The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-12-14
TEACHER BEATS
LAD WHO WOULD
NOT SAY THANKS
Caruthers Says Cletis McCul-
Tough Whipped Ester
Grader with C0whide.
TEACHER Is ASKED
TO PLEAD GUILTY
Cape County Woman Instructor
Also Charged With Assault
ing Pupil.

! Prosecuting Attorney J. Henry Ca
ruthers announced yesteruay after
noon that he had advised the father OF
. C!ctIs Mccullough, teacher of thu
Hickory Grove School, near Grave
Hill, TO haveshis son plead guilty to :
charge Of assault and battery prefer
red by a pupil Of the school, and pay
= fine. If he would not take this adj
wee, tie prosecuting attorney SAID, nc
would press the charge against the
teacher with The view of imposing
more severe punishment.
The boy, vino preferred the charge
:.ga;nat Mccullough, is Vcster Grader,
The sol Of Marshall Grader, i we'll
known iarmn. The f;,hcr laid ths
ease before the prosecuting attorney
and also showed tie official several
blue marks across the lads shoulders,
made, the child said, with cowhide
whip.
Nj. Grader told CarutheIs his son
had been whipped because he had re-
fused to thank little girl for g box
he had received from her. The teach
or asked his son to thank the pupil
and when the boy refused, the teach
CT proceeded to whip him brutaily. The
teacher struck the Id ten times Oh
the legs and then asked him TO re
move his coat, Whcreupon he beat the
boy with the heavy end of the hide,
% the father told tc prosecuting at
torney.
The assault was halted by large
10y in the schoolroom. the father said,
Several children in the class had ex-
pressed their sympathies for the boy,
when the largest of the class arose
and reminded the teacher that he had
whipped the boy too much. This, the
father said, stopped the punishment.
The evidence against the teacher
Prosecuting Attorney CaIUthers said,
vas so strong that he advised the
"ather OF the teacher TO have the
teacher plead guilty to the charge.
This would be the easiest way to avoid
q long court procedure and 10 settle
the matter. the prosecutor said.
The past record Of the accused
teacher. the prosecuting attorney said,
vas the only recommendation for him.
was appointed teacher Of
the Hickory Grove school in 1918. His
record for that year so pleased the
School Board that an increase in sal
airy was awarded him. Inasmuch a
this was the first incident that occur
red in the school to cause any com
a'aint TO be made against Mccullough.
the prosecuting attorney thought it
advisable 20 impose the lightest pun
permissible by law, provided
the defendant would plead guilty to,
the charge.
"The boy showed plain marks of
said the prosecuting
attorney, when the father brought
The boy before ne. This was fully a
week after the lad had been punished.
The relations between the boy and the
teacher up to that time seemed to!
nave been very friendly, and it seems
tutor lost control Of himself"
Another complaint was made against
Miss Lizzie Bramlet, Of Whitewater,
, public school teacher at Handles.
This complaint was preferred by L. o
C1roseclose Of Randles. who says his
5-year old son, Harry, was unmcrciful-
y beaten by Miss Bramlet last week.
Large welts are said to have hceH
found on the boys legs where he was
struck with a whip. The boys leg
began to swell so badly that two phys
clans were called by the father, who
feared the boy had been internally
lurt.
The father said his son had on
heavy underwear and that still the
marks of the punishment were to be
seen plainly on his legs. It is said,
however. that the least corporal pun
shment would cause the boys legs to
swell and that this would not indicate
any cruelty in this case.
Miss Bramlet, who enjoys an excel
ent record for i number of years, told
the father she had punished the boy
because of disobediencc. 1t is not
known whether the father Of the lad
viii insist upon prosecution. The
attorney has taken the
case under advisement, and is still In
doubt whether to act