The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-18
LAW AND ORDER LEAGUE.
INTERVIEWING HEED AT UNITED
 CHURCH CHAPEL YEsfERDdY.

The annual meeting of the Citizens
 Law ahd order league of Connecticut
 was held in the United church chapel
 in this city at 2;so o'clock yesterday
 afternoon.
 The meeting was called to order by
 s. P. Thrasher. the secretary. On nomi-
 nation Hon. A. II. Conklin of East Ha-
 ven was called to the chair and Rev.
 J. II. James of Rockville was elected
 secretary. Rev. Dr. Dewitt of Branford
 led In prayer.
 The report of the secretary was read,
 with letters In regard to the work of the
 league In other towns, all of which
 were apprved and accepted. W. II. Sessions of Bristol, F.. s. Swift of New Haven and c. D. Warner of An
 sonia were made committee on noml- | nations.
 Mir. A. II. Conkln of East Hampton
 reported the work In the town of Chat ham.
 The financial statement was read by the secretary and accepted.
 The committee on nominations report ed nominating as the advisory board for
 the new year, the following. which was unanimously elected:
 Hon. John H. Perry of Southport, E. P. Bullard of Bridgeport, Prof Francis Wayland of New Haven, Rev. Joseph H. James of Rockville, Dr. George A. Bow | en of Woodstock, Thomas l.. Norton of Lakeville, Hon. Edgar M. Warner of Putnam, Rufus F. Holmes of winsted, l.. c. Colt of Winsted, Rev. Newman Smyth, D. D.. of New Haven, Pierce N Welch of New Haven, Rev. L. w. Bacon, D. D., of Norwich. A. M. Wright of Centerbrook, William E. Sessions of Bristol, A. H. Conklin of East Hampton, s. P Thrasher of New Haven.
 Reports of work were made by Messrs c. D. Warner of Ansonia, F. s. Swift of Woodmont, E. P. Arvine of New Haven, Hon. Wm. E. Sessions of Bristol, J. Y. McDermott of New Haven and Rev. T. Clayton of Berlin.
 Matters of finance were discussed and some subscriptions were volunteered.
 The meeting adjourned at 4:15.
 In the report submitted by Secretary Thrasher he said:
 Our second year has produced exceed ingly satisfactory results. Our first year was more of a "still hunt while the year just closed has been an open bat tie. Reports from all parts of the state show that our work has been very effective. The organization has become well known, and in many places we have put a stop to certain kinds of law breaking, without resorting to the courts. To be specific: A few weeks ago we received a letter from a citizen in a nefghboring town, which read in part as follows: Gan you break up a couple of gambling places in our town? The boys are getting wild over them, but there are so many combinations and connections and reasons why no one here will take it up." I thought this good opportunity to test the influence Of the league as moral force in the state. I took the next train to that town and went directly to the places mentioned, and told the proprietors who l was and why I had come; that their business was illegal and must be stop- ped, and that we would be obliged to proceed against them if they contin- ued. Both agreed to remove their ma chimes and give the citizens no further cause to complain.
 A few days later we received a let ter from our original petitioner contain ing the following:
 "The machines were out the next day and we have had no further trouble"
 Our detective department has been tax ed to it's utmost during the entire year, and l regret that we are unable, for lack of funds. to keep large force con- stantly at work.
 We have employed from one to six detectives most of the time, and have been very fortunate in securing reliable men, in all but one instance, and the circumstances in his case were such as not to injure the organization or to hinder the work materially. Our men have made investigations in thirty-one different towns in the state,and in three other states,viz. New York, New Hamp- shire and Massachusetts. They have in- vestigated 325 suspected places, and have obtained what we term legal evil dence against 269 violaters of the law. In addition to this many local leagues have done splendid work, and have se- cured many convictions without assist ance from our society.
 You are doubtless all familiar with our work in conjunction with the local l league of New Haven under the lead | ership of pr. Smyth, whose intelli- gence, tact and courage has carried | fear into the camp of lawlessness. We | have made an expose in New Haven | which has surprised everybody and | which bids fair to result in a thorough | of official corruption. I | believe we have broken the back of | the worst system of gambling with which the city was infested-that is, policy playing, and we have informa- ton in our possession, upon which we shall proceed along other lines as soon as practicable, both in New Haven and elsewhere. To say that we have succeeded in every place where we nave undertaken work, would hardly | be expected. In two or three places we have utterly failed to secure the information desired, but in each case am satisfied that an honest effort was made to get at the truth and that s all we undertake to do.
 A very important feature of our