Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-20
SEEKING FOR HE LIGHT
Commissioners of Public Safety
 Investigating.


 Mystery-The Commissioners Asked
 some Pointed Questions, and Some Pertinent Answers are Given. Hearing Adjourned.
 If was near 12 o'clock last night be- / fore the board of public safety au- fourned the special meeting held to fIispose of the copper mystery when has been the bane of the police depart r,,ant for some weeks, and also to elect a candidate for the vacancy on the rn0nlar police force. All the members were present and Mayor Kilduh pre- sided. After an application from Thomas s. Saunders for position Ill fhe regular fire department was re- cefved md filed the board took up the fnvestfgation of the copper mystery. The meeting was held in the alder mems chamber to accommodate the large number of witnesses that were Indispensable to the examination.
 All the officers that were on duty over the copper, excepting Otneer NY CTS who was i'll, were present, ano all were sworn in the regular way me mayor then stated that he deemed It hest for the reputation of the denhrt- 4nent of police and for the sake or the individual officers concerned thar a thorough investigation should be mace and the responsibility placed on the right party. Chief Egan was then called. Substantially his testimony was exactly like his statement as that pf all the officers which were reau ht fhs meeting held Tuesday evening lie added that on Saturday. Auril G. the day following the discovery or the metal by Detective Cahey and oncer Hickey. he heard that Sheriff Rigney had been hunting about the neighbor- hood of where the cooper was found and he sent word to his men TO Keep H;onev off the scene Concluding he said with emphasis:
 saThe copper was there Friday nieht. It was there Saturday and Saturday night and all that time two men were suDDosed to be in charge of it and to arrest any one they found interfering with it. believing that those who had stolen it would come to remove It. l gave personal orders ta that effect to nl1 the men except to Cahey and flick ev- Myers and Kennaugh because knew Cabey would give them their orders when they went out there. did fell Officers Breartos and Tehan to al- low fs,o +l.i-vrs to put q bar or two or fbe copper into their wagon in order fo make sure of the evidence. After fJ,a copper was reported gone 1 sent Hickey ont there to search and after Three hours he reported failure"
 Detective Cahey added to his state mpnt already nublished: Vhen went out there the last time Saturday night with Officer Cayanaugh. Officers Brearton and Tehan were then on watch. They asked where the copper was buried. asked. Buried by whatg and Brearton said by the leaves that fell last fall" We searched and not a trace, of the copper could be found. Cavanaugh waded the river with the same result When I called m CaDtain Bannon over Eryis Wrfght's telephone nothing that said to Captain Bannon would give the slightest idea of what I was talking about. Tn. reply to question by the mayor and members of the board the detective stated that he was positive the copper was there when Officers Claffey and Byrnes rslieyed him and Officer Mccarthy. On cur last visit Cavanaueh and I went first to where the copper was becanse missed the single bar. Officers Brearton and Te- han said nothing to him about search ing for the copper To the mayor they said only that Officer Brynes showed fo them where it lay and they stooped to touch 1t and he said let 1t alone
 Officer Hickey's statement was prac- ffeally n repetition of the above. Off, 4a1I Io6 n Tn addition to his already published sfatemeiit that when he was going away he told Officer Myers he would nrobably see sim again. 'I showed Tehan the single bar and stripped off the leaves that were covering it." he said. ssThis was about 1:45. l went away then and returned soon after. This time saw Lunny there. stayed till 9 o'clock and left then with Lunny- When was on beat there I saw Lun- nv and Rieney lounging around the place. I did sot speak to them. I did not tell Tehan not to disturb tho leaves on the copper. Officer Claffey follow ed.
 Officer Kennough was next. He said he did not see the copper at any time, but was shown where it was by Brear- ion and Claffey While it was light witness was within 100 yards of the copper, but after dark he took up position within fifteen feet of it. or where it was supposed to be. He had a full view of the place at all times. U On relieving Brearton and Tehan. the # latter asked where the copper was and Officer Byrnes who was present point ed to it, his hand coming within few inches of the ground and said 'don't disturb it." Lunny was with witness and moved about with him all the time he was on duty He did not seem to know where the copper was.
 By the chief: Did Cldffey and Byrnes tell you the copper was there. They did
 Was it there when you were reliev- ed? "It was.v
 The chief then stated that Officer Myers was sick and at his suggestion the officer madea statement in writing substantially to the same effect as that which was published in the Democrat "Wednesday. Tn this statement he said that he saw the single bar exposed and felt the end of the five bars with q