The Washington times., 1906-06-29
ONLY HALF A HUG
FOR FAIR TEACHER
Board of Education Acquits
Principal for Fond
Embrace.
HUGGEE IS INDIGNANT
Declares She Knows a Hug When She
Feels One, and Hers Was
Half Nelson.

NEW YORK. June 29.-Hug-To press
closely within the arms. To clasp TO
the bosom. To embrace; To hold fast
To cling TO. - Webster's Unabridged
Dictionary.
But in spite of websters or any other
dictionary. abridged or unabridged,
nine good men and ,rue-in short. the
school board of Ridgefield Park. n. j.
have decided that Miss Alice King. the
prettiest teacher IN the village school,
was not hugged by George NJ. La Sale,
the principal
1t took six hours of hard. earnest
work to arrive at this decision. and
when the board ended its session at 2:SO
o'clock yesterday morning. the members
were frazzled. mentally and physically.
Miss King. who lives in Jersey City
and teaches school in Ridgefield. had
made an unequivocal accusation against
Mr.. La Sale. OF deliberate hugging. Mr..
La Sale denied it strenuously and the
board took uD the case.
Defendant and Plaintiff Present.
Both Miss King and Mr.. La Sale were
present at the meeting.
Miss King reiterated her accusation.
She said that in September last. while
in the school building and In the pres
ence of Miss Edith MehrsOf Mr. La
Sale caught her around the waist and
held her so tight that she was almost
breathless. In about a minute. she said,
he came back and hugged he's again,
and within three minutes he had Rugged
her three times. Then he scratched it
off the mental blackbord with an
apology.
Mr. Ia Sale denied the accusation.
l. - "a - TaA~
sofs alleged presence at the time. He
said that he had never hugged the
teacher IN his life. but that on the day
in question. he had merely caught hold
OF Miss Kings arm in a spirit Of play
fulness.
She Knew a Hug.
Miss King was mighty mad You could
tell that by the way her eyes flashed as
she told her story. She knew a hug
when she felt one. she guessed. But the
principal apparently thought that he
VOTED something of plain and ornauen-
tai hugging himself. So 1t was attic be-
tween the alleged hugger and the pretty
huggee. and the decision was up to the
board.
But 1t had been so long since the an
cient and honorable board of education
folk had hugged anybody that the form
ula was rather dim and hazy IN the
minds of some Of them.
They remembered in a visionary way
various episodes Of their youth. of which
no complaint had ever been made, but
they had never hugged without recipro-
cation, and therefore there could be no
real hug without reciprocation.
One Of the board members suggested
under his breath that perhaps the fair
plaintfn had unconsciOusIy reciprocated
thereby making IL an able-bodied and
legal Ridgefield Park hug.
Secured a Half Nelson.
Never! Did she not testify that the
principal. with craft and a guile, had
secured something resembling a half
Nelson upon her arms? There was no
reciprocation about 1t.
Then there was no hug az all The
board decided that that was the case by
vote OF six TO three. whereupon one OF
the stanch friends of Miss King flew TO
the dictionary, to find something upon
which TO base a plea.
He found the word "Hugger-One who
hugs or embraces
Then one could hug Two were not
necessary, and therefore the PRINCIPAL I
was guilty. The specious argument woilId
not go. For hours the debate waxed and
when another vote was taken. II was
five TO four IN favor Of the principal.
Very well. then. gentlemen" {" saId
Miss King. you disbelieve me- Yoll can
accept my resignation, TO take effect at
once