The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-02-15

This sort Of business will look like
railroading the investigation through"
vehemently declared Controller John
Gibbons at last nights meeting of the
teachers committee OF the board Of
control to investigate the charges pre-
ferred against Miss Gertrude De Graw,
OF No. &c. and as the hoary- headed
member from the Twentieth brought
his open palm down on the desk he
continued: Though | firmly believe
In the innocence of Miss De Graw of
the charges preferred, still there are
parents of the children in her class
who are convinced OF 1t, and will not
be by any means satisfied with the
rapidity of this investigation. | amend
Mr.. Jayne's motion to eXonerate Miss
De Graw and move that he hold fur
ther investigation at the school tomor-
row afternoon at . o'clock and get
the children's side of the story"
Mr.. Schriefer, the controller from
the Sixteenth ward. seconded the
amended motion, and, Mr.. Jayne with
drawing the original motion in favor
of that of Mr.. Gibbons. the lnvestigat-
ing committee adjourned to meet again
this afternoon.
The investigation was conducted at
the complaints of a number of the Jew
ish citizens of the ward. who allege
that Miss De Graw recently made the
statement i'm class that "all Jews are
liars and thieves" The matter has
aroused great interest and at last
nights meeting the board OF control
room was crowded with spectators. Miss
Stevenson, principal of the school, and
number of No. 50 teachers ware
among those present
ATTORNEYS PRESENT.
Attorneys T.. G. Newcomb and II. l..
Levy were present in the interest of
the plaintiffs. but as Miss De Graw
was not represented by counsel, the
committee refused to allow the two
attorneys for the prosecution to take
any part in the proceedings. The lat
ter were equipped with transcripts of
the testimony of q number of the chill
dren at the school given at recent
hearings before Superintendent How
ell, but no opportunity was given for
the presentation of these as evidence.
The first witness at the hearing was
A. B. Cohen, who testified that two
weeks ago his little daughter came
home from school and complained 10
her mother that her teacher Miss De-
Ciraw. had said that all Jews We're
liars and thieves. Mr.. Cohen at first
doubted whether the little one had
correctly understood the teacher. and
visited several of the other children OF
Miss DeGraw's class and asked them
what the teacher had said. In every
instance the remark was repeated
which his little girl had reported.
Since then he has kept the child from
school.
on being asked by Mr.. Eynon as to
what occasioned the remark, Mr.. Cohen
said that the little girl seemed a little
haZy on that point and gave no plaus-
ible expanation, merely saying that
papers We're being thrown about the
floor, and the teacher became angered
during Il drawing lesson.
MISS DEGRAW'S STORY.
Miss DeGraw then took the stand
She stated that on the day in question
she was conducting a drawing lesson
and making a personal criticism of the
work of each child. There was some
disturbance. and she ordered all the
pupils to sit quiet and not to show
looking over the work OF the last boy"
Miss DeGraw continued. 81 heard a
commotlon in the rear. and turning l
saw several of the children around
Julius Sheim, showing each other their
papers. ! then spoke to them and said
that by such actions they were taking
from their character building, and that
as the Jewish children had better re-
ligious training than the others, l eX-
pected more from them"
You heard Mr.. Cohen's testimony"
said Mr. Jayne. WAS 1t true?'
The accused teacher hesitated mo-
ment and then answered, mo, sir, il
was entirely false"
She then answered several questions
put to her by other of the board men,
bers, and in answer to an interroPa- =
tion by Controller Gibbons, said that
six of the nineteen Jewish children