The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-03-02


and busters were placed in other
hands, which some Of the Warmest
supporters of the school board now
believe to have been a tactical mis-
take Neither man was guilty OF any
thing except seeing the kissing, I'M
less guilt attached to talking about 1t.
So, at the beginning of the school
term, Barnes was very much present
and Inez Armstrong and the janltors
very much absent.
Formal charges were made soon
thereafter to DR.. j. s.sCooiey, school
commissioner for Nassau county, py
a committee of Freeport citizens that
Barnes was morally unfit to continue
in village school work. The testl-
mony of the janitors was made part
of the formal bill. 1t was both gen.
eral and circumstantial. It was not
confined to recountingI one incident,
but carried Barnes though a year,
during which period, al set down, ne
had been party to other acts not a
recognized detail or school superin-
tendency.
Testimony Contradictory.
At the hearing befoie Commission
er Cooley one witness testified that
he had placed himself IN as near IS
possible the position occupied BY the
janitor On the occasion when he had
seen the Superintendent and the WON
an teacher together, and he gave 1t as
| his opinion that Smith could not have
seen the Kissing or noted the mani
festations of hysteria. This might
have carried some weight were it not
| that the superintendent had admitted
| the kissing.
! Another witness told of Barnes ex
cellence in higher algebra, which like
wise did not seem to have any. hxee
bearing on the incident. There's NJ
algebra for kissing.
The overwhelming weight of thu
| evidence against Barnes was accepted
| by DR.. Cooley, who two days before
| Christmas declared officially tina
Barnes was unfit to teach.
Having been e.1onerated by the 10
cal school board and engaged for thu
+ new school year, Barnes promptly al
pealed to the state superintendent t.
! have the county commissioners de
| cision set aside.
The Office of superintendent befni
now vacant, the Freeport school boar
i appointed Principal Roy Leon Smit
of the high school to act as superb
tendent pending the determination G
Barnes appeal, and in the event of
being decided adversely to him to cor
tinue until such time as a permanen
/ successor to that official could be 81
cured.
Smith, who had remained silen
during the period when Barnes was i
the limelight. and having rather prt
nounced opinion of the way the kis
ing incident was handled by tn
school board, made public a letter al
dressed to that body In which he d.
clined the temporary appointment
the vacant Barnes post, saying he di
not care to serve under the board.
This brought the row to its secon
and more spectacular but happil
cleaner stage, which began on Jan.
The school board, of which Samuel
Smith-the third of the name (
! Smith in the controversies pres
dent, dismissed Principal Smith, hol
ing that his conduct in making publ
his letter was discourteous and
subordinate.
The board did not want to lose II
principal. but It did want to pr
serve its own dignity. It urged him
withdraw the letter and make sue
an apology as the circumstances,
the board saw them, seemed to d
, mand. But the principal couldn't 81
: 1t.
On the morning OF January s, whe
Smith appeared opposite one of Il
two Spanish-American war cannt
that stand on the high school law
his namesake of the school board a
, reared on the firing line and told II
principal he must not enter the schot
Some Of the big boys and more spir
ed girls, having heard this, decid,
that. they, too, would absent the
selves and thus protest against t
removal Of the principal. Certain
. the louder instruments OF the hi,
; school band were secured from t