The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-05

For three hours last night the board of
education was in session investigating re-
cent hazing of High school freshmen by
members of the upper classes The board
examined a number of boys who partici-
pateo IN the affair and also NJ. Q. BlakeS-
u; instructor in chemistry at the High
ScnOoi, from whom the boys secured a
part at least of the nitrate Of silver used
70 0auD on the faces of the freshmen.
Inc board Will meet again this evening at
O'Clock and decide what action shall be
taken looking toward the punishment of
the offenders, and also whether any cen
sure or other punishment shall be be-
slowed on Professor Blakesly.
All the members of the board were pres
emit and notices had been sent out the
night before to each person who had
signed the petition asking for the investi-
cation They were invited to be present
at the hearing and to bring any others
who might be interested The boys who
mad acid applied to their faces were also
asked to attend, likewise a number of
boys accused of doing the hazing.
or those who signed the petition Mrs
the only ones who responded. Mrs.
helly's SON who was one of the boys
unable 70 appear; owing to an Unframed
eye, but his mother explained that this
was not at all due to the hazing.
Both Mrs. Kelly and Mr.. Parker told
of the condition in which the application
of nitrate of silver had left the faces of
tseir boys Each of these parents exon
Grated the upper classmen of any ma
hciOuS intent. attributing their acts SIM
ply to a spirit of mischief.
Bert Parker, one of the freshmen, said
that a week ago Friday, at the close of
his first day in the High school he was
caught by q bunch of larger boys Just
as he got outside the door of the High
school and nitrate of silver was applied
10 his face. by means of a cloth on the
end of a stick He gave the names of a
number of boys who assaulted him and
who applied the nitrate Both sides of
his face were bIackened and also one of
his eyelids. Stephen KeOgh. who was the
worst used of any of the boys. appeared
before the board, one side or his race
result of the application Of the nitrate of
silver and of the ammonia which was
afterward applied at drug store IN an
endeavor to remove the discoloration:
Keogh had been followed down town and
the stuff applied to his face near the
court house. He also gave a number OF
names OF those who handled him.
NJ. o. Blakesly, the instructor in chem
| istry, was on the anxious seat for about
half an hour and was subjected to fire
of questions from various members oil
the board Blakesly said he had given
who had asked him for IT. They mao
told him they wanted it for an expert
ment, and he had not questioned them
as to what kind of experiment they pro-
posed making. He also said that his class
had not yet studied nitrate of silver and
were not prepared to experiment with II
! inteIlieentiv. He said. some more of the
stuff had been taken from the labora-
tory, but he did not know by. whom. The
door was locked and he had the key. Inc
stuff was in a cupboard which was also
| locked, and of which he had the key. He
| could not remember WnetneE ne ndl lei
anybody else into the laboratory or not
| but said he might have let in one or two
| of the boys. but if so. he had no recol-
/ lection of it. He was questioned very
closely as to whether he knew that the
| boys were preparing 10 haze the fresh
men. and that they wanted TIE nitrate
of silver for that purpose He denied
/ that he had any such idea one or two
members of the board flGCy told Pro
| fessor Blakesly that they believed nc
was eVading. but he protested otherwise
| Charles A Mcguire and Joseph Tracy
/ hand in the hazing, and Mcguire tolo
about getting some of the nitrate iron
/ Professor Blakesly, but he said he dldn
/ tell him what he wanted it for. They
| also told of the part they had taken II
the haZing. and said that it was Gus
tomary to do something of that kind eack
year and that they had not thought there
! was much harm in it, but they were
/ osrry for what they had done.
| Fred Young, another Of the BOYS wn(
edged that he was one of the haZerS. but
was very unwilling TO give any detlhitt
| infOrma ton and was finally excused IRON
giving further testimony when II was
! found impossible to get him to throw any
| light on the matter There were a mum
Der of other boys ready to acknowledge
some portion of the responsibility Tor the
affair. but they were not examined
PRINCIPAL George Thomas, from his IN
Vestigation learned that about seventeen
haZing. and that eight or ten of the
freshmen were treated with nitrate OF
silver. having their faces blackened, but
none of their injuries was permanent. HC
also ascertaIned that three separate bot
ties OF silver nitrate were used. The
board will meet again tonight so that
whatever punishment is inflicted may be
put in force before the opening of school