The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-09
ContemptibIe Trick Colonel Rogers Testifies Against
 Chauffeur
Opened His MuffIer When Pass ing Car on the Road-Then Gut Ahead of Other Car

Hartford, Aug. eIntell1gent, prao~ tical testimony on how to drive an automobile and a protest against z "contemptible trick which certain chauffeurs have of driving close in front of another car when passing fl, was given yesterday afternoon by the State Secretary, who appeared as a witness for the State against Homer Craw, a chauffeur, who lives in South Norwalk. Mr. Craw had William A. Griffin, Jr., of South Norwalk, for his counsel, but the evidence presented was decidedly against the operator, H. Rogers pressed the case because of fragrant violations alleged in the oper- atiOn oe the car by MT. Craw.
 MT. Craw, as it happened, on July drove by the State Secretary's car which was going from South Norwalk to Bridgeport, and at that time con- tained the State Secretary himself, al- though Colonel Rogers was not drfv- ing. MT. Rogers testimony showed that Craw had been driving recklessly and had opened his muffier when it was unnecessary and nuisance. In defense MT. Craw, who first took the stand, admitted he had opened the muffler three times on this trip from South Norwalk to Bridgeport, but had
  car for years, through all New Eng land. At no time on this trip had he exceededtwenty-ffve miles an hour. He had with him gentleman who was rather intoxicated and caused him considerable annoyance. Chief of Police William R. Pennington Of South Norwalk said under oath that he had known Craw for five or six years and no complaint had been entered against him at police headquarters.
 Secretary Rogers was the last wit ness and he rounded out considerable testimony
 You are an operator Of a carr" for the State, in the characteristic manner
 "I can operate a car," began Mfr. Rogers, "but I don't" He contin- ued:
 "At s:2o o'clock in the evening and others left the library of Congress man E. J. Hill at South Norwalk- stunned in which the Congressman took us to the car. made the re- mark that his company was so con- genial that I had taxed Mrs. Rogers patience too long. We passed over the upper road through the swamp without meeting or leaving any cars that were going in either direction On the east side there is a dip which is rather rough. The vehicles wear the dirt of the rocks, and a driver, unfamiliar with the road, would find some pretty bad bumps.
 We found a little farther good road on the incline. A car came up be- hind without any warning whatever. I was leaning on the tonneau and he came so close that he nearly hit US. His muffler was open and he swung so sharply in front of us that my driver had to put on his emerg- ency brake. It is what we call a con- temptfble trick There was not only fine stone but gravel which came over into our car.
 s"We were running close to the trol- ley track at that particular point We saw light in the distance, and the driver made the remark that he didn't know whether it was on a trolley car or an automobile. It proved to be an automobile, which was coming along the track side of the street The remark was made by some one that if that fellow continued that gait much farther he would land in the ditch. I have no recollection of sec ing any car at the foot of Westport Hill. I do not remember looking In front of the Westport Hotel. There was a car in front of the Hawthorne Hotel across from the sanatorfum-
 "We proceeded to within 100 yards of Dead Mans Curve. This car which passed us before came upon us again Three of us got the number when it passed. Just as it flashed up again with muffler open one woman said- There comes your friend again My driver was running well to the right You must always use great caution along that road It is reckless driv- ing to go very many miles an hour around it's curves"
 MT. Rogers testified that as his car neared Bridgeport it was going forty pr fifty miles an hour except at the turns He reached Bridgeport at s:40 o'clock, and MT. Craw passed him again.
 q put this in to show," the secre- tary went on ''that if MT. Craw was going straight to Bridgeport he must 20 pretty fast. We never think of passing car on a highway. I pre- sume that when he passed us he was going twenty five miles an hour. There was abusive language, very abusive anguage. There was filthy ianguage ] IS he passed us in the swamp. The ,ar was dimly lighted. 1t occurred 70 me that some Of the occupants night be intoxicated.
 ''The charge is not that he was run ng with muffler open He opened f when he started to pass and kept t open until he got way by. That $ just the sort of man we are trying 70 get I have been driving a car ,ince 1904, and I know every driver n Bridgeport know that Mir. Craw s one of the best drivers. So there s no excuse for him to run his car in | dangerous manner. There Isn't Iriver that goes over the Boston post 'oad but what will tell you that the | distance between Norwalk and Brdse- ,ort on the highway from New York o Boston is very dangerous
 ''In Indian Swamp on one side fs a ,it three feet deep, and on the other tde is the trolley track One man ried to make those curves at twenty i've miles an hour, and was carried tome on a door. Mir. Craw has taken his man out twice and he was drunk n both occasions. He says that most ,eople who go out at that hour are trunk He will continue to take out hose parties until he lands in State .rison or he comes and tries to get ack his nense.~
 This hearing was closed, with de- ision reserved, as was another, also card by Deputy Secretary Richard J. )wyer. J. F. Brown was operating a ar in Thompsonville on Memorial Jay when the car struck a sidewalk. an 150 feet and then overturned An italian man died as result of in- uries received. State Policeman Theodore F. Bowling of Hartford in- estigated the circumstances of the ccideut Monday and presented at the