The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1902-01-09

| the secretary, dS Was tiFu uli6illdii VA
that Is really immaterial
To say that the report promised was
! never placed In the mayors hands, but
only a synopsis Of 1t, Is incorrect, be-
cause the synopsis Is the report, which
consisted of an abstract of the evidence
on file in this office.
| 1t is not surpris'ng that the mayor
finds certain things in his notebook
which are not in the report furnished
| him, since he took notes of the CONVEX
| sation which followed the reading of
the report after the report itself had
been laid on the table. The futility,
therefore, of attempting to prove, from
his notes taken at the meeting, that the
report furnished him was ''doctored"
must be apparent,
The item which he instances about
policemen was not a part of the writ
ten report, which fact was plainly stat
ed at the time. 1t was impaired orally
under a. special pledge that his honor
should not divulge the information or
use it except as basis for private in
quiry.
The statement that the document
handed the mayor is different from an
other and special report handed Presi-
dent Elmore is true. The copy furnish
ed the mayor was made before the
meeting. The special report on Hotel
Climax was not compiled until after it
There is nothing whatever in the spe-
cial report inconsistent with what Is
said about Hotel Climax in the other.
1t differs, yes, and for two simple rea-
sons-it gives more details and also COW
ers other dates drawn from an earlier
investigat ion--that is all.
The much talked-o secrecy of the
meeting was solely for the purpose of
laying the matter before the mayor in
order to enable him to act without the
annoyance and hindrance of unneces-
sary publicity.
The abstract furnished the mayor,
from which he has selected certain por-
lions for publication, contained all that
was necessary to point out the condi-
lions that existed to enable the mayor
and police commissioners to judge of
the character of the places complained
of, and to decide whether to take such
steps as had been taken elsewhere in
the State when reports similar in all re-
spects were rendered.
1t did not need the best legal au-
thority" to decide that the dates and
names of agents must be supplied be-
fore warrants could issue-that goes
without saying. We have all along ex-
pressed our willingness to furnish these
to the prosecuting attorney when adj
yised that this was the course decided
upon But we could not be expected to
furnish these details to any other off,
cial or board of officials whatever, to
whom they could be Of no legitimate
use.
The precautions which we took were
for the purpose of preventing what has
now come to pass, namely, publicity
which would notify breakers of
steps liable to be taken against them,
and thus weaken our efforts in the mat
ter
The league has been criticised hith-
erto because, it the call of Hartford's
citizens, it carried its evidence directly
into court. Now, atothe call of Hart
ford's citizens. 1t hastof late been at
tempting a different method which has
elsewhere achieved excellent results,
without local friction. 1t Is not ours to-
explain why such results have not been
reached in this instance, wherein the
steps taken by both league and local
committe are identically the same as
hitherto in other places Had we been
successful in this case, as elsewhere in
securing official cooperation the effl
cheney of the law-enforcing body would
have been improved, and instead of the
appearance in Hartford within the
month of December, of some new gam
bling places of novel and improved pat
tern 1t is quite certain that there would
have been witnessed a more marked
diminution of law breaking than has
been achieved at any time in the late
past S. p. THRASHFR,
Secretary.
The undersigned, citizens of Hartford,
hereby certify that we were present at
a meeting held in the Y M. G.. A. build !
ing December 2, 1901, and heard the re-
port of Secretary Thrasher and all that |
was said subsequent to it's reading. We |
have read his foregoing statement, |
which has our endorsement and APP (
prevail of its publication. 1t was under |
stood by us that every communication |
given at that meeting was strictly con- |
fdential, and was not by any person to
be made public
For long time past 1t had been ap-
parent to many citizens of this city that
he laws regarding liquor selling gam
bling and other matters were being
openly violated. In order to ascertain
exactly the condition Of things it was
decided by some of its citizens to ask
he Law and Order league to find out
or them the facts, Having thus in
hand information that condition OBJ
aimed in our city that was deplorable,
Ind having evidence sufficient for pros
,cution, instead Of proceeding indepen-
lently of our local officials the mayor,
he head of our city government, was
invited to a private conference in order
hat he might be possessed of all in
ormation in our possession. so that
emedy of existing evil conditions and
PRACTICES might be secured, If possible, |
without any public appearance of any
geney other than that Of our own city
'fficals.
CHARLES A. JEWELL
J. II. TWICHELL,
n