The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-24
THE CLEMSON ROW.
CAPT. MINUS FIRES ANOTHER
SHOT AT DIR. NELL.
contradictory Statements Respecting.
Matters OF Discipline at the College
Capt. Minus Gives His Side of the
ThOrnhiM Case.

The following is attributed to DIR.
Nell as the facts in the Thornhi;l
case: when he (referring to Thorn
hilD went home Christmas, he was
taken III and did not return to COL
lege on the day for work to be re-.
sumed but came several days later.
According to the bylaws governing
the college. the president has juris-
diction In cases of this kind, and
when Thornhill returned, he present.
ed physicians certificate which IL
In accordance with the rules. Presi-
dent Nell excused him on this delay
and allowed him to enter college to
resume his studies. It now develops,
so says DR.. Nell, that Thornhill hal
presented the certificate first to Capt.
Minus. who had refused to accept it.
DR.. Nell did not know that the
matter had come up before Capt. Mi
nus. for there was no notation in tine
certificate. and If there had been one
made. 1t was not matter in his 1u-
risdiction. Only the president has
authority to act in such cases"
Here is Capt Minus statement:
Cadet Thornhill went home for rhe
Christmas holidays, December o.
1908. to January 2, 1909. He return
ed to college AZ hours late and sub
mitted an explanation to the effect
that he was detained for dental work
and supported his statement by the
following certificate:
Charleston. s. c., Jan. 2, 1909.
This Is to certify that M. Z. J..
Thornhill has been detained by me to
have his teeth treated.
(Signed) "'R. Mel. Wilbur, d. d. S."
I returned the explanation on the
grounds that the cadet was away
from college from December %,
1908, to January 2. 1909. by authority
and no reason was given why the
dental work was not done during the
10 or IL days of leisure. My indorse-
ment. returning the explanation, was
to the effect that the explanation was
unsatisfactory. in which event II the
cadet had more to offer In explaining
his offense, he had the opportuni-
ty. 1t was during the time that the
paper was In the hands Of the cadet
that 1t was taken to DR.. Nell. =
I quote paragraph 204. regulations
for the government Of the cadets Of
Clemson Agricultural college:
Every cadet who overstays his
leave Of absence must produce satis-
factory testimony of his having been
prevented from returning by sick
nesss or some other unavoidable
cause"
Certainly up to this point the tes-
timony was not satisfactory.
Taking up DR.. Mells statement by
piecemeal, when he (referring to
ThornhilD went home Christmas, he
was taken ILL.," This is the first claim
made that Thornhill was Ill.
Continuing. 1 quote from DR.. Mell's
statement: According to the by
laws governing the college. the pres
ident asserts that he has jurisdiction
In such cases. " Here Is the exact
quotation from the bylaws:
I'm all matters Of discipline and
control OF the cadet corps. except in
cases involving suspension or expul-
sion. the commandant shall be en-
powered 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
az he may deem best, subject to the
supervision and paramount control Of
the president"
Further along In the presidents
statement, this occurs: "Only the
president has authority to act in such
cases" A reference to the records Of
the commandant's office will show at
least so cases of cadets overstaying
leave since the beginning of my ad-
ministration in 1907, and I challenge
the president to show one case in
which he has ever exercised the au-
thority that he asserts is his alone.
Every case of overstaying leave, ex-
oept the Thornhill case and Brown
case, have been handled by me with
out one word or comment from the
president, indicating action in the
cases. His invariable rule, prior to
January, 1909, has been to send to
the commandant's office surgeons GER
tifcates and so on. and not single
one shows a word by way of indorse-
ment prior to the above cited cases
The validity Of the excuse has here