The herald., 1897-11-27

| CHARLES CASSAT DAVIS
made in the principalship of the He'll
Iman-street school, but several other
matters connected with the appointment
of teachers which I desired made and
other matters which are not now peril
ment. So the teachers committee had
full knowledge of the changes which
desired made in the principalship of the
Hellman-street school,
In conclusion, wish to state that
have no desire to shield any guilty man,
be he employe or member of this board,
and contend that my actions from first
to last in this whole matter have been
open and above board on the side of right
and justice. While I am not willing to
shield the guilty man, am not willing
to punish the innocent, nor to condemn
man unheard and undefended. l have
nothing to fear and nothing to hide of
my official acts since have been a men,
| ber of this board, and stand here as one
who is anxious that full and complete
| investigation of these matters be had
by this board at this time, and that moth
ing be hid from the public which they
are entitled and desire to know. / shall
stay with this investigation as long as
my health will permit, and shall not be
absent from a single meeting when 1t
is possible for me to attend, and will not
be the first one to call halt. There is
no member of this board who Is more
anxious to punish the guilty or acquit
the innocent than I am, and my future
actions as a member Of this investigat-
| M hnQ ri wi oh RI ha hot
I stand for the right, no matter who
may. suffer.
| PROF. PHILLIPS ON THE STAND
Prof. T. ]. Phillips, principal of the
Sentous street school, was then intro
duced and sworn. In response to re-
quest that he tell what he knew of the
matter in;his own way, he related the
story of the attempt to extort money
from him by Axtell. He told how he
had met Axtell at social entertainment
In Pitman'S church and had been in
formed that his job was in danger, but
that there was q way to get out Of the
trouble and that was by paying money
for the place; how he had seen Cooper
and Axtell in close conversation and had
later been told by the latter that he had
fixed Cooper's case; how the demand
had been made for one months salary
and how he had spurned the suggestion.
All of the particulars were published In
The Herald the day the afIidavits were
filed and again in the publication of the
afIidavits.
The evidence must have been consid-
cred damaging by the attorneys for the
defense if their efforts to break down the
direct testimony may be taken as an in
dication. They went over the ground
time and again but failed utterly to
shake the story or trap the witness. One
important matter which the prosecution
developed had to do directly with Adams
connection with the subject. Prof. Phil
lips was asked whether he had talked
with Charles e. Latham, a teacher in
the Sentous street school about the mat
ter, and proceeded to tell that Latham
had informed him of talk he Gatham)
had had with Adams in real estate
Office in this city. Latham had asked
Adams as to his chances of reelection
when the latter replied with the ques-
ton: "Why don't you apply for the
Sentous street school?" Latham told
Adams that he did not know that there
was to be any vacancy there, especially
in the position of principal, to which
Adams replied:
"There will be a vacancy If Phillips
don't dig up and dig up WE'LL"
HE TOLD PROF. FOSHAY
Phillips told Prof, F'oshay of the at
tempt to make him pay within two days
afterward, but did not tell him the Whole
story. The witness states that in re-
porting the matter to Prof. Foshay he
supposed he was doing his whole duty
! as the latter as superintendent OF
schools was his superior, to whom all
such reports should so. Foshay told wit
ness not to lose his manhood, and Phil
lips replied that he would see the gang
in the middle of very warm country
first.
The attorneys for the defense at
tempted to lay great stress upon the fact
that there had been no report of the
matter to any member of the board
until months after the demand had been
: made. In response to a question why he
} had deferred action, Prof Phillips stated
that he did not think his case alone suf-
; ficient to make case against all who
might possibly be implicated in the mat
: ter. He was not ready to make a full
|
evidence that would serve to substanti.
l ate not only his own story, but that OF
attempts that had been made upon
others. Then the question as to whethe,
. he had suspected other members of the
| board was asked, and the Witness while
= admitting that such suspicious Nigh,
. have entered his mind explained thar
there were no facts in his possession
upon which he could publicly explain hi.
, opinion, whatever that might have been
. In vain the attorneys tried to max,
, him tell whom he suspected, but h,
5 refused, saying that it would not b
/ fair for him to mention names when h,
could not give good and sufficient rea
sons for his suspicious.
Judge Murphy, who appeared as tn,
| attorney for Adams, Judge Gottschall
/, being unable TO be present, tried hi
, best to induce the witness to give hi
1 belief on the matter, but Phillips woult
E not state why he had suspected others