South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-03-14
.RUPEL AND GLEN ARE ROUNDLY
DENOUNCED To MAYOR KELLER'S
FACE IN HOT SESSION At CITY HALL
Committee of "a Meets City Executive and Clashes With De-
tenders of School Boards ACtOnS-Counter Petition
to Resignation Demand of Members Appears.

Demanding the resignatiOns OF
School Trustees +. B. Rupel and
William Glen; that ~ school board
be reflled by men Sat hold the
public confidence. and that some
thing be done 20 clear the good name
OF l. j. Montgomery. former super
lntendent Of the city schools, from
the destinations sOwn broadcast by
Messrs. Rupel and elem incident TO
their refusal TO renew the contract
OF the superintendent, 50 leading
citizens of South Bend called upon
Mayor Keller at the city hall Mon
day afternoon. and for once, at least.
gave that "dignitary' 10 understand
that the opposition 20 his appointees
= Is not altogether that Of the news
papers
The visit. however. was not alto
gether a one-sided affair, for lurk-
ing just outside the door Of the
council chamber. as a seeming sort
OF rearguard for a brace Of clergy
men who had rushed thither 10 the
mayors defense. was the Very Hon
orable Charles w. Weidler. various
Isl mentioned as the grease on the
school section OF the Keller political
machine. his jaw set like a mad
bull and apparently loaded for bear.
The presence OF the cIergymen
also served TO bring 10 light the
possibility that the South Bend
members Of the Ministerial assOcia-
ton nave developed into a sort of
religious wheel in the mayors polit-
ical machine, calculated to supple
ment. or be reinforced by the school
combine. The association was an
nounced TO have taken action Mon
day morning approving OF the school
boards action. the clergymen at the
meeting having apparently put in
an appearance 10 deliver this mes
sage. and defend it's benefciaries by
their personal voices.
Backed by the Clergy.
The clergymen on hand in defense
OF the mayor. and incidentally to
the rescue of Messrs. Rupel and
elem, were Rev u. B. Hostetter.
pastor Of Westminster Presbyterian
church. 10 which Mr.. elem belongs,
backed by Rev. John :. Burns Of
the Trinity Presbyterian church;
also Rev. Madison II. Appleby, dis
trict superintendent of the Metho-
list Episcopal church. i'm lead Of
the defense of Mr.. Rupel. who is a
Methodist. Rev. c. A. Decker, pas
tor of the First Baptist church was
also on hand. in seeming fear that
some harm might befall the mayor.
There were others of the ministerial
school. but these were mainly in
the limelight
w. .. Davies headed the commit
tee which asked for the designations
OF Messrs. Rupel and elem. The
conference started shortly after
O'Clock. Mr.. Davies opened the ses-
sion by stating that the committee
had come 10 try 10 help the mayor
help the school situation. After q
few remarks along this general line
he introduced Rev Charles Lippin-
colt OF the First Presbyterian
church. Or. Lippincott explained
that he fully appreciated the diff
eulties TO which the mayor was sub
jected and that the committee did
not desire 20 make his position more
g
was no antagonism toward the adj
ministration-that the committee
represented every political shade in
the city, every religious creed and
had no partisan motive. only the
purpose of trying 10 clear up the
school situation and eliminate the
continual wrangles that are crop
ping out in South Bends school sys-
tenn.
DcnOunces InsinuatiOns.
The public school system is dear
70 the people, declared Rev. Lppin-
colt. There is no one feature of
civic affairs in which the interest
OF the people is more easily
aroused"
He then went on to explain the
Investigations he had made relative
To the montgomery affair and the
rejection which had been east upon
the former superintendent charac-
ter by the yelled insinuations of
Messrs. Rupel and elem. He told
how each of these rAlmors had been
run down and found baseless.
Both Mr. Glenn and MT Rupel had
told him that they knew nothing
that reflected upon the character of
Mr.. Montgomery but that Mr.. Rupel
came out i'm The Ncws-Times with
an interview i'm which insinuations
were cast against the mans moral
character.
Name should BE Cleared.
II believe that Mr.. Montgomery
was done q great injustice" asserted
Rev. Lippincott. And this is the
belief of a vast majority of the peo-
pie. He was dismissed with these
rumors rejecting upon his character
and allowed 10 go from this COM
munity with these contamiuies
clinging TO him. Gentlemen. il is a
disgrace 10 South Bend that this
shan should have been allowed 90
leave our city under the fire with
out one man I'm authority stepping
forth 20 vindicate him 10 is a dis
grace upon the men OF this city
You know as we'll as / that neither
school teacher nor "a preacher car
do work with the brand Of Islander
upon him. His service is useless az
long as he bears that faint And ~,
let him go without clearing him o.
these charges