Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1888 — Pedagogue Prosecuted for Punishing Pupils. [ARTICLE]

Pedagogue Prosecuted for Punishing Pupils.

Squire Elias Marion, of Barkley tp, tried a case last Saturday which has excited a good deal of interest in Union and Barkley townships and throughout the the county generally. 11. P, Overton, teacher of Brushwood school, in Union tp., lately pretty severely flogged a couple of girls in his school and their father, or some other persons, caused his arrest, charged with assault and battery. The case was begun before Squire Goff, of Nubbin Ridge, and from there sent to Squire Marion, on change of venue. From the evidence given at the trial and reliable information from other sources it seems that the two girls who were whipped were sisters, 10 and 12 years old, respectively. The immediate offense for which they were castigated was a hair pulling, face spitting scrapping match they were engaged in, in the school house, while school was in session. This misconduct, however, was only the culminating act of a long series of offenses for which, milder punishments had been tried, in vain. The aggravated nature of their misconduct may be understood from the fact that the evidence showed that they were in the habit of putting very obscene writings and pictures on theii: slates and exhibiting them to other pupils in the school. Squire Marion, a just and clear headed man, decided in favor of the school master, and he was acquitted.