The San Francisco call., 1898-05-14
BOKE IS NOT EVEN CENSURED San RafaePS Board of Education Acquits the
 Principal. No Evidence in Support of the Charges Against Him
 Heard.
Dismissal of the Accusation An nounced After a Star-Chanber
 Session.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

SAN RAFAEL. May 1S.-The City Board of Education, at a meeting held tonight behind closed doors, acquitted Principal George H. Boke of the local high and grammar schools of the charge of gross incompetency pre- ferred by Vice. Principal A. c. Abshire. The so-called investigation was con- ducted in a remarkable manner, no evidence in support of the charges be- ing considered, and only the accused man and his accuser being heard. The doors were locked during the proceed ings, and even District Attorney Mar tinelli was turned away by the man on guard.
 Professor A. c. Abshire was first called to present his charges. He read them, the charges alleging executive inefficiency on the part of Principal Boke, failure to lay out a proper course of studies, and rank .favoritiSm in the promotion and graduation of pupils.
 On being asked for specific instances, Professor Abshire said that last fall the teachers told the principal a certain boy was not fit subject for promo tion, but the parents brought pressure to bear on the principal and the boy y students from the eighth grade re- ceived diplomas of graduation, all the teachers voted that a certain girl should not be given a diploma, but the girl s mother came and made a mothers plea and the girl was promoted, not on merit, but out of a spirit of sentimen- tality on the part of Principal Boke On another occasion two boys were given diplomas of graduation, although they lacked nearly year of complet- ing the course.
 These boys, so Professor Abshire de- clared, received only an average of 30 per cent in their examinations and all the teachers voted against their re- ceiving diplomas. The parents came to see the principal and said they would make things warm for him if he did not give the boys diplomas. MT. Boke, said his accuser, tried to compromise with an offer of blank diplomas. This being refused he offered proper di- plomas, to be returned by the pupils in a short time. The parents still ob- Jected and the boys received their di- plomas.
 Professor Abshire said this practice tended to demoralize the school, be- cause it put the senior class of this year in a position at the end of the first half-year to demand that their records be. raised, simply because of " weakness.
 Principal Boke was asked either to affirm or deny the charges. He refused and would not give any reasons. Ab- shire personally requested him to affirm or deny in order that the pupils might be brought forward as proof. MT. Boke clung to his original decision.
 A copy of a statement signed by Sev eral teachers was produced and shown to Professor Abshire. It was to the effect that the course of study was as good as it ever was. Professor Alp shire replied that this subterfuge was an evasion on it's face, as the course never was good. He said he could not conscientiously sign the statement himself.
 When the principal and vice-princi- pal were requested to retire they did so, MT. Boke stopping to pull down the window blinds in order that a crowd on an adjoining roof could hear none of the proceedings.
 The board then continued its star chamber proceedings, to the tune of hisses and catcalls from the crowd out side.
 Tn a short time it adjourned and went home.
 Dr. Jones, who is known to be Mr. Boke's defender, said all the evidence had been duly considered and it war ranted a dismissal of the charges.
 Did you take the trouble to hear anybody outside of MT. Boke and Mr. Abshire?" Queried a bystander.
 With a flush on his face tbe chair man pretended not to hear the ques-