W. A. Funk is Mrs. Fuller's at
torney. The case,is one that will be
tried and disposed of in the municipal
court, as the offense alleged is not
a serious one.
Supt Kenaston was asked to state
the facts n the case. His face is dis
figured by black and swollen right
eyelids, and scratch on the bridge
of his nose. He stated that the boy
has given considerable trouble in
the school for some tiuIe, and has sew
eral times been reported by his teach
er. For some days, pieces of rubber
had been found on the floor, and this
was traced to Kenneth. Tuesday,
Supt. Kenaston laugh the eighth
grade in the absence of the regular
teacher, Miss Van Blarcum. The boy
came in and sat down and commenced
rolling rubber deadeners on the floor,
torn from the seats. He was repri-
manded by Superintendent Kenaston,
but showed no disposition to obey.
After some controversy. the boy
stood up and started to 90 out, was
seated by Mr.. Kenaston, and then
rose and struck the superintendent in
the face. Mr.. Kenaston did not at
tempt to strike back, but finally af-
ter some minutes got him back in
the seat. The boy had tried to get
out of the window and door, and had
struck Mr.. Kenaston dozen blows,
backing the latter's eye and causing
his nose to bleed. The super
intendent took the boy home,
and the lad said that he was sorry for
what he had done and offered to apollo
gize before the grade. Mr.. Kenaston
did not tell him that this would end
the matter.
Yesterday morning the boy pro-
nounced the words of the apology, but
not in the right spirit, and boosted of
his acts to his fellow pupils. Then
the boy was called into the Office and
told to prepare for the remainder of
his punishment, and Prof. Searles and
Janitor Brown called in as witnesses.
The reasons given for the proposed
whipping were for injuring school
property, for disobedience and defiance
and resistance to the teachers. The
boy refused to be whipped, and
defied the teachers, threatened to
have Mr.. Kenaston arrested, etc. He
was finally given moderate whipping
by Supt KenastOn, who used rubber
tube for the purpose. The boy has
not been suspended.
Prof. S aries stated that he did not
see the occurrence Tuesday, but wit
messed the whipping yesterday. He
did not ass ST in the whipping or hold
the by while it took place, nor did
Mr.. Blown Mr.. Searles told the boy
to obey, when the lad turned on him