New-York tribune., 1903-03-09
MURDER AT WATERBURY.
Il POLICEMAN KILLED.
Fresh Outbreak of Lo7clcssness-
Masked Men 4ttack Car.

Masked Men 4ttdck Car.
Waterbury. Conn. March S.-NiolenCe in its
worst form has broken out anew in Waterbury
as result of the high feeling in connection with
the strike of the motOrmen and conductors of
the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company
This time it is case of murder, and a super
numerary policeman, Paul Mendelsohn, is the
victim. John ". Chambers. union motor
man, shot and beaten. and conductor
George Weberrdorfer, was Deaten almost into
insensibility.
The scene of the crime at Forest Park,
the terminus of the North Main-st line The
spot is isolated one, and when the car
reached the end of the line the crew made
preparations for the return trip. Immediately
after the conductor turned the trolley and the
motorman reversed his levers, eight masked men
sprang from the bushes by the roadside. on-
tered the car and discharged their revolvers,
every man being armed. Mendelsohn fell at
the first report. and. a later examination
showed the first shot fatal having clipped
off the top of his heart.
-he motorman also ht and leaped from
his car with a cry OF pain. Some OF the men
followed him. while the remainder turned their
attention to the conductor. He was thrown TO
the floor of the car and beaten and kicked until
he was almost unconscious. The men then left
him and Joined their companions outside
| are wrapped in mystery. and are causing con-
siderable apprehension Weberndorfer sd" MS
| rnotorman leap from the car when he was shot.
and he also saw him followed by the nurderers-
! Whether he escaped or whether he was carried
| off by the attacking party cannot he learned
| The conductor regained his feet with difficulty
| and went TO the side of the wounded 0fncer 10
| render whatever assistance might he necessary
| A brief examination showed that the officer
frrit1 from
| severe beating he received and hardly able t"
stand went to the controller and started the car
! hack toward the city with the dead officer. on
| the wav he met another car, the crew Of when
relieved the injured man and hurried to the city
for assistance.
The hodv of the dead officer was carried into
police headquarters. and Weherndorfer was also
taken there Or. Graves attended the man ana
found him badly used UP.
An alarm was Immediately sent around the
city by the police and in few moments the
entire detective department, accompanied by
thirteen policemen, went to the scene of the
murder Despite the diligent search of the police
men and detectives not a Cle~ could be found
as to the perpetrators of the cold hlooded muir
der.
Shortly after mi might the searching Officers
came upon Motorman Ch imhers. who is young
f. How not over twenty years of His head
was covered with blood but it was found that
he had not been struck with a bullet, but had
been pounded upon the head with the butt END
Of a revolver. The young man told startling
story of his experience. He said that as soon as
he leaped from the four men followed him.
firing their revovers. He at top speed for the
swamps near by, and when he disCovered'that
his pursuers gained upon him. he laid down
The murderers rushed by. but did not go near the
highway They soon gave up the search. where
upon Young Chambers hurried from his hiding
place and started for the city to give the alarm
He fell in with policeman. who conducted him
TO the car barns where Chambers had his in
juries attended to.
The car when it reached the city, showed that
there had been perfect volley of shots fired
at the three defenceless men. The shots having
been fired while the trolley pole was Off the
three men were in perfect darkness and were
caught like rats in trap.
At the time of the shooting the streets were
practically deserted because of the heavy down
pour of rain which had been falling all even
ing but the news spread about the city like
wildhre and half hour after the car carrying
It's unfortunate victim had reached the centre Of
the city there were at least three hundred per-
sons in the vicinity of police headquarters where
the body had been taken, and public feeling ran
high
Inside the station a sad scene the
| father of the dead officer. together with his
| brother. mad been summoned and when they
saw the son and brother lying dead. the vic
tim of a foul assassin they were overcome.
Mayor KiIduff and Chief of Police Egan hur-
| ried TO HEADQUARTERS and were busy d.
rocting policemen to different parts of the city
| In an effort to capture the murderers Both
| officials in an interview said that they felt posi-
! tive that the murder was the work Of water
| bury men.