Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-06


 was apparent that the trolley company could secure all the men 1t needed to run it's cars, notwithstanding the abuse they were subject to.
 On Saturday, January 31, the cars were running on all lines the same as OH the preceding day and there was no indication of unusual trouble until about 9 p. m. Up to that time FIX. change place was filled with the usual Saturday night crowd, but-cas1trary to the usual custom. the crowd seemed to increase as 1t grew later, rather than diminish About 9:3O I ordered the patrolmen from the outlying beats to come to Exchange place and requested the manager of the trolley company to withdraw the cars.
 About 10 D. m. the cars arriving in Exchange place had many broken win dows. which seemed to add greatly to the joy of the crowd there assembled. I again requested MT Sewell to with draw the cars and was informed that such orders had been issued.
 About 1O:3O the crowd in Exchange place was reinforced by those who had attended the theaters, and from that time until about 1 D. m., when the last car was in the barn, the police were unable to protect the cars or the men running them from the mob.
 Up to that night this department had received no outside assistance, not even from the local civil officers, nor had any been requested by the police authorities.
 After the riot, when it was evident to all that the police were not ade- quate to preserve the peace 1t was deemed advisable to call upon the county sheriff for assistance, and upon the following evening, about 10 o'clock. in response to that call, the entire First regiment, four companies of the Second regiment, and two machine guns arrived in the city, and in addi- ton to the out Of town troops the two local companies were called into ser vice.
 On the day following the arrival of the troops deputy sheriffs commenced to arrive, so that on the Wednesday following fifty or more were in the city. large number of whom were placed on duty on the cars
 On Thursday, February 5. four days after their arrival. the First regiment was withdrawn, and upon the follow ing day the out of town companies of the Second regiment were relieved.
 On February 10 all except about a dozen of the sheriffs were relieved. thus leaving the situation again prac- tically in the hands of the local author ities.
 About the middle of February the situation was again greatly aggravated because of the strike of the linemnn. lamp trimmers and inspectors of the system of the city, which svs- tenn was also, owned hy the trolley company. Wires were cut. lamps broken. the nou-rnion 1inemen assault ed and abused mostly in the outskirts of the city, and the few men still here under the sheriff, as well as the mem- bers of this department who could be spared from the trolley lines, were kept very busy in their endeavor to pro- tect the city from darkness.
 Thus far, during the strike it was not deemed advisable to place police men on duty on the cars for the pur- pose of protecting them or their crews, but after the assault on the conductor and motorman on the Waterville line on the evening oe February 26, one po- liceman was placed on each car during the evening, and 1t was not until after March S,when Officer Mendelssohn was killed, that two men were placed on each ca.
 The strike caused an expense for state troops of $15.OO0, for sheriffs ST. 900 and for extra police $5,O00 total of $27,00O, and had the law been the same then as at the present time tn city would have had to pay the entire amount
 It Is not my purpose to enter into the full details of the trolley strike and the disorder arising therefrom with which you are familiar. nor to offer excuses for the errors of juds- ment. if any there were. of those in authority. myself included. simply desire to call your attention to car+aiu features of the case which in my t11dg- nent. should the future develop like problems, can be more readily solved, and at much less exDense
 In looking over the ground after the excitement is passed, it seems to me that it would have been wise to have placed enough extra policemen on duty when the strike was declared, not only to protect the cars and the men run- ming them, but also to maintain good order in the streets. Had there been fifty extra policemen called into ser, vice when the strike was declared anu at least two of them placed upon each car when they commenced to run. the rioting of January 31 would have been unheard of, the so called Waterville as. sault case, costing in court fees not less than S3,UOO, would not have occurred and Officer Mendelssohn would not have been murdered. Had that course been adopted firmly believe that the dis turbance would have ceased much sooner than if did. that the presence of the county sheriff and state troops would have been unnecessary. and the expense to the city for extra police would not have greatly exceeded the amount actually expended for that pur pose.
 But had that course been adopted in our case last winter there is no doubt but that it would have been condemned as unnecessary by a large portion of the community. Our people were slow to realize the fact that we had in olt, midst the clements of riot and murder