Norwich bulletin., 1910-08-16
Wester|y's Firebug Discovered.
Attempt to Burn Sherman Plant by Boy Under Six Wanted to See the Bremen Out-Trol1ey Connec- tions Inconvenent-Itali Laborers Claim Wages Due

Passengers on the Groton- -Stoning- ton road that reach Westerly at if teen minutes past the hour arrive Just as the car on the Norwich West erly line leaves for Norwich, while
 if the time for leaving was twenty minutes past the hour close connec- tion could be made and it is said,
 this could be done without serious inconvenience to the Norwich sched- ule This same rule applies to the trips of the Groton- -Stonington roa ] to cars that leave for Groton at ten minutes before the hour. In the one case passengers are delayed an hour and in the other half an hour
 With the Watch Hill cars on half
 hour schedule time the connections could be made satisfactory, and it is believed schedule time will be made on that newly equipped road when the overhead work is completed
 The greatest inconvenience of cSn- nect1on is with the Norwich Stoning- ton roads, and the time difference is so slight that it would seem as if some agreement could be reached for the better accommodation of patrons Naturally this condition does not in terest the Westerly public as the de- lGyed passengers add to the apparent activity of Dixon square, and by the passengers having more time in West erly an opportunity is given them 60 incidentally to spend some of their loose change.
 Last Thursday afternoon, deliberate attempt was made to fire the plant of the R. "A. Sherman Sons company, in Main street, and the matter was not made public in order to give the police better opportunity to trace the lncen- diary. Fire was started on the sec ond floor of the building where hard pine is stored by igniting paper against a pile of lumber The blaze was discovered before it had made much progress and was extinguished by one of the Sherman employees.
 Since then the place has been close ly and secretly watched by a special consta ble. while the police force have been on the alert to get some clue that would lead to the incendiary-
 Chief Mansfield got hold of bit of information that resulted in the discovery of the guilty person, and now that the first bug is known the chief is at a loss to decide as to what action should be taken. He certainly is not favorable to prose- cution and imprisonment
 Monday morning Chief Bransfield, aecompanied by. Special Constable Frank Perkins, near the Sherman plant, and accused Alonzo Perkins who is not quite six years of age, Of having attempted to burn the Sher- man property The boy at first de nied, but finally acknowledged his guilt, after some sharp questioning. He accompanied the chief to the SEer- man property and led him to the exact spot where the fire had been started.
 The boy said he set fire to a book, a magazine, near the pile of lumber then piled some loose shingles on the fire and ran away. He gave as req son for the act that he did it to see the fire. He promised to be good boy and never do so any more," after the chief told him what could be done to him for his criminal action.
 The boy is known to have started fires in the cellar of his home, where there is at times quite a quantity of pamphlets and advertising matter. as his father is employed as a distribu- tor in and about Westerly.
 Now that the track work Of the Pawcatuck Street railway is com pIeted and the Italian laborers dis there comes the usual trouble in regard to wages due that follows almost every large contract This is caused by the system necessarily in vogue by the contractors in securing labor and at the start is known to the laborers, and they are usually satisfied with the plan until the con- tract is closed. and they find there is money due them that they have
 The contractorZ usually make for labor with some English speaking Italian. who agrees to fur nish a specified number of laborers at a set sum per diem and the labor contractor Is made boss of the gang he