Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-03-30
THE PIlTSFiELD SCHOOL TROUBLE.
Statement on the Subject by Prominent Gill
zens Of That Town.

school fight 50 caNed has brought out
some disagreeahle things and the pub
lsned stores have been exaggerated
more or less as is usual in similar cases.
In order to get at the giat of the matter
recourse was made 10 those who are in
aauthofity 10 speak for each side. 1t has
been charged th&. tile stories sent to the
press We're not fair statements of the
iacts ana the attention of the Journal be-
ing called to this fact today. our repoi ter
mas endeaVored to get Il statement that
can be relied on from the TACT that I le
sald statement or statements come from
those interested on all sides
Hon: f. w. Hovey counsel for the de-
fense in the case OF Humphrey VS.. Bailey.
IN the now roted school case in Pitts
tleld has this TO say about the published
statement of the case in the Journal this
morning.
There Is no great excitement in town
over the matter. Public opinion is of
course divided but the reports that have
been published in the daily papers have
been been greatly exaggerated. The school
board were not hissed when they an
nounced their decision. Il would seem
from the Journals story this morning
that the members of the school board
We're afraid ITO so out of the building In
which the session was held. and that the
decision was made to d mob by raising
a window. There was no mob, nor ex-
c1ted gathering when the board ad
Journed. There was no intense excite
Inent and there was nothing that would
lea0 anyone to believe for a moment that
there was any bitter feeling against the
members of the school board all of whom
are among the best business men in the
town and men in whom the people nave
the fullest confidence: AT the hearing
before the board in the hail in the after
noon nearly every -Earent had signed a
petition requesting MIR. Bailey's retention
IN the school for the remainder of the
year and there were about % families
represented on ..hat petition. Anotner
petition signed by nearly every pupil in
Mr.. BAILEY school fpf,ta "a ~
George II. Morse. Esq. counsel for
Humphrey said to the journal: II hon
the citizens of Pittsfeld. are indignant
over the report of the school board. and
there is talk of holding an Indignation
meeting next Saturday at which time the
people will denounce the action of the
board in this case and will present a
resolution asking the four members who
voted to retain the teacher to resign.
The committee took a formal vote and
by this they Gecided that in their opinion
the punishment WAS excessive. but the
four who. voted afterwards to retain the
teacher did so on account Of the fear
that If a new teacher was secured the
class of 81 might not be graduated and
it was for that reason alone that the
members voted to retain the teacher.
understand that it is not the intention
of the school board 20 retain Mr.. Bailey
for any further time than the close of
the present term.
? The committee in deciding this matter
had the testimony before them of Dr
Thayer of Waterville and Or. Taylor of
PittSiicld, that the punishment was ex-
cessive in their opinion. There was Il pc
tition presented to the board, that con-
tanned 300 names of the best citizens in
Guiding parents asking for Mr.. Baiieys
dismissal on account Of the punishment
of the. Humphrey boy which they deem
think justice 10 them demands il. This
is not the first time that Mr.. Bailey has
been condemned hy the people of Pitts
field for such punishment ana | am in
formed ilY relia bic parties that five fam-
lies i'll the village have already taken
their children out cf Mr.. i5ailcys school
and refuse to send them to him any
longer.
c. 3. Haskell a member of the school
board was seen today and was inter
viewed as follows:
The position of the board in deciding
the nattor as to whether il was adj
visable 10 allow Mr Bailey to teach
the term out was four to three. Mr.. Morse
presented a l3rga genera! petition from
citizens asking for the dsnissat OF Mr..
Bailey. Mr.. Hovey presented a petition
from large number of the parents of
the scholars in Mr.. Baiiey's school ask
ing his retention. The board had voted
unanimously that the punishment of the
Humphrey boy was excessive. 1t was
contended that a removal at this time
when the school has yet nine weeks of
the present term might cause Il break in
lHc SCHOOl anu tIcicpy IL set Dttsk W
the graduating class and that it would
not benefit the boy any Ny position in
the matter is just this. We had voted
unanimously that the boy had been ex-
cessively punished and ! had no hesi-
fancy in voting for Mr. Baiieys disnis-
sal believing that another teacher could
go into the school and teach out the term
with practically as good results as could
Mr.. Bailey
Question-"Have you ever before had q
matter of this kind brought to your at
tention in which Mr.. Bailey was directly
concerned?"
Answer-'.During Mr.. Bailey's first year
the attention of the board was called to
the alleged excessive punishment of a
Weber girl in the primary grade who
had been sent to Mr.. Bailey for correc,
voted not to employ Mr.. Bailey for the
next term but subsequently those most
him and he was allowed to teach. / want
to say that Mr.. Bailey is regarded as one
of the best teachers that ever had charge
of that school and SO far as ! know has
always conducted himself as perfect
gentleman"