The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-05-11
SCHOOL TRUSTEES
REMOVED BY BOARD
Decision L. unanImous-Petltlons From
Patrons For Successors to Be
Received May 81.

moved as trustees of the James NJ. Tate
Smith Hughes Agricultural School at
Roberts Gonzalez, for failure to dis
charge their duty. by unanimous decision
Of the County Board Of Public Instruc-
ton, Judge e. D. Beggs, chairman, John
H Pace and c. E. Graham, yesterday.
The two trustees were charged with
over righteousness in the affairs of the
school, and with receiving and holding
funds from two separate sources for the
purchase Of a stereopticon for the school.
keeping secretive from the school board
the fact that funds were received from
the Gonzalez Improvement Association
for the purchase of the stereopticon and
from the association that funds were
held from the district money.
The board ANNOUNCED that it would be
in session May p to receive petitions
from patrons of the school for successors
to be named for the three vacancies now
existing on the board of trustees, A.
G. Hudson, the third member of the
board Of trustees having resigned some
time ago.
The decision was made following hear
ings held by sthe Board Of Public In
struction at different times during the
past several weeks, the removal of the
trustees being petitioned by M. o. Bag
gett, T. L. Barrineau and r. 1. Bradley.
The plaintiffs were represented by w.
HI. Watson and the defendants by R.
Pope Reese. The two defendants were
absent at the hearing yesterday, Grice
in Savannah on business and Wilder at
Point Washington on business. All mem
bers Of the school board were present.
When the decision was announced by
Judge Beggs after the board had been
in private session for short while fol-
lowing the close Of the hearing and adj
dresses by counsels, r. p. Reese attorney
for the defense, filed exceptions because
the board had not reported on each point
Of it's findings.
A comprehensive presentation of the
evidence submitted during the different
hearings was made by Watson, counsel
for the plaintiffs in his address before
the board.
Reese, counsel for the defendants, made
q lengthy address to the board and called
to the attention OF the board the appli-
cation Of the Golden Rule and that it
was human to err but divine to forgive.
Reese took occasion to score reports
of the case in newspapers saying that
the widespread publicity was damaging
to the defendants character.
Additional witnesses heard yesterday
were: A. S. Edwards, county superin-
tendent Of public instruction; Miss Ju-
lette Hamilton, Smith Hughes home
economics teacher in the James M. Tate
school: Professor ]. c. Phelps, principal
of the school and A. G. Hudson, trustee,
resigned.
Edwards, first on the witness stand,
said that in conversation with T. u. Bar
rineau he first learned by chance re-
mark Of the trustees having funds from
the Gonzalez Improvement Association
for the purchase Of the stereopticon, this
being after warrant had been issued and
money drawn from the district funds by
Wilder for the purchase of the stereop
ticon. In regard to the letter of Febru-
airy 30, written by the trustees and ad-
dressed to the members of the faculty
of the school which Phelps charged vir-
tually to make Miss Glennie Malone prin-
cipal, Mr.. Edwards said it was his first
cognizance of any serious trouble. In
a discussion he said he told the trustees
that they had no right to give any Or
ders in the internal affairs of the school.
Edwards said that A. G. Hudson spoke
to him OF trouble brewing in the school
and suggested he use any influence he
might with the other two trustees urg-
ing them to not interfere any further
in the internal affairs of the school.
Miss Hamilton in the witness chair
said that the trustees had given certain
orders governing the internal affairs of
the school in the letter of February %.
That there was discussion and objection
by her to certain classes being given her
outside of her Smith-Hughes work which
interferred with her properly carrying
out that work. Miss Hamilton testified
that at a joint faculty and trustee meet
ing held shortly after the receipt of the
letter that Professor Phelps strongly OBJ
jected to the action of the trustees in
giving to Miss Malone, in the sense of the
letter, the authority of principal. She
testified in effect that Wilder at that
meeting informed the teachers present
that Miss Malone in accordance with her
duties as assigned her by the trustees,
would within the next few days report
on the work Of each teacher in the
school to the trustees and that these
reports would be used by the trustees in
determining the faculty for the next year.
She said at the meeting that Wilder in
sisted to Professor Phelps that he was
not willing to cooperate with the trus-
tees.
When questioned by counsel as to any
complaint Of her work, Miss Hamilton
said that the first knowledge she had of
such was when, about April 1, Miss Lucy
Cushman, state director Of Smith
Hughes home economics work, came out
to the school at Gonzalez to see her.
She said that Miss Cushman said she
had come out because of letter received
by her from j. G. Grice complaining of
Miss Hamilton's work in the school in
reference to a soiled dishcloth. She said
derstand the complaint coming from
Grice and not through the county sup
erintendents office and that first going
to the superintendent office she found
he had no knowledge of any such COM
plant. Miss Hamilton testified that she
had understood that the trustee had
visited her department Of the school dur
ing her absence. not on school day,
after which the complaint followed to
Miss Cushman. No complaint of her
work had been made to her, she said, by
the trustees, and they seemed to be sat
isfied with her work. Miss Hamilton
testimony showed much friction to exist
between the trustees, the principal and
some OF the assistants. She testified
that Miss Malone, the assistant princi-
pal requested the trustees to outline her
authority in black and white that no
question might arise in the faculty.
Professor Phelps gave testimony which
corroborAted previous testimony given,
bringing out the fact that while he knew
Wilder to have access to two sources for
funds to paw for the stereopticon he did