The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-09-26
Witte Held
Not Guilty
of Cruelty
Superintendent Of Schools al
Gre,na, Held on Charge
Of Beating Boy.
Freed.
Lad Sobs in Tesdfyng


~ !. Witts. superintendent oi
schools at nr~tns, charged with A.
"ull and battery upon Howard Wat
son, H. on complaint ~ the hoy 4
father, was acquitted yesterday aftsl
trial hAtlng all day before County
judge J n. Wheat AZ Papllllon.
II was alleged that Superintendent
Wi'ls bad beaten young Watson With
piece ~ rubber tubing and had pun
irhsd him ~ severely that numerous
Mslis were left upon the boys BODY.
Judge Wheat, IN glsing his judg
msnt ~ not guilty.. said hs dld not
feel u his duty 70 interfere with the
conduct ~ The public schools where
the evidence did not bring out any
facts ~ fragrant violation of the law.
William II. Patrick. attorney for
the defendant. argued that = school
official was justified In melting out
corporal punishment and quoted the
Bible as justification.
Young ster Cries.
While on the witness stand young
Watson broke down and cried. After
fveminute intermission. during
which the youngster collected him,
self the hearing was resumed.
Witts was arrested Friday by
sheriff Sam startzer OF Sarpy county
on complaint Of the boys father,
Arthur Watson. smploye Of the
standard OH company OF Gratns,
There was no school yesterday IN
Gretna. The teaching staff and
pupils all were at the hearing in
Iapilllon, az We're their parents and
relatives. The court room OF Judge
Wheat was filled TO overfowing with
Interested spectators, and the hearing
was transferred upstairs in the courr
house to the district court room.
Marks OF Lashes.
Witte IL alleged TO have jerked the
Watson boy from line at the school
September IS and TO have beaten him
severely with piece OF rubber hose.
The boys father testified that when
his son came home from school that
night he found from Is 20 20 marks
OF lasbes on his legs, back and arms
Dr. l.. $. Hillsabeck OF Gretna testi-
fed he found one wound or welt six
inches long and an inch and half
wide on the boys back when he was
called TO attend him.
John McAyoy testified: His back
looked like zebra"
Then Howard himself was put on
the witness stand. Iie made good
witness until under cross.exannina-
ton he broke down and cried.
Tube Shown In Court.
Howard told of being jerked out
OF the line by the principal, protest
ing he had done nothing wrong, that
he had not been fighting, and was
taken into vacant room, placed face
down ON chair and beaten about Is
blows with a rubber tubing.
A piece of rubber tubing about one.
fourth Of an inch in diameter was in
troduced IN evidence.
When, Witte was placed on the
stand he admitted he administered
seven blows with the rubber tubing
which he said he had had for eight
years for corporal punishment OF re.
calcltrant boys.
Mrs. Elizabeth Langdon, member Of
The school board. said she had seen
five marks on the Watson boy, that
the school board had met and decided
corporal punishment must be used In
some cases
Denies Fighting.
Several teachers testified they had
seen the Watson boy lighting in the
morning, but the youngster denied
this claiming IL must have been an.
other boy they saw fighting. not him. !
The teachers told the court cor.
poral punishment was used at the |
Gretna school when necessary" in |
the seventh or eighth grades.
why. this boy is only in the fourth |
grade, interposed W. n, Jameson, |
who is assisting County Attorney +, |
=. Nickerson in the prosecution.
The teachers explained the Watson
boy Is large for his age.
Tho hearing started at . this morn
iug and was stili being held late this
afternoon,
s4 a