The Newtown bee., 1891-11-13
FAIRFIELD'S CELLS.
MONDAYS TOWN MEETING
VOTES 500 FOR THEM,
BUT REFUSES TO LAY ADDITION
AL TAXES.

Mondays town meeting brought to-
gether the solid taxpayers and, as Judge
Perry said, the moral element, though in
a minority at the polls, were there with
full power in their hands for the time
being.
The result was that 800 was appropri.
ated for cells in the basement of the
Town hall, though the subject of an ad.
ditional tax was ruthlessly placed under
foot.
David Ii. Sherwood was chairman Of
the meeting, which first considered the
question of cells.
The matter was brought before the
meeting by the motion of Attorney B
Wakeman, seconded by A. E. Rowland
and it brought up the whole question OF
lawlessness in Fairfield.
In advocating the measure, Mr. Wake
man spoke of the loungers to be seen or
the streets on any evening; of the finan
cial benefit that it would be to the town
by saving the city guests in Summer from
the fear of being insulted on the streets
~ Wy i"plOpCA PuliiihE
tobacco smoke into the faces of those
passing and similar offenses. Those ar
rested for criminal offenses now had to be
taken to Bridgeport or Southport for de-
tention.
There seemed a disposition on the part
of some to ridicule the necessity for the
cells asked for.
Maj Bradley asked Albert Turney and
others if they had known of these viola
tions of the law, which they promptly
denied.
Simon Banks said that they had no use
for their cells at Southport and sug-
gested that they be moved to Fairfield.
II. c. Sturges, who once got the town
to vote cells on the floor of the Town
hall that were never built, stemmed the
sentiment against the cells by showing
their necessity. He was in dead earnest
in the matter, for he considered the dis
turbances digrace to civilized COM
munity. There had been peeping in at
windows to see ladies undress. A man
looking for property on which to build
hSLt ldu DCCu sbOnCu anu gave
up the idea of locating here. Citizens
had raised $1,000 to procure private
watchmen and the town was bound to
protect its citizens. The lookup would
be protection of itself, restraining from
lawlessness by the dread of getting into
it, as Mr. Sturges had proved by replies
from other towns where lock-ups had
boyish pranks, but committed by older
persons, like putting up ladder to enter
house where there were no men. These
nuisances must and would be suppressed
for the good name of their lovely town.
Albert Turney had never known but
that ladies could go through the town
with perfect safety. There might be
pranks like the case of the little child
who picked up gravel to throw at him as
he was driving by. He told of drunk
en- young man he had taken in to ride
with him and said that, if the sale of liq-
uor was abolished, every one could go
through the town in safety.
Maj Bradley thought there might be no
trouble after the railroad work was done.
III. G. Sturges said that it was not all
due to railroad men and spoke of young
ladies insulted on the streets by day and
of Sunday night meetings having to be
protected by an officer.
George Eddy made a vigorous appeal
to the moral Christian sentiment of the
community to rise in its might and drive
out the liquor saloons, the cause of the
whole trouble. The Southport lookup,
backed by such sentiment, had put
down lawlessness there. The people, es-
pecially the younger element, had be-
come demoralized. He told of encoun-
tering IL young men on Beers's corner
one night, who jeered at him, but he had
a revolver in each hand and, unless the
community aroused itself to protect its
citizens, they would wake up some morn
ing to find some one dead ON the streets.
Or Donaldson likewise found the key
note OF the troubles in the saloon and the
real need of strengthening of moral back
bone. People were too Indifferent to this
lawlessness. He lives in the vortex of
this trouble, near the station, where the
10 p m train dumps off 10 or Is DRINKS
every Saturday, belching out blasphemy
and obscenity. Their own saloons vom-
tied out their victims at midnight and,
for time. the streets were in terrible
state. Men were not responsible when
drunk and the town needed protection.
Authority was needed, for there was now
none but that Of the deputy sheriff, who
was given the credit of being always
ready to do what he could. The doctor
spoke of the troubles at the Smith place;
of the burglar caught at Betts's store,
who had to be held until they rang up
Bridgeport's police. The fact that $1,000
had been raised to hire officers from out
Of town proved the need of more author
ity at home.
Simon Banks enquired if the lookup
would enforce law; he found the laws
sufficient for his protection.
b. Belts spoke of the need Of the lock-
up for the use Of the two private watch
men in which to detain criminals until
1t would be but small out
lay.
Judge Glover, as usual, struck the
practical key note of the situation by
asking III. G. Sturges for the estimated
cost of the lookup.
Mr. Sturges said that two cells with
brick walls, iron doors, concrete floor
and bars at the windows would cost 500.
two cells were iron cages
built by the Berlin Bridge Co. Mt a cost
OF S4O0.