The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-01-30
v. C.EDMONDSONS
STATEMENT HELD
TO Be APOLOGY
Continued From First Page.)

to reports made to me as custodian
Of the property of the schools. I'm
sorry the ladies connected with the
Parent-Teacher association have taken
umbrage at my report, and I'm sorry
that the boys at Central high school
| feel they have been insulted. No insult
was Intended to anyone connected with
Central high school who is and always
doing his proper 9uty' rnMoNDsoN,
Jan. 20, 1919"
The special meeting OF the board of
education Wednesday night was the
result Of a mass meeting at {, II. ).
Wednesday afternoon. Participating In
this meeting were the entire student
Parent-Teacher Associations, members
of the faculty and Hardwig Peres, pres
ident of the school board.
Indignant protests and wholesale de-
malls were made Of the charges Of
drunkenness and thievery at the dance.
Or, G. II. Williamson, pastor of the
First Presbyterian chCurch, made a
stirring address to the assembly, which
was wildly cheered by those in attend
anCe.
Among the other speakers were Mrs,
Berry Brooks and Mrs, T. f, Kelley,
Mrs. Brooks is president of the c.. II,
S, Parent-Teacher association.
, A committee was appointed by
Charles Williamson, president of thu
February graduating class, who wa'
elected chairman of the meeting, to In
vestigate the charges preferred by Ed,
mondson. The committee was composed
4 Of, besides Williamson, Jake Felt, Franz
l., Longinotti, Fred c. Deupree, r.
Robinson, Jr,. and Austin Carey, formei
u president of the c. II. s. alumni,
Their findings proved to be denials o
Y all charges except that of cigare
smoking, which was partially denied /
A that there were considerably less tina
u 500 stumps Of cigarets found next da,
The committee, after summoning wit
4 nesses, found that the dance was give
" by permission OF Prof, w. S. Jones; tina
n there was no drunkenness among thos
IA present, that there was no thievery {
the schools equipment, and the track
Of only one automobile on the campus
Proof Or Apology Demanded.
As a result, of this finding, .whic
II specially called meeting of the, scho'
4 board, the committee voted to linstru'
n the delegate to come back with eitht
M Edmondson's proof Of his charges
a promise of a public apology to Il
# student body.
n When the school board meetiI
"a opened, Mrs. Brooks and Mrs. +. ]
committee of the c, II. $, Paren
Teacher association, spoke bitter d
nunciation of the charges against Il
dance at Central last Friday night,
E was announced that the dance W
chaperoned by Prof. c. p. Jester, pri
cipal Of the school; Mr.. and Mrs, Der
Brooks, Mr.. and Mrs. S. j. Smith, N
and Mrs. +. E. Brown, and Miss E
Posert, niece of Hardwig Peres, pre-:
dent of the school board.
All of these registered vigorous a
indignant protest against the charg
preferred by Mr.. Edmondson. They d
z nounced them as false; that everyo
a present conducted himself or herself
an entirely orderly and proper mann'
and that there was no thievery col
mitted whatever.
Charges Not Backed.
Mrs. L. w. Hale was the first one
speak at the meeting Wednesday mig.
Teacher associations In Memphis. a
that when one of them was the objt
OF an injustice, all Of them were imp
Gated, hence It vas her duty as oh
Of the federation to take an act
part.
I'VE stand for the highest OF moth
hood" she declared, ''and are dee
III concerned over the welfare of our On
dren. If Mr., Edmondson had wan,
the real facts, he could have got,
them. We want to know where 4
E~dmondson got his information
Mrs. Brooks followed, denounclng
charges as false and demanding to KIN
the author of them, She announ'
that the dance was advertised az
assembly at the c.. II, s., besides
~ the newspapers, and that everyone
the school knew OF its approach.
When Edmondson had his say, he
clared he had said nothing against !
ladies' at the dance, nor, the STUD,
mention of the dance and the char
in reference to It. He declared he ov