The San Francisco call., 1898-01-06
Then the Principal Admin istered Severe Pun
 iShnent.
CASE TO BE INVESTIGATED
Miss Mead Tells Why She Resorted to Such an Unusual
 Method.

 held by a special policeman, James Mo Knight a pupil of the John Swett even ing school, was whipped on the hands with a strap by the principal of the in stitutfon about three weeks ago. and now certain members of the Board of Education, who object to corporal pun ishment, are preparing to investigate the matter. Their attention was called to the case by statements made by pu- pills showing that unusual severity m the matter of punishment is sometimes meted out in this institution.
 That the case of Mcknight was an extraordinary one is evidenced not only by his own story and that of his school mates, but by the statement or MISS Mead, the principal who admits that she strapped the boy while handcuffs circled his wrists.
 Mcknight is 14 years of age, a small and not very robust boy, and despite :. the stories that he Is unruly and hard . to control neither his actions nor words when spoken to indicate anything of the kind. He is steadily employed In Market-street hatstore during the . day and assisting his father and in valid mother with whom he resides on Fell street, to make the Mcknight home comfortable His employers speak of him as steady, industrious boy.
 Night school is the only opportunity afforded him to gain an education and he has been an attendant at the John 2: Swett evening school for four months ,. past He tells the story of how he . was handcuffed by Special Policeman :. Kelly, who is also janitor of the school, . in a straightforward manner that car ries conviction with it.
 Two or three weeks ago I was called into Miss Mead's room one evening" he said, and told to hold out my hands for punishment 1 asked the reason of this and was told that 1 had been caught playing ball in the school and must be punished I was not guilty and denied the accusation, at the same time refusing to hold out my hands
 Then Miss Mead called Kelly the janitor, and before I knew what was going on he had snapped a pair of handcuffs on my hands, and 1 could not help being whipped. I got 1t good, too Kelly holding me while the principal laid on the heavy strap with which the boys are punished.
 My mother and sisters complained about my being whipped in this way but it did no good. I would have gone to the Board of Education or had some one else do so before this, but I was told that 1 would have to have law yer and it would cost lot of money.
 T work all the time that 1 can get anything to do, and I don't think should have been punished in this way even though l did commit some little offense and then refused to take z whipping.
 T am told that suspension was the proper kind of punishment, and know that told Miss Mead at the time tha' l would rather be dismissed than take such a thing again."
 Janitor Kelly, who was seen las evening. f1atly denied the story told by Mcknight and Miss Mead, affirrninl that he had never handcuffed a boy il the school in his term of service ther, and his story differs in every particu lar from that told by the boy and prin cipaI.
 Miss Mead called me one evening. he said. and told me that she wanted me to help her punish boy. I foun, .; Mcknight thrashing about the office refusing to hold out his hands, ant D.: told him he would have to behave or would take care of him.
 , For an answer he made a kick a me and I took out my handcuffs 10 in timidate him. Then he gave in and saw that he was well punished. l neve : put the cuffs on any boy in the school though 1 arrested four at differen times for various offenses. I would pre- 10 | case; she will tell you all about it. an :: just as l do, that the cuffs were no used"
 =: Miss Mead did tell "all about it," bu she differs materially about the man acIes.
 James Mcknight is an unruIy boy. she said, and he was handcuffed b Janitor Kelly so that he could be strap ped.
 T had heard complaints about hin a number Of times, and I made up 10 mind to punish him the first oppor tun1ty. One night a substitute wa sent into the class, and she com pained that Mcknight had been rud ss to her and had made a large amour or noise after she had admonished hiI . to be quiet
 Just then a door opened near tn ofllce and chorus of yells resent blin those of boatload of school boys go ing down the Chutes came forth.
 mat IS the class Mcknight at tends, said Miss Mead 50 you Sc e- what it Is. We'll I went to the room ana as soon as l got there McKnigh dId something as much as to say tha he was not afraid of me and tol, him to go to the office for punishment
 He was defiant, and when I tol, him to hold out his hands refused f do so. I asked the janitor t come in and see that I was obeyed and he did so. Mcknight said that ne was strapped his hands would. hay 10 be held, and then MT. Kelly put tn handcuhs on him. He submitted with out the least fuss and received tn customary five lashes on each hand
 used the strap that Mr. Lyse uses, and I know that it hurts, too for they never come back for a secon oose can see no wrong in havin the boy handcuffed to whip him, an should do the same thing again. \ expected that there would be
 fuss over the matter. and two day after it occurred went and told tn president of the board all about 1 Mcknight has caused no trouble sine be was stOpped. His sistar talIs n,