The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-04
superintendent OF the schools at
Huntington Whose Name Has Been
Associated with Two Women.
TESTIMONY OF WITNESSES
WHO SAW LIGHTS TURNED OUT IN
THE SCHOOL AT NIGHT.
Much Interest i'm the Hearing and Sem
timent Divided - Women i'm the
Case Have Many Friends.
ccial to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
HUNTINGTON, Ind, Aug. 3.-The School
Board hearing of the charges of immortality
against Superintendent Hamilton of the
city schools, opened this morning in the
presence of 200 people in the High School
The audience was composed of both women
and men, representing the best people of
the city. Mrs. l.. E. Griffith, librarian at
Elkhart. and Miss Mary f. Cox, of the
Huntington High School faculty, are
named as co-defendants Spencer & Bran
yam are Hamilton's attorneys, Mr. Nc
Nagny, of Columbia City, appeared for Mrs.
Griffith. and Judge Watkins for Miss Cox.
John Cline and John s. Branyan are as
sisted by Major j. b. Kenner in the pros
ecution of the case. The prosecution took
the entire day to present its evidence, and
court adjourned until Tuesday morn
ing.
The features of to-day's proceedings were
the evidence of Prof. Vooris. of the school
faculty and the calling Of w. A. Branyan,
attorney for Hamilton. to the witness
stand. Branyan, who formerly was MEM
Der of the School Board, was forced to ad-
init that he had watched the High School
building in company with others one night.
of spiriting away the witnesses and made
vigorous denials of the charge.
The first witness called was Robert But
Ter, a newspaper reporter, who swore that
he had seen Mrs. Griffith In Superintendent
Hamilton's office with Hamilton on the
evening of June 2. AT about 9:15 o'clock,
no lights were visible in the building; at
10 o'clock Mr. Hamilton and Mrs. Griffith
came from the building together and pro-
ceeded in a roundabout way to the Hotel
Huntington. Mr. Buffers testimony was
Oh, lxrror
clerk, Benjamin Fusselman, a patrolnan,
and Wells Shearer. All were positive that
there We're no lights in the building and
also that the two above named were alone
in the building. Rigid cross-examination
failed to shake their testimony.
Professor Pinkerton. of the Huntington
that ne had been in the library.
then located in the High School build
ing the night of April IL.
He saw Miss Cox in Superintendent Ham
janitor and together they the light
turned out at 1910. Half an hour later Miss
Cox left the darkened building. This was
corroborated by other testimony. On an
other occasion Pinkerton saw Miss Cox en-
ter the building, saw Hamilton turn out
the lights and did not see anyone leave
the building. This. also, was corroborated-
Professor Vooris, of the High School, was
called and stated that he had seen Profess
sor Hamilton turn out lights in his office
when Vooris had satisfied himself that Miss
Cox was i'm the Office Some time later
Miss Cox left the building, which was dark
ened. Similar evidence was introduced and
later in the afternoon the prosecution
rested the case.
Public interest is intense and large
crowd is expected at Tuesdays session.
Feeling is divided and many friends of Miss
Cox, whose popularity is great, were In
attendance to-day. Both Miss Cox and
Mrs. Griffith We're present at the trial. and
at times Mrs. Griffith was in tears Miss
Cox was immovable. watching the pro-
ceedings with great interest. but manifest
ing concern only when Attorney Branyan
was called to the stand.