CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 277, 15 August 1908, Page 5

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT.

CHARGE AGAINST A SCHOOLMASTER, INFORMATION DISMISSED. A school teacher named Donald Murray Poison, headmaster of the Northland School, appeared at the Magistrate's Court yesterday,, in answer to a charge of having, on August G, at Northland, "assaulted and beat" Mary Florcnco Cahipion, twelvo years of age. Mr. W. I'. James, S.M., presided. Mr. Hindmarsh appeared for complainant, and Mr. .Myers for defendant. Clement Watson, headmaster of the Willis 1 Street School, stated that thero wero general regulations; dealing with tho punishment of'school children, which stated that cqrporal punishment should only bo inflicted by the head teacher in serious cases. As. far as witness knew,' girls were generally punished on tho hands with a strap or a cano. It was not customary, as far as his experience went; to punish girls on any pare of the body but the hands. To Mr. Myers: Tho cano produced was a suitable cane. It was not a very formidahlo one. Thicker canes were often used. To tho Court i Witness would not say tho punishment described in this case was exceptionally severe. ■ Mary Florence Campion stated, that she Was twelvo years of ago, and was in tho fifth standard. On August 6, another girl scholar was sitting in front of witness, who saw her hair ribbon falling and took it off and gave it to the other girl. The master called her out and hit her over the legs with a cane. She' scrcamed, as it hurt her. To Mr. Myers: Sho had not pulled' tho girl's hair, hut had seen others do it when the master was working at tho blackboard. The master had said if it did not stop ho would have to punish someone. Mr. Poison had told her that if sho did not stop funning he would' havo i to punish her. Her mother and father did ikot like her to bo punished, and had told her to tell them if she'was caned, as they had said sho was not to be punished. Mr. I'olson had been teaching her shorthand free of charge, but since the caning slip and her sisters had left tho school. Tho scholar who was sitting in front of the girl Campion gave corroborative evidence as* to the caning., She felt a slight tiig at . tho back of her head and then saw tho hair' ribbon on the desk. Cross examined by Mr. Myers witness said that Mary Campion had pulled her hair ribbon off half a dozen times this year. , • ■ Another scholar also gavo as to the caning. Dr. M'Gavin stated that ho examined tho little girl Campion and found three elongated transverse bruises on tho calf of the logs. The leg was swollen and tender. Such marks would account for a pain in tho thigh. To Mr. Myers: The bruises wero such as might havo been mado by tho cano (produced). i " Mrs. Campion, mother of tho child alleged to, havo been assaulted, said .the child's legs wero bruised and much swollen, and tho child had complained of being ill since sho Was caned. To Mr. Myers: Mr. Campion had told the child that if sho was punished .severely at school sho was to como home. Witness and her husband objected t6 their children being punished corporally at school. Tho child was a good child, and did not need, punishing. Witness never punished tho children horsol!. ■ His Worship: "Perhaps it would be hotter if you did occasionally." This concluded tho case for tho prosecution. His Worship did not consider it necessary too Call on tho evidenco for tho defence. Ho considered tho evidence showed that tho punishment was not unreasonable. It was necessary for tho control of public schools that somo corporal punishment should b'o inflicted.. It would perhaps he better that tho punishment should he confined to tho Imnds, but authorities differed on this point. The parents, in this instanco, ho considered, Wero to blaiiio for bringing such a caso into Court. Tho information woiild bo dismissed, costs £1 Is. being allowed defendant.