New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-26
FRAUD IN EXAMINATIONS.
CHARGES BROUGHT BY A WOMAN
SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
SUPERINTENDENT sKINNER's REPLY TO MN~
yryrIA x VESTS LITTER TO THE ooNEN-
NoR-EvYDENcE TOO WEAK TO
REVOKE TEACHERS GER
rIFTCATEs. HE SAYS.

TIFTCATEs. HE SAYS.
.,..rr Tan Ok (SpeciaD -Governor Black today
,sc.,ved letter from Mrs. Julia X. West Schoo'
Cornn,,ss,oner OF Richmond County. in which she
49, ~, ,r August last she had been able TO
NV ror $40 set OF official questions addressed 10
nersons who were seeking certificates rs senoo'
teschers from the State Department o. ruo"' ~
etruction. A summary OF Mrs Yves. ~" p
neared IN a morning newspaper IN Ne"
sev Charles r. Skinner. Superintendent oil r""
~, ,.rro,,or M sooner saw the summary than
y. requested an interview with Governor hlaoN'
which wa. granted at II o'clock this morning MI
SKINNER and Danrorth T. Answorth. his deputy
entered the executive chamber WIN '"e" ammo
fru Of the documents IN the case ,
Mr. skinner informed Governor Black that IN
go, when lanes r Crooker was Chier OF INC
Departuent Of Public Instruction, SOME Va0"O.
examination papers were stolen from the on'Oo 80
v.ra traced TO Richmond County. MRS. Yves. aso
d,scovered them and as a result OF this ahair MI
Skinner. assuming once IN May low
two suspected officials
For two years, until August leh 'her' "eio
no further thef,s OF teachers examination paPeis
Tn.n thar, was another theft. which Mrs West
detected Mr. Skinner put detectives AZ worn "'
s.o.r,. sa.,ssed that an empoye Of his once sll"
ora ~ thu DISCHARGED employees OF 1870 "e'o 'no
s,,,ltv persons Since then he had been zeaIous'y
az work TO prove that certain teachers III hio"
nond County had obtained their cerchca'es IN
wrongful way MI skinner also said to Governor
Black: 49,, 49,.
"Nfr Ainsworth's desire and my own desire have
been 10 sift this matter OF the stolen papers 70
the bottom and determine what persons II any ou
certificates obtained fraudulenuy. TINS was ',,e
main thing to be considered, in order that such "
cense. might re revoked. In my Judgment TINS
49,, .orld he more satisfactorily achleVen Oy
using the parties exposed for the purpose % w
tanning Information Than by the measfe 'a'S
lion OF furnishing them. in View OF the 1act 'A IN
,or,rra,eIv tho Penal code makes no provision ior
,t~
in defined as being "a conspiracy ana puHls" ~
.s n,sdeueanor Ny whole effort mas Oeeh
snent in determining how far this fraudnlen' pIAo
.ice has extended. am Thoroughly sd"sieu 20
q "a confined TO Richmond County win inc p0S1.
ri. exception Of one other. the COMMISSIONS -
tina, district under suspicion not now oeihs !" VI
fee. .,. Co,o
Mrs West is OF the most enerseuo .r,.
missoners but she fails TO apprecla's va
DEPARTMENT IN the absence OF legal eVIueli'7' ""
mo- annul a teachers license and that 20 90 % ,'u
have our action reviewed by the court o" 90.
Ground that no evidence existed. would DO q most
dangerous practice Neither Mrs. West nor any
tosv ,n this Department is to-day. o. at any unie
has been IN OF any eySg'e s tE' teacher
~ least none has yet been pieei i IS,vsof is
morar satisfied OF the guilt Of perhaps lorI my, y.
five tc4chers III Staten Island hrIta,' roi,y IN
such WAY as 10 Sion, IONS ' in Richmond county the
snse the bsnrrs nave been shipped from other
tn,s reyer been received in tie city Of Albany
and it would seem that nave g t@, tbe exanjna-
lions with every safeguard possible lot "-ii"" III"
genuity 10 invent. . g.. 81. .,e ~, ,,,,otion In
Mrs Vests commissioner district T. concern
eince NV election as Superintendent no candidates
have received the questions used in ihat eoly sd
advance Of the examination since 'aI-d ,3, -
"''n ea.y o,sstions have been used 50 anxious
have been 10 assist Mrs West ~ nor "icfscuS
and mudabia desire TO have an ahsout y i"ir ana
changed the printer who pilnis ne o
70 be constantly present whom every SCI o, o ne
lions were being printed under ine,f eye, ma vi
have prepared questions IN MS'ius..tI. 10 ba,5s
use in her county. have placed mem N n .i "a -
with directions 10 pro.i nc hI..';;,.7 .ba,
place where she would he absoluiely certain ma.
they could not he cb,sinod mat we ntre $50 ~
Mrs Wos:s request dire 20 maj e.. a. a,
i'm the County Of Richmond must axe ,l- ~ aX
-, IN IN hat commission district unless eN-
ousod by her SO 1nat II |oe1 Que, ne r,i seioreT
n ne state for candidates residing in thai county
procure these quesLons anp nr l'sT S siituted
r., tho Department in preparing Fleclti se'S ..
questions FOR use in mat county. IN ~ ~ vs.
possible have seconded the ehorts 81 ME-. " 80
- rroonre nm absolutely honest examination IN her
connr e,d anu bsr energy In Experimenting the efforts
of The Department IN this direction
School Commissioner Julia x. West. Of Richmond
Countv said last night that she was moved to
,iaca the facts in the g the sale OF oXamina-
,ion papers before Governor Black because she
NAG shortly 20 retire from Office. and she wanted
.he matter 70 become public. There was nothlng
really new in the charges. az they were mace up OF
.,o. she had discovered and publicly announced
from time 10 time during her term She had re-
peatedlv called Superintendent Skinner aitenuon
= the affair and urged him 10 act IL" ho "dg
,,iae SHOW, ei hat he was Indifferent In the matter
There were other cases o. WrohSucIns wi!Ic" VIZ
nnt axnosed and she deemed Il her DUTY 10 90
what she could TO bring the matter 10 head.