The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1908-05-07
Our Public Forum
DR.. keoun's Reply.

reply to the report published last week in your
paper by the Parish School Board. was, indeed,
surprised to know that Parish School
Board would have such offensive personalities pub
lished.
Up to this trouble had splendid school,
almost every one was happy, and practically every
gave Mr. Burgess great credit for the efforts he
had made in putting the school in its good stand
ing. In numbers it jumped from an enrolment OF
1870 to 24O. Through the special effort of Mr.
Burgess there were number of nice young men
and women in our town boarding and attending the
school.
Some two or three months ago several courtships
of both teachers and pupils began and Mr.. Burgess
tried to break it up, and hence gained the i'll will
of persons both connected with the school and
the courtships. GAIL fools-day's" joke came on
and certain restrictions were placed the partci-
pants by the Principal. One boy violates these
and comes into open rebellion; comes down town
and talks in a spirit of regenge, that he knows
something that would ruin Mr.. Burgess if generally
known. He goes back to school and, some
claim, insulted one of the teachers. The teachers
ask to have him expelled or suspended. Mr.. Bur-
CESS sees the boy and has him withdraw from the
school. Now comes on the strike, the assistant
teachers wanting him openly suspended and they
appeal to the Superintendent. He comes and holds
an al-day trial and renders Judgment, that the
boy should have been suspended and orders the
school reopened on the following Monday morning.
Mr.. Burgess opens with 1856 pupils and regular
assistants, it being known during Sunday that the
assistant teachers would not go back.
The Superintendent comes again Monday morn
ing and now asks the local board of trustees to
meet with him, which they did in my office. He
goes over the case in every minute detail and
showed us ultimatum from the assistant teachers
that they would not again teach in the school with
Mr.. Burgess. He then asked the trustees for their
Judgment in the matter and after discussion
six out of the seven members agree that it is well
that the boy should be suspended; but that he had
purely for spite and revenge made these defamatory
remarks about Mr.. Burgess and as he had under
oath denied absolutely any knowledge of anything
derogatory to Mr. Burgess we could not fair
minded men go further and take from him his rep
| utation as teacher and even his claim to honor
and responsibility on such an undetermined deal
from revengeful boy, and especially one whom
the assistant teachers were denouncing as I'M
worthy. There is law on earth to Judge any
man guilty without proven cause, much less on
hints and aspersions of jealousies revenges and
retaliations So herein is the split between the
Superintendent and the local board.
He now invites us to go to the school house for
the rehearing and we find the school moving on
very nicely, stated with 1856 pupils present and
Mr.. Burgess in charge. The school was dismissed,
the meeting called to order and again the Judge,
the jury and the prosecuting attorney began his
summing up of the evidence against Burgess. Mr..
Ruraass risa,erIrtenuerfu very Angry
tone of voice commanded him 70 sit down and
threatened to send for an officer to take him out.
Does this look like an impartial hearing?
The Judge, the jury and the prosecuting attorney
goes with his case, going again into every detail
until those present became very restless, when Mr..
Sentell and asked that his judgment be given
as it could do good to continue his discussion.
He apparently did not hear Mr. Sentell and went
on with his and, l, thinking that he did not
hear Mr.. Sentell and being dreadfully worried with
his continued repeating over and over again of his
Saturdays proceedings, went up to him and said,
+" Professor, it do no good to go rehearsing
over and over all this That there was a lot OF
bitter feeling existing and that lot of people were
already wrought up and that the prolonged and
continued going his prosecution would only
tend to excite and inflame the i'll feeling among all
concerned and that he please give his final decision
and let US go. His reply was kind and cordial.
meant offense, and he did not take it at that
time It was only meant to get close to him and
talk loud through respect to his difficulty in hear
ing. You can see there is nothing in this to show
intimidation in any way indicate violence to him
But one could only expect him to get what | said
all tbaled up" he has all the other proceedings
in this case.
On he went again with the prosecution, till Mr.
Staples got up and in excited manner asked thai
his judgment be given Why not turn Staples uI
to the Grand Jury, too? Can you see?
Now, without obtaining trying to obtain any
additional evidence whatever in the case, he gives
quite different verdic. from that he gave on Sat
urday. He then summed up the evidence and sale
there were points in Mr. Burgess favor that hi
commended, that they were just and right, but tina
the offending boy should have been suspended, ant
that he saw reason why the school should be in
terrupted and that it the duty OF all thu
teachers to return Monday to their posts of worl
and every one to do his whole duty and we coult
close out the term with great benefit to all con
cerned.
Now (Monday afternoon) he condemns Burgess
for everything, revokes his license to teach an
stops the school.
On Friday following he puts six teachers il
charge, reopens the school with twenty seve
students, calls the parish board together, and
although the trustees go to Benton with petitio
of about forty five patrons themselves not include
in that number) and large number of the bes
citizens who were not patrons, protesting agains
the unjust ruling, no one was allowed before tn
board except that OF the prosecution OF Burgess.
# The patrons and trustees have been shown an