The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1908-03-26

NEGRO OR INDIAN BLOOD?
TEACHER OF LESTER SCHOOL RE-
FUSES TO TEACH GIRL:
Question of Color Before State Board
of Education-Supt. rlartin
Threatens to Resign.
There was a warm discussion at the
meeting of the State board of educa-
ton yesterday morning in the case of
Floyd SWEET against the Lester school
district of Marlboro county, and Incl
dentally there were some interesting
facts on the status of the Croatans,
one of the race having demanded ad-
mission in the public schools of that
county.
The case came up on an appeal from
decision of the Marlboro county
board and the Pee Dee Advocate gives
the following account of the case in
that county:
Floyd SWEET removed the first Of
the year to Capt. P. L. Breeden's
place, in Adamsville, and soon after
ward started his only child, 10-year-
old girl, to the Lester school, which
is taught by Miss Courtney Atkinson
of Sumter and Miss Vaughan Gritton
of Laurens. The teachers board at
the home of Thos. A. Huckabee,
chairman of the board of trustees.
On the evening of the day the SWEET
girl entered school Miss Gritton re-
ported the fact to Mr.. Huckabee and
said she would refuse to teach her on
account Of her color.
1.-The next morning Mr.. Huckabee
called meeting Of the board of trus-
tees to, consider the matter. They
met at the school house, heard the
teachers statement, looked at the
child and decided to dismiss her. The
other trustees are T. K. Adams and
w. A. Breeder.
"Mr. SWEET went to see the trus-
tees about it, but failing to get his
daughter reinstated in the school,
employed Livingston & Mueller to re-
present him and appealed to the
county board of education.
Judge Hudson and Capt. Breeder
testified that the SWEET family had
always enjoyed the political and civil
rights of white citizens, before and
since the war, and that they were
faithful soldiers, Judge Hudson, T.
S. Evans and Floyd SWEET, himself,
said that the SWEETS were reputed to
have Indian blood in their veins, but
no negro blood-Swett traced his an
cestry back for several generations
and said he was descended from the
SWEETS of the Revolution, mentioned
in Gregg's History of the>Old Che
raws.
"He said that his child had gone to
the white school at Brownsvillemith-
out objection, but admitted that the
teacher at Kollock resigned last year
because the trustees there refused to
expel his daughter. His wife was
Mamie Brigham.
Mrs. SWEET testified as to her an
cestry, and said that her grandmother
came from the old country. She said
they always ATTENDED white schools
and churches. When asked to what
denomination she belonged, she said
she was a Baptist. Judge Townsend,
who represented the trustees, asked
her of what church she was mem
Der and she said St. Johns near Glib
son. In answer to further questions,
she said he was not certain whether
St. Johns was a Baptist or Metho-
dist church. (As matter Of fact, it
is Methodist.)
''The trustees claimed that itwould
have injured the school if the girl
had been allowed to attend, and that
they were doing what they thought
best for the school when they dis
missed her.
"The county board dismissed the
appeal and refused to interfere with
the action of the trustees. While not
passing upon the color or race of the
child, the board took the ground that
the law allows trustees a wide lati-
tude in the management Of schools,
and that it is unwise and impractic-
able to interfere with their actions
except in cases Of grave violations
of the law"
When the case came up in the State
board there were several arguments
made on each side and the briefs filed
would probably have resulted in
reversal of the decision Of the county
board, but finally Superintendent
Martin made a personal statement
which caused a postponement of the
case. Superintendent Martin became