The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1923-06-23

. ststsIw " any senool Ia tbs !,
room where applications of cold
water were given his face and, the
back Of his neck. He scrubbed his
face with paper until it was red.
Mrs. Mcleod charged that Alex
ander's face showed his teachers
finger. prints. Miss Bark. main
tanned that the red streaks on the
boys face came from too hard q
rubbing with the paper toweling.
She also refuted the charge of
taking Alexander roughly by the
neck with the allegation that she
was not physically strong enough
to take an active 11-year-old boy
roughly by the back of the neck.
Further than that, she stated that
she was not teacher who tried
to practice cave-woman stunts.
Mr.. Watterson, by the way, filed
a petition, signed by 228 Park
Pointers, expressing confidence in
Miss Hanson and asking that she
be. retained as principal, for an
other year.
Mrs. Walter Marvin, for many
years a resident of Park Point,
but now living at Lakeside, spoke
in behalf of Miss Hanson, as did
other women who were present. q
Truant, officer Doughty was
present and briefly told of his In
vestigation Of the rough treatment
Of little Dorothy and his investiga-
ton Of the strapping. He did not
appear to believe that the dis
cipline had been too strenuous.
John L. Morrison, a patron OF
the Park Point school, declared
that he admired Mrs. McLeod's
mother-love, but that two Of hel
boys terrorized the Point at various
times and in various ways. He
expressed the opinion that, had the
boards executives acted promptly
and not permitted the aggrieved
patrons to feel that they were
being brushed aside and ignored
there would not. have BEEN 90
serious "a rupture OF peace and
harmony in the Park Point district
He spoke highly Of Mr.. Hanson Of
q citizen and thought that, had
that gentlemen not felt that the
school authorities were trpfaying
horse" with him, he would NOT
have become so sadly aggrieyed.
The strap, by the way, was
present and in evidence. It was q
light leather razor strop, Of single
thickness, rather thin and light and
very flexible. 1t was unstitched and
had no metal trimmings. It was
I very weak instrument OF punish.
ment, compared with the stiff and
heavy pieces of harness leather
with which boys were chastised
by the stern old grangers where
the old head-sawyer was reared
He also declared that very stern
Discipline was needed by many Of
the pupils in that school.
Miss Hanson, the principal told
her side of the story. She declared
that only five blows were given
each boy, as he was stretched across
the seat of a chair, face downward
She stated that she did not strar
boys across the back, because Of
danger Of spinal injury. but aimed
to plant the strokes In the proper
place, so wisely provided by Mothe,
Nature. ID. 20.
Miss Hanson said that the rec;p'
tents Of the strapping showed
splendid spirit. Some Of them ad'
mitted that they got just what they
| deserved. She was much pleased
with the reaction that followed the
strapping. One little cutup was sc
happy after the storm-clouds rolled
by that he even Rugged his prin
cipal. Since then, the little boys
have shown deep regard for her.
supt. Bentley also spoke In good
spirit and admitted that more sym
pathy and cooperation between
parents, teachers and school author.
tiles was needed. He did not think
however, that the pupils In the
Park Point School were any worse
than those In the other schools.
During the hearing, 1t was brought
out by a number Of witnesses tina,
at least some of the commotlon
over last November's strapping had
been stirred up through neighbor-
hood differences.
It did not take the committee
on schools and teachers long to
prepare a statement in which Miss
Hanson was exonerated. Signed by
R. J. Coole and Mrs. julius H
Barnes, that statement was as FOL
lows, viz: a-~~
"The committee listened to the
charges against the administration
of the Park Point school, as pre-
ferred by Olaf Hanson, Mrs. doe
Vandenberg, and Mrs. b. r. Berg
marker. Those charges were that
Miss Hanson, principal Of the Park
Point school, had inflicted inhuman
and unnecessary punishment on
their boys. The committee heard
statements made by these parties
and by. other residents OF Park
Point and also by officers OF the
schools, ts>., !,
"The committee wishes to re-
port, after carefully considering the
evidence presented, that It cannot
sustain any of the charges pres
ented. -