The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-01-28
TAUGHT UNKNOWN TONGUE

TAUGHT UNKNOWN TONGUE
NEW CREED PREACHED IN LONG
BRANCH SCHOOL.
Employers of Miss Lane, Who Con-
verted Pupils to Strange Faith,
Put Out of Office.
Laurens, Jan. 24.-Acting on a
complaint, embodied in formal petit
tion filed with the county superin-
tendent of education and his board by
certain patrons of Long Branch
school, located in Scufaetown town.
ship, the board yesterday, after CIV
ing both sides to the controversy a
full hearing, removed the district
trustees and Immediately named their
successors, to whom County Superin-
tendent of Education Geo. L. Pitts at
once issued commissions. The board
of trustees removed consisted Of
Messrs. M. A. Sumerel, w. A. Poole
and L. T. Benjamin, three of the
leading citizens of their community
and all well known as progressive and
substantial farmers as the. county af-
fords.. The new board likewise is
composed of representative men.
They are Messrs. J. Wilson Blakeley,
George w. Cunningham and Sam j..
Todd.
This unusual and in some respects
rather sensational proceeding was
brought about by the employment
last fall of Miss Nellie Lane, former
ly of Georgia, to teach the Long
Branch school for the current session.
At the time the trustees had up for
consideration the employment Of a
teacher early last fall, it Is said that
objection to Miss Lane was made by
some of the patrons on the ground
that she was identified with and a
conspicuous leader and teacher Of the
so-called unknown Tongue" rel:g-
ious creed. Furthermore, it was known
that Miss Lane had no teachers first
grade certificate or college diploma,
as required by the public school law
of this State. This was another seri-
GUS objection. Nevertheless Miss
Lane was given the school, though
there were several qualified appli-
cants for the position. To Miss
Lanes credit, it is stated, that she
frankly Informed the trustees before
accepting the school that she had had
no experience as teacher and held
no credentials as such.
The board of trustees, of which
Mr.. Sumerel was chairman, insisted,
it is said, that she had the essential
qualiflcations-as they SO regarded 1t
the power" to interpret and teach
the doctrine of the new sect. She
was promised $40 the month for her
services, and the school opened about
the first of last November. At first
practically all the patrons patronized
the school as usuaI. Soon, however,
reports from the school room indicat-
ed that the teacher was giving oyer
practically all of her time to instruc-
ton in the Bible and the new creed OF
religion, to the disregard Of other In
structfon. This caused some of the
patrons to stop their children and in
formal complaints were made to the
superintendent of education, Mr.. r.
w. Nash, who, on January l, relin-
uuished the Office and was succeeded
by Mr.. Pitts.
Mr.. Nash Investigated the matter
and informed the trustees that he
could not approve the pay warrants
Of Miss Lane and indicated to the dis
satisfied patrons remedy and form
of procedure. No steps were taken in
the matter, however, until after Mr..
Pitts assumed the duties of the super
intendent's Office and vacancy on
the county board of education was
filled, which was done few days ago
by the appointment Of Mr.. r. D..
Babb, vice Prof. r. A. Dobson, re-
signed, who now resides at Gafney.
The petition of complaint was there
fore prepared and presented, signed
by some half dozen patrons of the
school. The complaint set out sub
stantially the conditions under which
Miss Lane was employed and her un-
usual methods of instruction as prin-
cipal of Long Branch school, as re-
cited above. At the hearing, which
was held in the Office of the county
superintendent yesterday, and con-
tinued until late hour in the after
noon, the chairman of the old board
of trustees and other members, to-
gether with number of patrons and
pupils, representing both sides, were
examined In addition, Chairman
Sumerel, of the now extinct board,
made talk of nearly two hours in
defense of the conduct of the board In
engaging Miss Lane and her manage
ment of the school, which, he said,
had his unqualified Endorsement as
well as that of the other members OF
the board and majority Of the pat
rons Of Long Branch school.
It developed that for some time rs
pupils represented the total attend
ance, or about two-thirds of the
strength of the school.
Out of the 26 faithful pupils all
but two, it is claimed, have made a
profession of Miss Lanes doctrine.
This fact evidently gave rise to Mr..
Sumerel's characterization Of yester-
day of what he considered excellent
nroeFess of the school under Miss