The Washington herald., 1907-10-25
AIR SCHOOL SCANDAL
Evidence in Hearing Of Off
cial Contradictory.
SPICY TESTIMONY ABSENT
Reason for Excluding Women Mem
bers of Board Not Made Manifest.
bruce, the Defendant, at Variance
with Teacher and Her LaVvyer-No
Decision Has Been Reached.

Contrary to expectations. there were
no spicy developments at yesterday after
moons meeting of a special committee
Of the Board of Education. consisting Of
all the male members Of the board, which
was convened at $3.50 o'clock for the pur-
pose Of beginning the investigation of
charges preferred against Assistant Su-
peTintendent Roscoe Conkling Bruce by
Calvin Chase, a coIored attorney.
Previous to the meeting, there was no
explanation Of why the women members
Of the board, and, in fact, all females.
were to be excluded. The matter is now
just as much a mystery, since the pro-
ceedings moved along like the ordinary
routine at a sitting of the District courts.
The trouble arose over the recent in
vestigatiOn by the school authorities of
the alleged practice of bartering positions
in the cOlored schools. Soon after as
suming his position as assistant superin-
tendent for the colored schools, Bruce, in
a letter to Supt Chancellor, reported that
he had received information that Chase
had been retained by a woman teacher
TO represent her in such matters, Chase,
in a fervid letter, denied this, and de-
manded an investigation. Where the sug-
gestion of spicyness entered, no one
knew, until ii was mysteriOusly sug-
gested in an announcement after We'd
nesdays meeting of the board that a
special committee Of the male members
only would meet the next day to conduct
the investigation.
Chase Tells His story.
Mr.. Chase was summoned 10 the stand
and invited to proceed, with an admo-
milton from Capt. oyster that it was
the purpose Of the committee to keep the
investigation within the limits Of the case
in hand Mr.. Chase's letter was read,
and he made a statement 70 the effect
that he had not seen Mrs. Mary SyphaX
Gibson, the coIored teacher IN question,
for years and had never received any
money from her.
Stuart Mcnamara, attorney for the
Board Of Education, entered an objec-
ton, pointing out that the question at
issue was not as to whether he had seen
or received money from Mrs. Gibson, but
whether Mrs. Gibson had made such a
statement 10 Assistant Superintendent
Bruce The objection was sustained by
Capt. Oyster.
Mrs. Gibson was then called to the
stand. and she declared that she had OBJ
tanned her position in the night schools
through Bruce Evans, principal of the
night schools. and that when she was not
carried up this year she saw Bruce She
admitted having made the remark TO
him, after a long conversation, that un-
less he could help her she would have
to see Calvin Chase, who was a man of
influence, and that, because he was d law
yer, she supposed she would have TO pay
him $50. She denied absolutely having
said that she had ever given Chase
money. and declared that she had never
done so. To this she made affidavit.
Bruce Denies Statements.
Mr. Bruce was then called to the stand,
and testified that Mrs. Gibson had called
to see him in regard to not being car
ried up this year, and that she. stated
that unless something was done she
would have 10 see Chase and get him 10
use his influence. To this he replied,
he said. that to do so would be useless,
that Chase could not help her, that he
had no such influence, and that school
matters were not handled in that way.
And she, he said. replied that the best
evidence Of the fact was that Chase had
gotten her her position in the night
schools, and for his effort she had paid
him so. He also made affidavit to these
facts.
Bruce Evans, principal of the colored
night schools, testified that he had aided
Mrs. Gibson in obtaining the position in
the night schools, that she was an old
schoolmate of his. and was competent
and reliable, and for this reason he had
recommended her appointment.