Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-20
Biddeford Teacher Found
Not Guilty Of Assault.
Charged With abusing Pupil in
Her Charge
But Miss Haley's Story Accepted by
the Court-The Proceedings.

Biddeford. Me, Feb. 19.-The trial
IF Miss Emma y. Haley. a teacher in
the Summer street Grammar school,
charged with assault on one of her pu-
rils, Thomas f. Dwyer, 12-year-old son
of Lawyer Anthony Dwyer, during re-
morning, before Recorder Weymouth
in the municipal court, and il was late
III the evening befor" the closing argu-
mCnts were made and the defendant
was discharged. All day the court room
lad been packed and the corridor
crowded to the city clerks office.
Among the spectators were clcrgymen.
doctors, lawyers members Of the school
board, teachers in tn rCblic schools,
merchants. u large number Of women
Tnd q small army of pupils ii the. pub
lie schools.
Before Anthony Dryer. who appear
ID for his son. hv gan his opening argu-
nent. inquired if jesse w. Muttart. a
| :"cmbcr Of the schoo; beard. was i'll
thu courtroom. Upon being told that he
Was not. he asked the ooilt for a sub
,.e.ia t. in ure his attendance before III !
prosecution put IN its side o. the case.
In his opening. Mr.. Dryer denied
| that the pupil had been assaulted be-
"ausc he WAS drumming on his desk,
| hut sand il was because he could not
| find his place in a book. He quoted Il
| rule Of the school board. which pro-
| yides that all pupils shall bt allowed Il
| Commute recess. He declared that the
| teacher would he shown to have COM
| mittcd a brutal assault uLon the lad.
| she would be shown to hay" committed
| Il preach of III" school rules at tn
| same time. He said n COi-t fusion, that
Miss Haley threw the boy on the floor.
his bead coming within an inch of
striking the stove.
He said that he was rot seeking re-
vengc. but he sought justice for his
own Josh and BLOOD ana TO prevent a
repetition of such brutality in the pub
| lie schools.
| Thomas T.. Dwyer the boy assault
ed, testified that he had been ASA ulted
| because he could not find his place. tIe
| testified that when the teacher threw
| Kim on the floor he began to cry and
| MISS Haley began to choke him and
she told him If he did not stop his
noise she would choke him till he was
| inscnSible.
Mrs Lizzie NJ. Dwycr. the mother Of
| the boy testified that the legs and body
| oG her boy were black and blue and
there were marks on his throat: il"
| spat blood during the afternoon. His
throat was sore for several days.
| Superintendent of Schools Royal T..
Could. testified that he met the boy on
the day IF the assault and the young
stnr had complained that the teacher
had assaulted him. He saw no marks
on the boys throat. Young Dwyer had
told him that he was not going TO al
low the teacher to punish him. num-
Der Of pupils testified that they had
seen the assault. The prosecution rest
ed its case this afternoon.
Lawyer Heard in his opening de-
clared that young Dryer WAS dlsor-
ucrly. saucy and impudcnt. When the
teacher started to correct the boy he
| showed fight and ii became IL ques-
, ton of whether the teacher should ruif
; OF he ruled.
} Miss Haley testified in detail to what
LAWYER Heard. who appeared FOR her
outlined in his opening. The alEu'
Il mcnts we're made. tonight, in the pres
; ence of several hundred people.
At 10.l5, after Lawyers Heard ant
DIVER has finished their arguments
!, Recorder Weymouth. after 4 1J-mlnut'
review Of the case, discharged Miss
: Haley.