The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-20
fAGE 10 -.
PROBE INTO
H. s. BLAST
is CONTINUED
Father Still Is Firm in
Attitude CriticiSing
School Heads.

Further investigation into the in
juries sustained by Joseph Hancock
Jr., 16-year-old Washington high
school student threatened with the
loss Of an eye as result of an ex-
plosion in the laboratory Of the
school Dec. 7, was scheduled for to-
day.
AL Feeney, state safety director,
was to confer with the boys father,
Joseph Hancock Sr., city fireman, Of
ii South Mount street, at the state
house today. Mr. Hancock was un-
able to throw any light on the ma
ture of the conference but said he
had been requested to come to the
Office Of the state safety director.
The boy was reported to be slight
ly improved today. His father said
1t was necessary to ban visitors at
Methodist hospital as th:y made
Joseph nervous. A steady stream Of
wishers, including the entire
high school football team, have
visited the boy since the accident.
CrIticlSes "CareleSSneSs
Mr.. Hancock did not recede from
his attitude that the school authori-
ties had been careless in their
handling of his sons injury.
The boy was turned out and al
lowed to walk several squares TO a
doctor in the neighborhood of the
school first" he said today. Then
he procured a ride downtown by
luck when fellow student who &C
companied him hailed a boy he
knew in an automobile. All the
while, Joe had only his pocket
handkerchief to stem the flow Of
blood from his injured eye"
Mr.. Hancock said that so far the
physicians in charge of the case had
been content to fight to save the
boys left eyeball. The fight to save
his sight will come later, according
to the father.
They fear Joe will be in the hos
pital a long time said Mr.. Han
cock
Treatment Is Defended
Defense of the treatment given
the youth following the accident
was presented today by Walter G.
Gingery, Washington High princi-
pal
The boy was rushed to the school
nurse, after the accident, by a
chum," Mr.. Gingery said. The
nurse found it was too serious a
case for her to handle and the
chum rushed John to the office of
DR. P. w McCarty, about two
blocks away. DR.. McCarty has
been very good about taking care
of injury cases for the school.
Realizing the gravity Of the case,
Dr. McCarty ordered the boy taken
to the office of a specialist down.
town. and called the school to OBJ
tain transportation and report the
boys condition.
while he was telephoning, Johns
chum and several other boys hailed
a friend passing in car, and took
John to the downtown physicians
Office"
Gives Teacher Support
While j. c. Nelson, instructor in
charge of the experiment, does not
hold a license to teach chemistry,
DR.. Gingery said, he does hold Ii
censes to teach general science and
physics. under either of which he
could have demonstrated the eX-
pertinent. In addition, he said, Mr..
Nelson has had chemistry instruc-
ton at Indiana university.
The accident is one that could
have happened to any one" he
said. 1.-THE boys father and mother
have realized this and their atti-
tude has been excellent from the
start"
Mr.. Gingery said school admin
istration offices we're notified CT the
accident Immediately by telephone,
and formally with a written report
shortly afterward.
Superintendent Paul c. Stetson
said that while the accident is eX-
tremely regrettable, everything was
done that could have been done
under the circumstances.
He said he saw no reason for 1e-
porting the incident to the state
fire marshals Office, since there was
no fire.