Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-03-12
Il n FromF ~ 4
SHEA PLEADED GUILT GRAND JuRY'S REPORT.
irregularities Found In the
Public School at North
Prairie. A..
INVESTIGATION CLOSED TODAY.
Report Recommends Strict In
structions to County Super
intendent Seal,

h. 'rhA Nv - Nu" wv NA'''i'~>~''
labOrs today aud handed in it's re-
port and was discharged. The last
two days ofsthe session vebeen de-
voted to an investigation OF charges
bUf irregularities IN the North Prairie
school district NJ. 6, and in one nf
the Swan River schools. district
No. As
A large number Of witnesses were
summoned before the grand jury and
examined, among whom wasCounty
School Superintendent Seal.
The charges were that the Catholic
caterhism was being taught IN dis
trict No. As. The investigation
brought out the fact that while the
ca techism was taught In this school
It was done after regular schW'I
nOurS, and not contrary to law.
Such was not the case in the North
Prairie school. The charges. it il
said, were fully sustained. Prayers
are said in the morning. children are
marched from the school house t"
tile Catholic church and are kept IL
church sometimes for Eenlly an hour
Of the school time, and the text
books used are by Catholic authors,
and Of a catholic tendency.
Mr.. Seal states that he was not
aware of the practice oil Saying
prayers or the attending OF church
by the pupils Of the North Prairie
schools. tie says that the school
board purchased the text books
without asking his consent. and that
he told the members Of the board
that the use Of them would likely
cause trouble.
Mr.. Seal. es county school super
in,pndent has endeavOred to lar
monte all elements as much as
possible, and 1t IL believed that,
although a Catholic himself, he doe:
not favor, AMI 40 far ae 1t Is In his
power to do 80. has tried to keep
religious teachings out Of the public
Schools. This will probably end the
matter 1t the following recon lne"da'
lions Of the grand jury are compiled
with: 81 =.
We, the grand jury, recon mend
that the county school superintend'
ent he instructed to notify each
school district in Morrison county
that no other books exc pit those
provided by law OF the state Of Min.
nesota shall be used: that all books
pert aiming to any sect or creed shall
be strictly barred out nf all public
schools. We further recommend
that the county school snprrintend'
eot he instructed t. forbid all teach
ers of Morrison county to open and
close the public schools with prayer.
Also to strictly forbid all teachers Of
Morrison county to tencn any kind
oi religion during the reg uIur scnoul
hours.
Further, we recommend that the
county superintendent be requested
that the above recommendations be
from now on strictly enforced.
further, we the grundjury, recon-
mend, that the county superintend-
ent he instructed to stop certain
Irregularities In tue North Prairie
school District No. 6, which have
been complained Of, and complaint
has been sustained by witnesses;
namely; that the teachers open
school ut 3 u. III. with prayer for
about 10 minutes, after that March
the children to the church, where
they stay from One-half hour to one
hour and then return to school.
Also 10 instruct the county school
superintendent to stop District No.
6 from using Catholic readers, his
tories, and all other religious books,
when are now used there, and are
before us IN evidence.
Signed, THos. O'NEIL,
Foreman.
OTrI1rp nArIONS