The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-08-02
GOVERNOR CRuCE
FIRES THREE

Si"Oo OOoh SUMMARY action Monday in
the cases of Scott Glen, Robert Dun.
lop and Frank Hayes, who refused
to resign from the state board Of edu.
tcation in compliance with the Cover.
nor's wishes. A long statement in
(which the governor made known his
findings in the investigation of mem.
bers OF the school board last fall. end
ed With the announcement that he had
removed the three members from the
board w A. Brandenburg, whose
resignation was requested by Cover
nor Cruce on Saturday, sent a letter
of resignation just few minutes be.
fore the other letters were sent out
to the board members who were re-
moved.
1t was the letting of the school text
book contracts which brought about
the action of the governor. The re-
suits OF the investigation of the
charges against individual members
of the board had been held under
! cover for several months. with the
idea, the governor says, OF not dis.
turbing the school affairs within the
state. The fact that the board insist.
ed upon letting the text book contracts
at this time against the wishes of the
governor, caused them to be made
public sooner than they would other.
wise have been. The removed mem
bers OF the board are charged with
having played politics in the matter
OF appointments, with having allowed
personal favoritism to play part in
the selection of teachers, and the gov
ernor further finds that members of
the board committed perjury in testi-
Tying in regard to the appointment of
e. ID. Murdaugh as president of the
preparatory school at Claremore or
else that the former secretary of the
board, A. c. Persons. deliberately
falsified the records of the board meet
ing in order to show that Murdaugh
had been elected by a majority of the
Votes cast in the board meeting. The
governor also charges that the accus.
ed members of the board have been in
collusion with the Representatives 5f
the American Book company in the
matter of awarding contracts for
school text books.
The board, anticipating some such
action as that which was taken by
Governor Cruee, met at o'clock Mon |
day morning and at 1926 it was an /
nounced that the awards for the text
books had been made and that the
board had adjourned sine die.
w. A. Brandenburg, who had pre-
viously called upon Governor Cruce
with his letter of resignation, was not
present at the meeting. w. e. Row. t
sey and j. F. Warren who voted to
adhere to the governors wishes in
regard to the contracts, came late to
he meeting and after being admitted.
both refused to take any part in the
proceedings. The awards were made
~ State Superintendent Wilson. Dun
op. Glen and Hayes.
Deposed Members Silent.
Governor Cruce placed his letters to
dunlop, Hayes and Glen in the hands ;
# Adjutant General Canton who, after
! long search, found the three but
lot until he had made many inquiries
nd had walked many blocks. /
None of the deposited members of i
he board would express themselves
Ionday evening in regard to Cover {
or Cruces action in removing them. \
is generally known, however. that +
hey will resist all efforts to remove t
hem from the board and it was hint. t
d that court action would be neees- r
airy to make the governors order of t
emoyal effective. The board mem t
ers insist that their terms of office r
o not expire until June 30. 1913, and s
nat there is no authority under which A
hey can be removed until that time. Il
The order of removal is timed at 8
inc O'Clock at which hour Governor O
ruee called the Office of Superintend e
ut Wilson and stated that the three D
embers had been removed. At that
oment the four members of the e
oard We're in session and making the d
wards in the book contracts. c,
Various constructions have been lin
aced upon the effect Of Governor d
ruce's action. 1t has been suggested
at in order to speedily try all the d,
sues involved in the case, that the c;
ate board of education. in making m
e payments for books as delivered. e,
It in claim with State Auditor ii
eyer for the amount involved. Upon d,
e state auditors refusal to issue a Sc
3rrant the hoard fhrnuoh tnondo III