The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-21
ARE LAYING PLANS.
Water Board Wants,
To Control Police
of Clinton.
THAT'S The WAY IT LOOKS NOW.
Klondikers Are At Seattle
and Are About To
Start East.
THAT'S The WAY IT LOOKS NOW.

Clinton, July 20.-If there is truth in
the thought that coming events cast
their shadows before, then the metro-
politan water board is laying plans to
get control of the police of Clinton
that is to say, such of them as are
paid by the state.
the state maintains policemen in the
towns of Sterling, Boylston and West
Boylston, as well as in Clinton. The
scheme is said to be to consolidate nil
these police under one head, and have
that head responsible to the water
board.
Rumor has it that Inspector Frank
Baldwin of Boylston desires to be chief
Of metropolitan police. He does a great
deal Of work for the board, and is cred
tied with enjoying the confidence of its
members. He is the man who makes
inquiries into the antecedents of men
whom the selectmen have appointed DO
ncemen. 1t is largely upon his report
that the board confirms or refuses TO
confirm the appointments of the select
men Baldwin is deputy sheriff. as
well as an inspector for the wafer.
board, He is credited with being a care
full investigator but his methods have
not found favor with the Clinton au-
thorities
Some statements Baldwin has made
about the nature of his report on
Charles Dudley, have come to the ears
OF the authorities, and they don't like
what they hear. These statements
smack of double dealing. Dudley was
designated by the selectmen to be a
policeman, one Of the three recently
appointed, to be paid by the state. The
water board held up his confirmation
until Dudley withdrew his application
in disgust. In many ways the water
board is dealing with the police cues
ton in way to make matters difficult
for the local authorities.
OF course the water board is required
by law to furnish Clinton sufficient DO
lice protection This provision of the
statute Of 1895 was drafted and Moor
porated because the legislature realized
that the labor of policing the town
would be much increased by injecting
into it large, floating and nondescript
population, bound to contain many
reckless and lawless men.
This has proved to be the case At
present the state is paying nine police
men. They take their orders from the
by the town do, and they are used
wherever the local authorities deem
best
If appearances can be accepted. it has
never pleased the water board 70 CDR
template that the state is paying the
men, and that they are not bossirg
them. Recently they have commenced
what the authorities believe is an in
sidious plan to assert their authority
The first direct act Of assertion be-
gins with the patrol wagon. The town
viii almost certainly refuse to use the
wagon as a result.
Chief Bates asked for four more men
The board decided TO furnish three and
the patrol wagon. This was well
enough. But they instructed Murphy
Bros. to buy the wagon and made an
engagement with them to bring in pri-
soners arrested by metropolitan off,
GERS at 80 cents an arrest. 1t is under
stood that Murphy Bros. have already
purchased the wagon. If so they are
likely to be innocent victims of the row
If not the water board will have to re-
imburse them. These instructions
went with the wagon. 1t was TO be us
ed by the nine men whom the state
pays, and not by any Of the men whom
the town pays, not even by the chief.
This Of course would put the water