Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-08
WATERBURY BLUE COATS.
Sensational Rumors Floating
 About Town To-Day.

The Boaro ol Public Safety Said to
 Have the Matter in Hand-Whole-
 sale Investigation Will Very Soon Be
 Made-Meanwhile Every Member of
 the Department Is On the Anxious
 Seat.
 There is q ruInor about town to the effect that the police department is 1n trouble and that an Investigation IS being made which will result in bring ins half dozen or more of Chief Egan's finest before the board of pulp lie safety to answer charges preferred against them for--thats the question for what? A reporter of the Demo crit started cut today to get at the bottom of it. but after asking almost everybody whom he thought would be likely 10 know of 1t, he finally gave 1t up. When questioned about the mat ter Mayor Kilduff looked grave, paused and then replied, at the same time eying the reporter rather sus- piciously:
 ' I know nothing about charges being preferred against any of the DO lice officers, but certain investigations are being made at the present time which may lead to the board of public safety calling some of the members before them and asking them q few questions and then taking such action in the premises as they deem proper"
 Are you at liberty to disclose the names of the officers, MT Mayor, and the nature of the investigations that
 
 T am not at liberty to impart to you that information at this time,' an swered his honor rather abruptly. That's all."
 The following was obtained from one in close contact with the matter, and from this it is apparent that either the men fell asleep on their post or else the police department has 8 ma gician.
 About 300 pounds of copper stolen from one of the factories, presumably the Scoville manufacturing concern, was discovered about 4 o'clock Friday afternoon near brook on tue left hand side of the Ieriden road The matter was reported by telephone to the police station. The finder was De- tective Cahey and Doorman Hickey was dispatched to assist him in keep
 
 engagements could be made to keep ,s.p a relay of sentinels. It was the inten- tion of the police to lay in wait expect ing the thief would come to remove the goods. Then it would be an easy matter to surprise and arrest him or them From the time the discovery was made until about o'clock Sunday morning constant. watch was kept on the copper. At the latter hour the sentinels were changed and then it was found that despite the vigilance Of the officers the copper was stolen.
 About o'clock Saturday afternoon the officers then on watch were sur prised to see Deputy Sheriff Rigney and ex-Special Town Constable James Iunny approach and search around for the copper. The latter were equally surprised when they came upon the Of 6cers. The place the copper was in hiding was not revealed to Rigney or Lunny at that time. but later after Rfgney went away, leaving Lunny be hind him to Keep his business eyes open one Of the officers, it Is said, did show Lunny where the copper was. The officers were relieved every four hours or so. It was expected that the thieves would surely show up Sat- urday night while the rain was com ing down in torrents, that being aus picious weather for the removal of stolen goods, and to escape detection. When the last relief was made the new officers asked where the copper was, and when the retiring officers took them to the place they were dismayed to find it gone.
 "Chief Egan is greatly worried over the matter. The question the board of public safety will be called upon to solve is, what officers were negligent in their duty. They had imperative and explicit orders to arrest anyone they found interfering with the cop per-. How the copper could have been removed while the officers were on watch and without their knowledge is the thorn that is jabbing the chief"