Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 February 1918 — Flog Child; Two Teachers Arrested [ARTICLE]

Flog Child; Two Teachers Arrested

Paul Musselman, superintendent of the Camden schools, and George Barnes, grade teacher in the Camden schools, were placed under arrest Wednesday on a-double charge of assult and battery. They were each placed under S2OO bond for their appearance at the March term of court, and upon giving bond were released. The plaintiff in the case is Carl Leslie, young son of Mr. and Mrs. T. H. Leslie, of Camden, who is a pupil in the room which is under charge of Mr. Barnes. The affair which brought about the charges happened Thursday of last week when, as the story goes, the two strapping teachers used a piece of rubber hose pipe to chastise the young boy, in an effort to force him to confess to a crime of which he claims he was not guilty. As a result of the awful beating the boy was confined to his bed for several days, and for that reason the filing of charges against his assailants was held up for nearly a week.

It is said the boy was charged with stealing a pair of gloves beonging to a classmate, and when faced with the charge, he stoutly leld out that he was innocent, and then, according to the story, the teacher and superintendent took lim to the basement and proceeded to give the “third degree” in an effort to make the boy confess to the charge. When threats failed to bring forth a confession, the lad was doubled across a bench, and while Musselman held him down, larnes wielded the hose pipe, every jlow leaving large welts on the frail little body. The citizens of the town and patrons of the school were very much worked up over the affair and it is said that only the prompt action of cooler heads prevents a similar chastising being administered to the two teachers charged with the beating of the boy. The boy’s father was in Delphi Wednesday and filed the charges against the teachers and their case will come up at the March term of the Carroll circuit court. They each furnished bond in the sum of S2OO and were released. They have employed Judge C. R. Pollard to defend them. '

The matter has been placed before County Superintendent . Armstrong and there was strong talk among the people of Camden of circulating a remonstrance against the teachers completing the school term. The outcome of the case will be watched with interest throughout the county.—Monticello Journal."