Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1912-02-16

II MHN tain Dunbar says, that nan
wv the folks don't know
Is whether they're foot or a.
horseback, which, coming from an
officer of the law, carries weight The
town is the snappy little village OF
Freeport, L. T.
Since the primary incident, and as
an indirect result thereof, the author
files at Albany have been appealed TO
twice, the police have been called
upon to perform emergency duty, four
men have lost their official Jobs, there
has been a strike. parades through
the town, a placarding of fences and
barns with statements and warnings.
mass meetings of citizens, men and
women alike. and a general condition
of such persistent turmoil that no one
would so much as think Of predicting
what's going 20 happen next, accord
ing to correspondent Of the New
York World
BY starting with the kissing incl
dent, 1t Is easier to set matters down
In something like order.
Arthur e. Barnes, q Union college
man, tall, angular, red headed and
given to wearing stiff starched white
lawn ties bow-knotted at his Adams
apple. as superintendent Of the Free
port schools had offices in the high
school. One day after school John
Lewis, in the performance of his jan1-
torial duties, mounted a step-ladder In
the hall outside the superintendent
Office the better to dust the transom.
Obviously he had to look in. He says
he saw Superintendent Barnes in the
act af kissing, or being kissed, by Inez
Armstrong, demure and willowy lit
tie teacher. Now, this incident, which
Is no part of the high school curricu-
ium and nowhere mentioned by the
regents, was communicated to the
school board. But the midsummer
vacation was approaching and the
school authorities. having in mind the
gossip which naturally follows on the
veDy heels of story of an indiscre-
tion did not take prompt action.
In the Role Of Joseph.
Barnes himself admitted the kiss
ing. saying that he was the recipient
thereof instead of being the kisser.
He furthermore credited 1t to a hys-
terical outburst on the part of the
young teacher due to her delight at
having been successful in an examina-
ton for promotion In which he had
aided her.
But 1t hadn't looked that way to jan
itor Lewis or to his assistant, Eddie
Smith.
When the schools closed the young
teacher went away from Freeport,
and during the long summer drone
the school board turned the matter
over In its official collective head and
finally decided that Superintendent
Barnes admitted qualifications for
school direction, coupled with his sew
eral years of service, should not be
disregarded. So he was re-engaged
for another year.
And Barnes came back with his
white lawn tie to the scene of the
incident" at the beginning of the fall
term But the young woman didn't.
Then some of the townspeople
sought out Janitor Lewis and his as
ststant, and even an upper grade
youth or two for more detailed ac-
count OF what had taken place within
the superint ndent's room. They got
It. Smith confirmed Lewis. The boys
confirmed Smith.
Trouble for Superintendent.
The next move was the circulating
of an appeal to the state superinten-
dent of education to compel the Free
port board OF education to rescind it's
contract with Barnes.
Some of the townsfolk announced
that they would withdraw their daugh-
tiers from the school until such time
AZ Barnes had been given his walk
ing papers. Barnes stood pat when
the term began. Having been exoner
ated by the school board and his con-
tract renewed, he went about his du-
ties gu az II nothing had happened
Not 30 industrious John Lewis or Ed
die r.. smdth Their respective brooms