Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-02-16

v M
y M1k so consarned hard, as Cap
NJ sS tain Dunbar says, that half
SM3S the folks don't know
as whether they're foot or a.
horseback, which, coming from an
officer of the law, carries weight. me
town is the snappy little village or
Freeport, l.. l.
Since the primary incident, and as
an indirect result thereof, the author
ities at Albany have been appealed 10
twice, the police have been called
upon to perform emergency duty, four
men have lost their official jobs. there
has been strike, parades through
the town, a placarding OF fences and
barns with statements and warnings,
mass meetings of citizens, ioen ana
women alike, and 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 a 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, a 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 che high
school. One day after school John
T oxry;, ~ H. of hfc 10 NJ
torial duties, mounted a step-ladder in
the hall outside the superintendent
Office the better to dust the transorn.
Obviously he had to look in. He says
he saw Superintendent Barnes in the
act of kissing. or being kissed, by IneZ
Armstrong, demure and willowy lit
tie teacher. Now, this incident, which
is no part CT the high school curricu-
lum and nowhere mentioned by the
regents, was communicated to the
school board. But the midsummer
vacation was approaching and the
gossip which naturally follows on the
very heels of story of an indiscre-
ton. 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 it to a hys-
Gerical 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.
I But It hadn't looked that way to jan
it0r 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
sistant, and even an upper grade
youth or two for more detailed &C.
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 vas the circulating
of an appeal to the state superinten
dent of education to compel the Free,
port board of education to rescind its
contract with Barnes.
Some of the townsfolk announced
that they would withdraw their daugh
GERS from the school until such time
rs 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 quite as If nothing had happened
Not 90 industrious John Lewis or Ed
lie T. Src.-s Their respective prooms