The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-04-27
MINUS MAKES REJOINDER
Ex-C -Commandant of Clemson Discus
ses ThornhiI Case-Refers to
the Interview with Dr.. Mel.

O1OWSOA OO41cSS, ap4A ~. OcbH1'
j. C. Minue, y. S. 4, retired, form
er eommandant at Clemson, makes
the following signed statement in re-
ply to DR.. Meu's interview in the
News and Courier, Of April 81, under
date line of Anderson, S. c.:
The following is attributed to DR..
Nell as the facts in the Thornhill
case: "When he (referring to Thorn
hilD went home at Christmas, he was
taken Ill and did not return to college
on the day when work was to be re-
sumed, but came in several days lat
er. According to the bylaws govern
h ing the college, the president has jur-
isdiction in cases Of this kind, and
4 Rwhen Thornhill returned he present
d ed physician s certificate, which is
in accordance with the rules, Presi-
dent Nell excused the cadet on his
delay, and allowed him to enter COL
lege to resume his studies.
''It now dvelops, so says DR.. Nell,
that Thornhill had presented the GER
tifcate first to Capt. Minus, who had
refused to accept it. DR.. Nell did not
know that the matter had come up
before Capt. Minus, for there was no
notation in the certificate, and It
there had been one made, it was not
a matter in his Jurisdiction. Only
the president has authority to act in
such cases.
Here is Capt. Minus statement:
"Cadet Thornhill went home for the
Christmas holidays, December %,
1908, to January 2, 1909. He return
ed to college forty-two hours Late,
and submitted an explanation to the
effect that he was detained for dental
work, and supported his statement by
the following certificate:
charleston, S. c., January 2,
l9O9.-This is to certify that Mr.. E.
j. Thornhin has been detained by me
to have his teeth treated.
(Signed r. Mel. Wilbur, D. D. S.
II returned the explanation to the
cadet On the grounds that the cadet
was away from College from Decem-
Der %, 1908, to January 2, 1909, by
authority, and no reason was given
why the dental work was not done
during the ten or eleven days Of lei
sure. My endorsement. returning the
explanation, was to the effect that the
explanation was unsatisfactory, in
which event, if the cadet had more to
offer in explaining his offence, he had
the opportunity. It was during the
time that the paper was in the hands
of the cadet that it was taken to DR..
Nell.
II quote Paragraph 2O4, Regula-
tions for the Government of the Ca
diets of Clemson Agricultural College:
" Every cadet who over-stays his
leave Of absence must produce salts
factory testimony Of his having been
prevented from returning by sickness
or some other unavoidable cause.
"Certainly up to this point the
testimony was not satisfactory.
::Taking up DR.. Mell's statement
by piecemeal, when he (referring to
Thor1rhill) went home Christmas he
was taken ILL., This is the first claim
made that Thornhill was i'll. Con-
tinuing, I quote from Dr.. Mell's
statement: According to the bylaws
governing the College, the president
asserts that he has jurisdiction in
such cases. Here is the exact quo
tation from the bylaws: In all mat
ters Of discipline and control Of the
cadet corps, except in cases involving
suspension or expulsion the comman-
dant shall be empowered to act, and
the board will expect him to enforce
good order and good behavior, and
exercise all the power necessary to
that end. He shall make such rules
and regulations as he may deem best,
subject to the supervision and para
mount control of the president. ,
E'Further along in the president s
statement this occurs: Only the pres
ident has authority to act in such
cases. A reference to the records of
the commandant 5 office will show at
least fifty cases Of cadets over-stay-
ing leave since the beginning of my
administration in 1907, and I chal-
lenge the president to show one case
in which he has ever exercised the au-
authority that he asserts is his alone.
Every case Of over-staying leave, ex-
cept the Thornhill case and the Brown
loo., l,o,11o1 1>,- h.