Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1901 — TEACHER FINED. [ARTICLE]

TEACHER FINED.

Parker Overton Fined and Costed $43*85 for Assault and Battery Upon a 10-Year-Old Pupil. Parker Overton, who teaches the James school, fourmiles south of town, on the gravel road, was arrested Thursday for alleged brut a lly whipping Clarence, the 10-vear-pld son of Frank Corcoran. The assault was made because the kd laughed at something which caused the whole school to laugh, ns shown by the evidence, and the boy was most brutally beaten. A jury trial was had Thursday night ami twelve men found Overton guilty of assault and battery and the court fined him $1 and costs, 85 altogether. A large number of witnesses were examined, including the lad’s schoolmates, who were unanimous in their testimony as to the cause for the beating and the severity of the same. Dr. English examined the boy’s body and also gave evidence , which was very strong against Overton. The trial showed by Overton’s own evidence that die had taught school for sixteen years and that lie had been arrested twice before for cruelly beating a pupil, but was acquitted. During these sixteen years it is alleged that he has never taught the same school for two terms.

It would seem that a man with so ungovernable a temper as Overton is alleged to have and who has so often been complained of for brutality in phnisliing pupils, should have his license revoked and not be allowed to teach. Barbarity of this kind has no place in 20th century educational methods. The township trustee and a few others of the cotere to which he belongs severely criticise the jury for bringing in the verdict they did, and intimate that the other pupils of the school had been "coached” to swear as they did, but the fact that the twelve men who heard the evidence were unanimous in their verdict of guilty is more convincing than the “yawps” of a few ringsters who hold “party” above justice.