The Washington herald., 1908-01-11

tendency of SchoOIs-Getting Well.
Dr.. William E. Chancellor, who was
dismissed from his position Of superin.
tendent Of schools a week ago. last night
broke his long silence and discussed the
hearing given him by the board of edu-
cation
Although his appearance showed him TO
be in weakened condition. DR.. Chancel-
lor told Of his experiences in the last few
weeks, AMI commented on the charges
made by the school board against him.
lie appeared to take the whole matter
as joke, and a wrong that VIII soon be
righted. The ordeal through which he
has passed in the last few days has left
its mark upon his face, but slowly he is
resaining his lost health and vigor.
i am slowly regaining my health
said Dr. Chancellor. "anG hope soon to be
able to take up my work again, I was
able TO 90 out Of doors yesterday and to-
day, but only in a carriage. I am still
weak, but feel viii be in good condition
soon
Declares Stories Are Untrme
MANY of the stories told about me dur
ing my sickness by the board of educa-
ton were untrue. I was never in a run
away as was reported. The true story
is that the horse ran while being hitched
up in the stable yard. lie was Only q
carriage horse, and could not run more
than nine miles an hour at the best.
Neither my wife nor myself was in the
carriage when il happened.
1T has also been reported that 1 have
been driving fast horses while l was sup
posed to be sick. never had a Iast
horse in my life and did NOT go driving
while / was ill.,
Two days before I appeared at the
trlai-u really wasn't trial. drove in
from the sauatorium where / had been
stopping. / knew ali the time / vas
catching cold. The day ] appeared at the
nearing / was made TO wait in a room
that was cold for an hour and ten MIN
utes. Consequently, when 1 was called 70
The witness stand I could not talk and
had to 90 home.
That was the first time I had an op-
portuntty TO read the charges against
me by the board Of education I was
amused at some of them. They were ut |
terry false and the board had no evil |
dence on earth 10 support them.
1 have not had time to read about
the evidence presented. nor have I been
told the details of the trial, but what I
have been told about know to be
false"
Or. Chancellor was asked If he had read
the newspaper reports Of the trial
Has Done Little Reading.
Ny condition has been such" replied
DR.. Chancellor that 1 have not been
able to read the papers or have any one
read them TO me. The only thing about
the trial I have read in the papers was
an editorial about the decision of the
board which appeared in The Washing
ton Herald a few days ago.
Mr. Fulton. my attorney, has been
managing the case for me, and I have
only had two or three talks with him
since the beginning Of my illness. If he
means 10 carry the case higher, YOU will
have 10 see him about it, as he is attend
ing TO all the details"
DR., Chancellor was asked 10 particular
lie about some of the charges, which he
declared We're false.
i viii only mention one or two he
said, but / could talk about the matter
TOT nfty hours, If my condition would
permit l was asked few DAYS ago how
long IL would take me to dictate nv demo
sltlon, and / replied one hundred hours
one OF the charges against ne was that
disobeyed the orders of the board of
education. This referred to nv STAYING
away longer on my vacation than I had
permission. The truth Of the matter Is
was going 10 return on the original date
set, but one OF the officials of the hoard
told me none Of the supervising princinais
was IN town, and that if / did return
thefe would be nothing for me 10 do.
other charges were testified to that
were raise but cannot take the time 10
enumerate them.
Evidence was introduced at the hear
ing, saying / was In Chicago one VVednas-
day morning at o'clock. A lite ,atsr
another witness for the prosecution said
was in Philadelphia late the night before
and did not reach Chicago until the fol-
lowing afternoon. This last statement
was true. But this is just an instance of
the many times the witnesses for the
prosecution contradicted themselves.
Visited All the Rooms.
Several supervising principaIs tastfeod
had not visited their schools. when. as
matter Of fact, visited every school
room in the city, while I was superin-
tendent and some Of them as many as
fifteen times But the most surprising
tact is that during that time I didn't see
but one supervising principal in the
sehoolrooms If they didn't have time TO
inspect the schOOlrooms often, with only
about five schools in each division, how
you'd they expect me To visit the LOO
teachers had TO look after?
THE supervising principals are merely
,ler.zs, and really don't have time to visit
heir schools as they should. yet they
appeared at the trial and accused me of
ioing things they don't do themselves.
IN fact, their testimony was given to
support charge made. and not to show
where l had really been deficient in my
work.
Other supervisors, also. said used the |
telephone more than was needed. and
communicated many Of my orders by it |
That is true. I did transact all the bust |
ness I could by phone. / did this be- |
cause I was not supplied with the kind
Of assistant I needed in my office In all |
the other places I have worked / have
had competent male clerks Here I had /
only one girl Miss Burch who was COM |
petent but I should have had several |
others
Il had large mall most of which was /
about routine matters, and this turned |
over to Miss Burch The rest I had 10 !
attend to personally the best I could /
And as the government had provided me |
with a good telephone system I used II /
N every OppCrtunitv