Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-25
e1.RGEs AGAINST MR. W. p. GUM
They VIII he Investigated ny INC
State board of Education

Although the State Board OF Education
Will investigate charges preferred py 'no
Board OF Education of Radiord asHlls0
Mr.. w. p. Gum, Superintendent OF fupic
Schools OF that place, no time Tor the III
Nestigation has been set .,tr
The charges appear serious on 49,, -
face but do not really bear this appear
ance when subjected 10 investigation. Inc
people Of Mr.. Gums town are NOT u"l1
by any means against him. Indeed pFoD-
ably a majority think him innocent VI
al wrOng-doing. .,,s-
pended Alr. Gum, who has beeh III Ala
bama for several weeks. Judge W. -
Vaughan IS temporarily Killing the Posr
ton OF school superintendent, having Dtth
appointed by the state Board OF Educa-
ton. The RdGfOrd board has plepal ca a
statement Of the charges against MI
Gum, and asked that the state Board H.
Vestigate them.
it is charged that Mr.. Gum received
from the b. T. Johnson publishing COM
pany, OF this city, a check for $40. III Is
also charged that air. Gum has received
other sums from publishing houses.
When the school list OF The state was
made up by the Board Of Educalon' some
Of the publications Of the Johnson COM
pany were not entirely satisfactory, put
they were adopted upon condition that
they should be revised and mace satls-
factory When the new series were SUD
mitted they were referred TO MT. Gunli
for examination, as he j. an educator
I'm whose Judgment the State Board of
Education has much confidence. On the
9th OF last August Mr.. Gum made his
report which commended the Johnson
publications highly. However, the da,e
OF Mr.. JOhnson's check to Mr.. Gum is
July 2lst. Nobody knew at the time the
check was drawn that Mr.. Gum would
be asked TO pass upon the books.
Mr. Gum came 10 this city and appear
cd before the board IN the summer OF
1893 for the purpose Of explaining and
commencing certain Of the Johnson pub
lcatiOns. Mr.. Il. II. Johnson states that
he gave the check to Mr.. Gum 10 cover
expenses incurred I'm coming 10 Richmond
Mr. Johnson SAYS IL IS customary for the
firm TO defray the expenses or persons
who come 10 the city 10 appear before
the board I'm the interest Of the johnson
publications. He thought IL just thai
IL should 90 so. Dir. Johnson speaks In
the highest terms OF Mr.. Gum as an
educator and gentleman.
Mr.. Gum is an aumnus OF Washington
and Lee University, and Is son of Mr.
Giles Gum, who was for many years one
Of the best-knOwn teachers Of ROckbrldgt
county Nr. Gum has an excellent repu-
tati0n as a teacher, having been principal
Of the Belle Heth High School az Rad
ford for q number If terms. He has taker
a somewhat active part IN politics, and
was some time ago announced as can
oliate TOT tne ONCE OF SrSIEldIy Ol "a,
Commonwealth, to succeed Hon. JOSEPH
T. Lawlcss.
II is said that Mr.. Gum incurred the
displeasure Of a number of people IN
/ Radford by his refusal 10 sanction the
reappointment OF a certain teacher to 2
place IN the schools. As q result, the
patrons Of the schools were divided into
foctlOna.
II is believed by the friends Of Mr.
Gum that he viii have no difficulty in
answering satisfactorily all the charge.
brought against him.