Corpun file 22378

The New York Times, 5 October 1880

A Teacher Tried For Whipping a Boy.

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PORT JERVIS, N.Y., Oct. 4. -- A novel lawsuit came up before Justice Stedd, of Barryville, Sullivan County, a few days ago, based on a charge of assault and battery brought against a school teacher named Reuben Frazier by the parents of one of his scholars, a lad named George Schick, 10 years of age.

The boy, it seems, had tripped up one of the girl pupils in the school, and although he declared he had done it accidentally, the girl slapped his face. He slapped her back, and she complained of him to the teacher, who called them into the school and gave the boy a "moderate" whipping with a strap.

After the punishment, the teacher asked the boy to shake hands with the girl and beg her to forgive him, all of which he did, he says, as ordered. That done, the teacher ordered the lad to kiss the girl, but this he emphatically refused to do. The refusal earned him a second whipping, after which the order was repeated. The boy again refused, and he was whipped again, this time, he alleges, very severely, and was sent home from school.

His story angered his parents, and they had the teacher arrested as stated. The trial drew together a large assemblage of the villagers. The Justice sustained the prisoner in his course and discharged him from custody.