The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1917-10-19
W.T. BOAz DISMISSED
AS SUPERINTENDENT
OF ORPHAN HOME
FACES CHARGES OF IMPROPER
RELATIONS WITH GIRL IN
MATES OF INSTITUTION.
Understood That Former SuPerinten-
eent Denies Guilt and has Vigorous
ly Protested Against The ACCUSE
tons.

W. T. Boaz, minister of the Chris
AN church and one of the founders
# the Tennessee Orphan home, OF
Columbia, has been summarily dis
missed as superintendent Of that in
stitution by the board Of trustees upon
| charges filed against him by the State
| Board of Charities in which he is as
cused of improper relations with girl
inmates OF the orphanage. His sue
| essor has not been chosen, but the
;gIhs mage is being conducted by the
| natron under the close supervision of
members of the board of trustees. 1t
3 understood that C. C. Member, Sec
'etary of the State Board of Charities,
| iii issue statement today or tomor-
| ow setting forth the grounds upon
| ahich he preferred the charges
4gainst Boaz.
investigation was made by the State
Board of Charities in cooperation with
i've members of the board of directors
with special reference to the manage
ment of the home and the care of the
inmates, the life and character of the
superintendent Charges of gross i'm
morality involving criminal liability
| on the part OF BoaZ, were preferred
against him by several former inmates
of the home, who under oath and in
| his presence accused him of immoral
! conduct. BCaZ was given every op-
Jortunity to dispro the charges and
| he introduced a number of witnesses
in refutation. The committee of five
after hearing the testimony for sew
eral days were unanimous in their
| decision that BoaZ was not fit to con-
tinue to serve as superintendent of
the institution and they dismissed
him. Further testimony will be taken
next week.
The order dismissing Boaz follows:
Nashville, Tenn, Oct. 9Th, 1917.
We, the committee selected by the
representative of the State, c.. C.
Member, Secretary of the Board of
State Charities. and W. T. Boaz, Su-
perintendent of the Tennessee Or.
phans' Home, Columbia, Tennessee, to
nYes igate certain charges affecting
the character and work of the said W.
T. Boaz, after having made sufficient
inquiry into said charges, do find that
". T. Boaz is unsuited to the manage
ment and control of the Home and
that the interests of the Home demand
his summarial dismissal. and We
therefore, remove him at once
S. T. HARRISON,
Pres. Board Directors
o. l.. DORTCH,
J. C. McQUIDDY.
J. W. BASHAM,
JNO w. FRY.
The dismissal of Boaz has been un.
Ter consideration for several weeks,
1T about ten days or two weeks ago
ne board, before which he was sum
noned to answer the charges dis
missed him and he has been forbidden
0 appear on the grounds or in the
juildings of the orphanage. This
board is composed of DR.. S. T. Hardi-
on, chairman, of Lewisburg; j. C.
lcQuiddy, OF Nashville; J. W. Fry, J.
Y. Basham and o. L. Dortch, of Co
umbla.
The Tennessee o. phan Home was
1unded about seven years ago, the
uildings being erected in 1909-10. Its
establishment and remarkable success
tas due largely to the untiring efforts
t w. T. Boaz, who before beginning
! his work was pastor of the First
| hristian church of Columbia. The
| astitution now has 58 children in its
Il
ONE of hundreds of orphans who
ave been taken care of there 1t is
Imported by the Christian denomina-
| on of the entire state.
The dismissed superintendent is
iarried and has five children. He
as in Columbia last night and has
OF been out of the city for any ex-
ended time since the charges were
ed against him and his later dismis-
al. 1t is understood that he vigorous
protested his innocence before the
'oard of trustees and that he still
maintains that he is not guilty of the
Infamous crime with which he has
,een charged. There is definite infor-
nation that steps have been taken
ooking toward criminal prosecution
+ Boaz at the next term of the circui
curt.