Morning journal and courier., 1891-10-14
SERIOUS oHAReEs MADE.

 piac Drawbridge Accused of Neg
 lecting His Duties-His Defense n
 General Denial of the Accusations | -What Was Done at the Meeting of l
 the Joint Committee of Investiga. |
 ton Last Evening.
 A meeting of the joint committee of the board of public works and the select men to investigate the charges brought against E. M. Futile, bridge tender of the Quinnipiac bridge, was held last eve ming in the rooms of the town agent. The charges against MT. Futile were brought by W. A. Wright, warden of Fair Haven East. He was placed under oath at the meeting and charged that Futile negleets his duties, that the station on the bridge provided for him has been abandoned, and that he remains beyond the hearing of the signals to open the draw. The full text of the complaints, which were pre- scented to the committee by MT. Wright and which he swore to under oath, are as follows:
 l. There have been three lives lost on the Quinnipiac bridge.
 g. The buildings are abandoned and in a filthy condition.
 3. The horse is left on the bridge hitched to the pole and not hitched at the head, stands across the bridge, stopping up one passage for hours when not in use.
 A. The boat for life saving is useless for that purpose by reason of where kept, and during the rainy season was not baled out for weeks, and is now laying with one row lock and no scull hole, and could not be got at in time to save life.
 g. The buildings are left open all night.
 G. The bell is not rung before closing gates, and people are caught in gates be- cause not warned by him, his eyes at times being fixed or stare so as to be in trance.
 T. Lights are not placed on gates when opened after dark.
 8. Much of his time is passed in store when horse is on bridge. When Captain Mckenzie was watching on bridge he opened more times some days than Futile and always good part of the time alone.
 9. Futile allows children to play around the gates and pass around them on and off draw, when in motion, which is very dan gerous. Futile never warns them and is not that kind of man for fear of what some of them might say at home.
 10. The sloop Tormentor, Captain Wood house, went up and down twice, unable to get through the bridge, while Futile was ID cerCa1n stoHe auu Ino AoIso Was oA LILO bridge.
 Il. The schooner Dan Sooy, Captain I. Potter, has been obliged to anchor.
 12. Schooner Shelluy for Luddington & Mansfield could not get through the bridge and in consequence ran ashore.
 13. Many other vessels, tugs and sharpies without number have been unable to get through the draw.
 14. Bridge has stuck fast, tried to pull it of with the c. w. Hoyt. The snow had melted and ran in on end of draw, froze fast late at night. Futile came from ashore where he had spent nine hours, and although the bridge had been in such 8 condition every winter, and he had cut it out in two minutes, his mental condition that day was such that he could not find the difficulty or get the draw open. A MT. Martin went out and saw at once what the trouble was and cut it loose, the shaft was cut by the extra strain and had to be removed at public expense soon after.
 15. Since I made complaint I have been annoyed in every possible manner on bridge, and also closing gates in front of me with one sharpie below wire mill wharf, and also by insulting looks and ac- tions and threat to do me up. Stepping in front of horse with turn lever trying to have me hit it with horse, and threatening to go for me politically.
 r. His brother William is not suita- ble person to tend the bridge, and he is left there many times, the bridge ten der keeps fast horse and rides great deal, parts of the day.
 F. His father is an old man and has been left to attend the bridge at times this sea- son and has broken the gate gear by not understanding or forgetting to work it. A or1 rr1ar onrfoiy, ai, do not think Futile would be made to life or property of the public
 IS. September 3-His brother William
 was on bridge and worked the draw after dark, no bell struck and no light shown. Later, at 7:45 p. m., steamer o. w. Hoyt passed up, draw opened for her by Will liam. A. L. Wright passed on bridge, gates open, and Wright's team collided lever. Officer Doody was on bridge at the time. was on bridge a few moments after collision and tried gates, which can- not be showed open by hand when the bridge is in proper position.
 19. October Il, draw not screwed up. Futile was off two weeks from post 6 o'clock to 9:30 o'clock p. m. Word came to me about 8:15. l went down and warned passers-by, and went to Tuttle's house but found him out. Left word for him to come to bridge as soon as he re- turned. waited until Officer Doody came from the fire, then left him to warn the people until Futile came. The house was not locked at 9:15 p. m.
 MT. Wright was examined by the mem bers of the committee specifically and e1- plicitly under oath as to each charge made by him. MT. Wright also presented the following:
 Some if not all the members of this joint committee have had reasons given them why made complaint of the careless ness, negligence and inattention of Bridge Tender Futile. Now, the reasons given by the defendant and some of his friends are scandalous and untrue, and reflect upon my character as a man, as 8 father, and as a public officer, and are the creation of disordered brain, and will not, l think, reflect to the credit of the traducer, for if permitted by the joint committee propose to prove that my motives were as follows, and not as has been given to you and some others:
 First-A year before I complained the neglect became scandal, and last fall ] spoke to Futile and warned him that the public were complaining of his neglect, and he promised to do better. Last winter was laid up and did not get out until January. l then came out on crutches, and soon saw that there was a much worse neglect of his duties than in the fall, but Captain Mckenzie, who was hired as watchman, was fulfilling the greater part of MT. Tut ties duties and the public were not con- blaming so much, but when the gates were completed and Mckenzie discharged, the service was very poor and warned Futile that he would get into trouble unless he did better. More promises were made by him, but no improvement. I then went to his nearest friends and asked them to try and influence him to attend to his pub lie duties and they did so but without suc- cess, he meeting them with denial that he was off the bridge and in the store and has from that time grown more inattentive and spent more time day and night in the
 store and barn and neglected his buildings,
 his boat and all things that belong to his
 public duties as bridge tender until I saw plainly that his mental condition had
 become such when certain parties were around that it could never be reasonably expected that he would be a safe person for the responsible duties of caring for the
 public duties and lives that cross the bridge. MT. Charles Wright appeared before the committee and after being duly sworn stated: I have made no charges whatever. l went to Mayor Sargent and asked him
 who had charge of the bridge, the city or
 town. He said both. I then said that