The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-03-09
AH ASSASSINATION
 IN WATERBURY Eight Masked Men Enter a Car at Isolated Point and Murder a Po-
 liCeman.
CONDUCTOR BADLY BEATEN
POUNDED ALMOST INTO IN
 SENSTBTLITY.

MOtorman Leaps from the Car at the First VolIey-Four Men Chase Him Firing Their RevoIvers-Finds Ref use tn a Swamp-AttacIs Made When Car Was in Darkness-No Clue to the Murderers.
 Waterbury, March S-Violence in it's worst form broke out anew in Water bury tonight as a result of the high feeling in connection with the strike of the motormen and conductors of the Connecticut Railway and Lighting company. This time murder resulted, and Supernumerary Policeman Paul Mendlesohn was the victim. John w. Chambers. non-union motorman, was injured, but not seriously, and his con- ductor, George Weberndorfer, was pounded almost into insensibility.
 It was just 9:52 when the first shot was fired, and the struggle did not last ten minutes.
 The scene of the crime was at Forest park, the terminus of the North Main street line. The spot is an 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, entered the car and discharged their revolvers, every man being armed. Officer Mendlesohn fell at the first report, and, as later ex- animation showed, the first shot was fatal, having clipped off the top of his heart. The motorman, at the volley, 1eaped from his car with a cry of pain and disappeared. Some of the men fol- lowed him, while the remainder turned their attention to the conductor. He was thrown to the floor of the car and pounded and kicked until he was al- most unconscious. The men then left him and joined their companions out side.
 The conductor regained his feet with difficulty and went to the side of the
  'sistance might be necessary. A brief examination showed that the officer was dead, and Weberndorfer, suffering from the severe beating he received and hardly able to stand, went to the con- troller and started the car back toward the city with the dead officer. On the. way he met another car, the crew or which relieved the injured man and hurried to the city for assistance. The body of the dead officer was carried into police headquarters and Webern- dorfer was also taken there. Dr. Graves attended the man and found him badly used up.
 An alarm was immediately sent around the city by the police and in few moments the entire detective de- partment accompanied by thirteen po- 1icemen went to the scene of the murder. "A thorough search was made for Cham- hers. but it was not until shortly after midnight that the searching officers came upon him. Chambers is young fellow not over twenty years ot age. 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 of a revolver. The young man told a startling story of his experience. He said that as soon as he leaped from the car four men followed him firing their 1evovers. He ran at top speed for tn swamps near by and when he discover ed his pursuers gaining upon him he said down. The murderers rushed by, but did not go near the highway. They soon gave up the search, whereupon young Chambers hurried from his hid ing place and started for the city to give the alarm. He fell in with po- lIceman, who conducted him to the car barns, where Chambers had his injuries attended to.
 Despite the diligent search of the po- licemen and detectives not a clew could be found as to the perperators of the cold bIooded murder.
 The car when it reached the city showed that there had been a perfect volley of shots fired at the three de- fenseless 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 a trap.
 At the time of the accident the streets were practically deserted because of the heavy downpour of rain which had been failing all evening, but the news spread about the city like wildfire and half an hour after the car carrying it's unfort- unate victim had reached the center of the city there were at least three hum dred persons in the vicinity of police headquarters, where the body had been taken, and public feeling is running high.
 Inside the station was sad scene The father of the dead officer together with his brother had been summoned and when they saw the son and brother lying dead they were so overcome that the scene was heartrending.
 Mayor Kilduff and Chief of Police