The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-08-11
BlAMEs BOARD OF CONTROL
PERMITTED CORPORAL PUNISH.
MENT AT TRAINING SCHOOL.
Board of Visitors Reports Finding
Right in Control Body's (
Book.

st. Paul, Minn.-All the testimony
which is to be submitted by the com.
| plainant at the hearing before the
board of control on the charges filed
| by Ralph Wheelock against Superin.
| tendent Whittier of the Red Wing
| training school was completed. Just
as the board was hearing the stories
of beatings given the boys at Red
Wing by subordinates of the school,
the board of visitors made public a
report on conditions of the state in
| stitution in which 1t uncovered the
fact that the board of control itself
| was responsible for the corporal pun
| lshment> being administered at the
school by persons other than the sup
| erintendent or his assistant Accord
ing to the report of James G.. Match
| lit, executive secretary to the board
! OF visitors, the following rule is to
be found in small booklet issued in
1905:
"All corporal punishment shall be
administered by the superintendent or
assistant superintendent, or under
their direction
Mr.. Matchitt makes the following
comment on the rule in his report:
THUS it seems that the board of
control itself years ago established
corporal punishment at the Red Wing
school, without even the requirement
that it must be administered in the
presence of the head of the school
or his assistant, the rule merely re,
| quiring that it be under their direc,
ticn.' Nor do these printed rules pre-,
scribe or make any reference to the
number of blows to be allowed or
other limit to the punishment"
The rules, which were dug up at the
institution, also contain a paragraph
to the effect that all corporal punish,
ment should be reported to the board
This section reads as follows:
Each and all cases of corporal pun
ishment or other equivalent punish,
ment in the school shall be reported
: at the next following meeting of the
I board of control, and at such meeting
each and every pupil so punished shall
have a right to be heard before said
board, and it shall be the duty of thu
board to give the pupil such hear
ing if requested
! Rules Are Unsatisfactory.
The report of the board of visitors
also said the present rules for corpo
raj punishment at the school are un
satisfactory. 1t intimates that 1;
blows with flexible leather paddle
are not enough to subGue a boy who
is being punished.
! Time Extension Denied.
| When Mr.. Sanborn, attorney fol
Mr.. Wheelock, had questioned his
fourth witness, he asked that he be al
lowed more time in which to secure
other witnesses. Tht board refused
to grant this request on the grounds
that an agreement had been reached
last week to the effect that the com
| plainant was to complete his case
this week. The complainant Their
rested.
Frank M. Wilson, attorney for Su
rerintendent Whittier, argued for q
dismissal. This was denied by the
board. In his argument for dismissal
Mr.. Wilson cited many supreme court
decisions dealing with corporal pun
ishment of pupils by their teachers
Most Of the decisions dated back
nearly century.
When the motion for dismissal was
denied, Mr.. Wilson said that when the
hearing was resumed at Red Wing
next Thursday he would call Superin
tendent Whittier as the first witness