Weekly Chemawa American., April 06, 1912, Page 13, Image 13

T H E SCHOOL R E PU B L IC IN IN D IA N SC H O O L S.
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the McCabe School State, an organization of the pupils of Public
School No. 109, in the Borough of Brooklyn, New Y ork C ity, formed
for th e purpose of teaching self-governm ent.
It was F rid ay and the school w ork was over. From each class room,
groups of children em erged and proceeded to the assembly hall, w here
the trials were held. W ith in a few m inutes, th ere were about eight
hundred boys and girls seated and eagerly aw aitin g the opening o f the
C ourt. H ere and th ere the sheriffs quieted the noisy th ro n g . Of this
there was little need, for, as soon as th e ju stice had appeared on the
scene, the C ourt atten d an ts, two stu rd y youngsters, closed the doors,
and th e audience became silent and orderly, ready to look and listen.
I'rom the day of its in stitu tio n , th is C ourt has been a novelty, and such
it rem ains to this day.
T he justice, one of th eir own num ber elected by the pupils, has
m ounted the platform in front of the room. By his side, two other boys
are seated: one is the attorney-general who prosecutes the accused and
th e other acts as clerk. At a nod from the justice, the clerk begins to
call the “ c a le n d a r.” T h is is a list of the cases th at are to be tried.
One copy of the “ calen d ar” had been posted on the bulletin board in the
yard, so th at any citizen of th e School S tate m ight know when and
w hat cases would come up for trial. A second copy had 1>een given to
th e judge. T he clerk calls out in a loud voice:
“ T hose whose nam es are called answ er R e ad y .’ Sheriff, please a n ­
swer for all absentees, g iv in g reason for such absence.”
T he clerk then proceeds to call the nam es of some th irty defendants.
M any of them answ er, “ R ead y .” Now and th en , the sheriff of a
certain city or class room will step forw ard and explain th at John Sm ith
has been discharged from school and is now w orking: or Jam es Jones
has been transferred to another school. In such cases the clerk notes
th e answ er on his records and the C ourt dism isses the case for w ant of
jurisdiction. In the mean tim e, the ju d g e has also m arked on his
calendar the cases th at are ready and now rises and says:
“ McCabe School S tate against H arry Brown, H arry Brown, step for­
w ard . ’ ’
From some w here in front of the room, one of the boys arises and
w alks to the platform , w here he listens to the charge against him.
T akin g up a w arrant, the judge reads:
“ H arry Brown, it is herew ith charged th a t on M onday, the te n th day
of Jan u ary , 1912, you did com m it the offense of calling M orris Bright
n am es.”
“ You have heard the charge. W hat do you plead, g u ilty , or not
g uilty?”