The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-25

father: IA
Mr.. J. e. l.. Harris, ES
My Dear Sir: came on to school
from seeing You, and was going to send
Gordon home to you as you requested.
| saw him in the study hall at his seat,
and told, him to come with me to my Of
flee. | wished to say a few words to
him and send him home He walked
beside me to the door, whore he jumped
and ran towards the gate | followed,
caught him, and dragged him to my Of
flee. He is here now waiting till / hear
from you. 1t is my opinion Gordon
ought to be whipped right now. A swift
punishment is always best. And as he
has disobeyed and defed and insulted
the school authorities, the, punishment
ought to be inflicted by school officer.
He ought to learn right now that his
teachers are to be Obeyed, that when he
is rebellious, he will meet sharp punish
ment right here at school,
But want you to know what | think,
and my action shall depend upon your
approval. l want to do what is best
for Gordon, and believe. a. good whip
ping right now from me will be n whole
some lesson for him. We have tried
everything else You have had to come
here once ON his account. If he gets the
idea that you are the only source Of pun
ishment for him, it VIII be harder for us
to manage him. l aD' 2flwid he already
has that idea
Very truly yours
l.. ID. HOWELL"
In the meantime school had been Dis
missed and children had gone to Mr..
Harris, who lives near the school. and
told that / was beating his boy. This
was entirely false had not struck
him lick and had not touched him ex-
cept to catch him and take him to my Of
fee. / gave this note to one of our pupils.
and put him on bicycle TO take it to
Mr.. Harris. The boy met Mr.. Harris's
daughter and her husband who were on
their way to the school, and she took the
note.
When | saw GoriOn's sister and her
husband in the school yard, and coming
towards the building. ! advanced to meet
them. As soon as | had left the Office.
Gordon jumped out Of the window, and
when he saw me in the yard he began
, throwing stones at me, and defying and
insulting me in speech. His sister told
me not to touch him, and Twas trying
TO explain to her and her husband when
/ saw Mr.. Harris coming. He advanced
upon me, cursing me and al using me
with opprobiOus epithets. This was in
the yard in front of the school in the
presence of some Of the lady teachers, his
own daughter and son-in-law, and some
of the scholars who had been dismissed.
He was evidently bent on +rying to whip
me-, / knew that Mr.. Harris had not
= Received my note, aud wasSlaboring I'M
der false idea, so | restrained my i'm
pulse to anger. and endeaYored to tell
him that | had done nothing to his boy.
but had just sent him a note which p
wanted him to read, He brushed it away.
declaring that he would not read it or
talk to me, but. that he was going to L.
thrash nle.
! Still / controlled myself, and my first
/ impulse was to retreat from him: and
| did turn away. But rejecting that
my pun!s might think it was from cow
ardice, ] turned and faced him; though
1t was rcDugnant to me to strike a man
/ of his age. and over whom ], had so much
advantage, SO / simply kept him at a
distance-warded off his blows which
| were very feeble, and made no ATTEMPT
to strike him. For 1 saw that he could
do me no harm. All the time / was talk
ing to him trying to get him to listen to-
true statement of the situation. At
last he did desist and We went to NV of
fee, and told him just. What was the
! matter, and he read the note which had
, been delivered to his daughter instead of
to him. He then saw that he had created
this seems for nothing, and he soon left
the school, s. 80
T. 81 ~
Charleston y G. March ~ The