The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-16
MISS DE CRAW
ExONERATED
TEACHERS COMMITTEE DECIDE
CHARGES WERE FALSE.
At Hearing Held Yesterday After
noon in No. SO School Number Of
the Children Were Examined--All
Told Different Stories but Two Per-
sisted in Declaring That the
Teacher Had Said That the Jews
Were Thieves and Liars-Csptain
May Said They Misunderstood.

MISS btllfuhe ltutnei III
No. 80 school. who was charged by
certain Of the Jewish residents of the
Sixteenth ward with having made
statements before her class slandering
the Jewish people. was yesterday ex-
oncrated of the charge by a unani-
nous vote of the teachers committee
of the board Of control. after a hearing
held In the school.
The hearing was held in Miss De-
Graw's room on the first floor, and
was attended by the following MEM
bers Of the teachers committee and
the board: Il. r. Jayne, A. Il. Eynon.
Louis Schwass, John Gibbons. Captain
w. A. May, Dennis Roche and A. l..
Francois. A number of the prosecutors,
including Jacob SuravitZ and A. Rosen-
berg, We're present In addition to Miss
DeGraw and the principal of the school.
Miss Stevenson.
Superintendent of Schools George
Howell questioned the various children
who were examined as witnesses. all
being members of Miss DeGraw's class.
The first witness called was julius
Sheim. the pupil to whom Miss De-
Graw was alleged to have been talk-
ing when she made the alleged re-
marks. Julius Is thirteen years old
but the sight OF so many men looking
at him scared away his voice and he
simply hung his head and maintained
"a sullen silence. Nothing whatever was
elected from him.
SAID SHE CRIED.
Ida Pierson, aged thirteen years. Who
had been pupil in Miss DeGraw's
room for six months and resident OF
these broad United States for Il year
and a half, was the next witness. Ida
couldn't speak very good English. but
she remembered that Miss DeGraw
had told Julius that "the Jewish peo-
pie were stealers." She said she had
cried when the teacher said that, but
couldn't remember a single other thing
which had been said.
Mary Rosenberg, aged eleven years,
and Keife Anderson. a bright lad Of
eight years. were next examined. They
both remembered that Miss DeGraw
had scolded julius Sheim on the day
in question, but they stated that she
had made no reference whatever to
the Jewish people.
Albert Rosenberg. aged eleven years,
was next examined. Albert came into
the room with his face abeaming' with
hundred smiles, and when he had
been seated Superintendent Howell
asked:
Whats your Nance"
"All the Jews are thieves and liars"
ratified off Albert all in a moment.
This unexpected reply got everyone in
the room laughing. but Mr.. Howell got
Albert straight in a minute or two and
by n series of questions got him to say
that Miss DeGraw had told the pupils
in the room that "the Jews are all 4
pack of liars" He had seen nobody
cry when this remark was made, he
said.
WAS LIKE STEALING.
sam Dorfman. -year-old lad
said that Miss DeGraw had told julius
that the certain offense which he had
committed was like stealing. and that
some Jews were bad and some were
good.
Celia Cohen, Il wee little maid eight
years old, the daughter of a. B. Cohen,
one of the prosecutors, was the next
witness. She said that while scolding
julius Sheim, Miss DeGraw had said
| that "all Jews are thieves and liars,
| and told the children that they must
not so home and tell their parents
| that she had said this. Nothing could
| shake her story, and in reply to a
| question as TO whether she liked Miss
| DeGraw, she said: 81 used to like her,
but since she called us what she did. l
| don't"
Bertha Suravitz, eight years old, said
| that Miss DeGraw had stated that all
Jews We're thieves and liars. but
couldn't remember another word she
said. Richard Minchen, aged nine
years. who was probably the brightest
| witness examined, said that Miss De-
| Graw had told julius on the day in
| question that what he had done was
| the same as stealing, and stated en-
phatically that he had never heard her
| saw q single word in the school room
| about the Jews.
| Lena Zang, aged eight years. was the
last witness, and said that she had
never heard Miss DeGraw say a single
word about the Jews. Miss Stevenson.
the principal of the school, next made
| a statement and said that Miss De-
| GraW was not given to making eX-
travagant statements, and as far as
she knew had never Disseminated
against any children.
| MADE DENIAL.
| Mr.. Howell next asked Miss DetiraW
| If she had ever made the statements
| accredited to her by certain of the
! children examined, and she replied
most emphatcally, mo, / never did"
She eXpafned that she had taken great
pains so as not to offend the Jewish
| children, and even in selecting songs
to be sung had been careful TO exclude
! those in which the name of Christ ap-
peared.
Mr.. Suravitz took the floor when she
| had finished and wanted 1t distinctly
understood that he had never told his
| child or any other child what they
! were to say. lie wouldn't be satisfied
II the board exonerated the teacher, he
| said, but would be willing to accept Il
| compromise.
Mr. Gibbons stated in reply that the
charges had not been substantiated
but that he mustn't go away with the
idea in his mind that the Jewish chill
dren were being Disseminated against
Il couldn't bring myself to believe
| when I first heard of the charge" said
| he, that an American girl had ever
insulted the Jewish people in this way
and I'm glad TO find the charges dis
| proven"
Captain May followed and said II
was all case of misunderstanding
pure and simple. The children had
| misunderstood what the teacher had
| so IA and haI apnitia1 ~ yhap than