The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-05-03
SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
Requesting School Board TO Dis
pense With the Services of
Supt. Gee. W. Chapman.

the School Board to Immediately dis
pense with the services of Prof. Chap
man, the Superintendent of the City
School. This institution is one in
which every citizen is vitality interest
ed, and for that reason, and for the ad-
ditional reason that so many conflict
ing reports are in circulation, we think
that the proceedings of the meeting
should be fully published SO that the
people may understand the true situa-
ton. =ss go
The Mayor stated that he had fcalled
the meeting for the. purpose Of con-
5idering certain matters affecting the
public school, and as it was important,
he mad thought it best to reduce his
statements to writing, so that neither
his meaning or MS words would be mis-
understood. His statement, which
consisted Of twelve pages of type
written matter. commenced as follows ::
"GentIemen On Thursday, the 18th
inst, I went to MadiSOnville for the
purpose of investigating the antece-
dents and record of George w. Chap
man, Superintendent of the Public
Schools, returning home on Saturday
night. On the following Monday morn
ing, the 22nd inst, / asked r. P. Dow,
the President of the School Board to
call a meeting Of that body, as | wish
ed to lay before it the results of my
Investigation. He did so and on that
night. accompanied by Mr.. Parrish and
Mr.. WOODS, members of this council,
| went before the School Board and
made substantially the following state
ment:
( 70, ,crl,H e.,
the purpose Of laying before you GER
tain facts affecting the moral character
and reputation OF Geo. w. Chapman.
Superintendent of the Public Schools.
l wish to premise my remarks, how
ever, with the statement that since my
return home,I have been informed that
Mr.. Chapman or some of his friends
have been saying that | am opposed to
him because he was for local option.
If such statements have been made.
the President OF this School Board can
bear witness to the fact that they are
absolutely and unqualifieGly false, for
he knows that | came to him and pro-
tested against the reelection of Mr..
Chapman before local option election
was ever ordered; moreover, | dosnot
know, OF my own knowledge, whether
le was fof. or against H.
He further stated 70 the School Board
that he had known for quite awhile
that there was great dissatisfaction
among the teachers as none of them
seemed to like either the Superinten-
dent or his methods, and that one of
the teachers, who had been in the
school for nineteen years, refused to
apply for her position again on that
account. He went to Mr.. Dow and to
Mr.. Templin, explained the situation
and requested that an investigation be
made of conditions in the school before
electing superintendent for the COM
ing year. This the Board declined TO
do, and on that same night, reelected
Mr.. Chapman. The next MOI ming, he
went to Mr.. Dow and informed him
that he-the MayOr-had just been told
that some time last summer, the School
Board had received a signed letter
from a former resident of Louisa,
where Mr.. Chapman had formerly
taught school, charging that the latter
had been guilty of immoral conduct
while at that place. That instead of
investigating that charge, three mem !
bers of the Board had, through Mr..
Arnsparger, made an investigation of
Mr.. Chapman record at Madisonville, !
from which place Mr.. Chapman came
to Paris, and that while he the Mayor
did not know the results of Mr.. Arm
sparger's investigation, he did know
that the three members of the Board
had agreed to keep the matter secret, f!
even from the other members. That |
he, also, had received newspaper clip |
ping showing that charges of some sort |
had been preferred against Mr.. Chap |
man at the last named place, and as |
there seemed to be so much dissatisfac- |
ton IN the school, that in justice both |
to the city and the teachers he would |
make an investigation. He went to
and called on some of the
most prominent men there. The first /
one he called upon was the editor OF |
one OF the leading newspapers there, |
formerly County Judge, and now can
didate for the Democratic nomination |
for Representative from Hopkins
County. This gentleman informed him
that while Mr.. Chapman was at the !
head OF the school at that place, all |
sorts of runnors Were in circulation re-
garding his undue familiarity with the
female pupils. That finally three of
the girls made written statements in
regard to the matter, and public senti-
ment became so strong that he-his in
formant-went to the members of the
School Board, who were trying to sus-
tain Mr.. Chapman. and told them that
they could not afford to defy the senti-
ment, and that they must let him go.
This gentleman also told him that his
own daughters had complained to their
mother about Mr. Chapman treatment
Of them.
He then called upon the County At
torney of Hopkins County, who is the |!
Hon. Ruby Laffoon, the present Demo (
cratic nominee for State Treasurer,
and one of the most prominent men in
that section of the State. He was IN
formed by this official that three girls
had made written charges against MIR.
Chapman, alleging that that person
mad taken them into his private office,
hugged them and put his hands under
their clothes. That he had taken these
statements to the School Board, and
SAID to them that if they did not get