The San Francisco call., 1909-01-27
Mrs. Duncan McKinIay Begs
Education Board to Give
Lad Another Chance
Declares ExpeIling OF Boy for
Theft Too Severe and
Pleads for Leniency
Searching Investigation of Con-
ditions in Berkeley High
School Under Way

BERKELEY. Jan. 26.-With piteous
appeal to the board of education to-
night. Mrs. Duncan e, McKinlay.
mother of Gerald McIIinlay and wife
of Congressman McKinlay wrote in
behalf of the boy who was among
those expelled for theft at the Berke-
ley high school So affected by the
reading of the parents cry of distress
was Morris C. James. principal of the
school, that tears courscd down his
cheeks.
AS soon as the clerk had completed
reading there was a silence which was
eloquent. That the hearers had been
deeply touched was a certainty. but
that the board in official action was
not ready to reply was evidenced by
the quiet order of President E. P. Lewis
to file the letter:
Mrs. McKinlay's letter said in part:
Our boy has had no hand put out to re-
strain him. no teacher, no member of the
school ever gave him a warning word
Then the combined forces Of the school, the
police and last but most deadly of all, the
Whispered accusations from the Young
Mems Christian association, convicted him
of that which he would have admitted at
once If the good in his nature had been chal-
lenged just one time. Is it right that this
unfedgod boy of Is should be proclaimed a
leader of a gang of thieves when there is
a general system of doing just what he has
done-''swiping booksi"
claim that the punishment without Civ
ing the boys one chance tco severe, and
the punishment, the notoriety attached, be-
yond all reason. Don't you think there would
be uplift in the Inera54tone IF the school
if these boys allowed to make public
acknowledgment and public promise Of their
future good conducts
beg of you hearty consideration of
what have written. pledge you, refusal
to do will in our case a broken
home and darkened young life, as the re-
suit of a judgment of .unmerited severity.
Respectfully yours,
MRS. DUNCAN E. McKINLAY.
In line with the expressed deter
mination of the board to sift to the
bottom the conditions in the high
school recently exposed, Marion Scott,
a senior 16 years old, son of Mrs
Frances o. Scott, living at 22SO Blake
school on recommendation of the high
school committee pending further in
vestigation, the boy having admitted
cheating in his work.
The board adopted a partial report
on that subject from the high school
committee. That committee, composed
of Prof. E. P. Lewis, President and
Directors Roy J. Young and Prof. T.
r. Crawford. reported that at a meet
ing yesterday a program for a COM
plete investigation of the high school
had been mapped out with Superin-
tendent of Schools F.. F. Bunker along
the following lines:
1.-The matter of cheating in school work and
the forging of excuses
2-Aleged irregularities in the handling of stu
dent finances and the method of conducting
student activities.
3-The theft of articles from laboratory, lock-
ers and classroom.
EThe extent and nature of the betting which
is carried on among students.
5-Alleged drunkenness at athletic meets and
the alleged frequenting of various resorts.
The committee reported in part as
follows:
with respect to cheating data
placed before the committee would
seem to indicate that the practice is
not uncommon and that it obtains
among boys and girls.
In this connection Marion Scott ad-
mitted that he had handed in the work
of another student, substituting his
own name, and that he had taken the
results of the work of other students
and used the same as his own
Principal James reported that sani-
tary conditions were such at the high
school that it would have to be closed
unless immediate action was taken.
The board decided to open the new
polytechnic building as a measure of
relief