New Britain herald., 1916-10-28
PealnVille News NEGROES IN COURT
 ON THEFT CHARGES
Truckers at Transfer Station Take
 Sweaters from Shipment
ONE SENTENCED TO JAIL

Special Agents Round Up Darkeys-
 They Lie GIibly in Court. Crying as They Claim Their Innocence Arrested Twice in Two Days. Representative of the crew of southern negroes imported to work at the transfer station made their first appearance in court this morning when four of them were brought be- fore Justice F. P. Prior to answer to charges of theft, the disappearance of goods from cases shipped through the local freight yards bringing special agents of the New Haven road to Plainville to round up the pi1ferers. With tears streaming down their cheeks the men were presented to the court, one of their number receiving 8 jail sentence while the other three were let off with fines
 Since the negroes were substituted for white men on the platform the railroad has received reports of petty thefts from certain shipments and Detective Mahaney was assigned to investigate. With Special Officer Charles Grace, who serves as watch man at the freight yards, he made an investigation yesterday, the arrest of the quartet resulting.
 Among the articles stolen were number of sweaters and the officers had no trouble in tracing them. Off, cer Mahaney had been here but 8 short time when he met John Davis, aged 16, who is. am ong the truckers, walking along the street. The young darkey wore a sweater answerng the description of the stolen garments. He readily admitted to the detective that he had taken it from one of the cases which he handled about a week ago. He also told of other truckers borrowing from the shipment. Ar thur Light and Charles Wynn were subsequently, found garbed in sweat CTS of the same description. In the meantime John Williams was caught in the act of stealing a quart of whiskey from a shipment of wet goods He was hiding the bottle un- der the platform when discovered. The four were taken to the lookup.
 This morning Davis admitted his guilt. Williams confessed to stealing the liquor but both Light and Wynn
  clared that the sweater found in his possession had been loaned to him Wednesday by Wynn, who explained that he had found it in a car. Wynn claimed that he had purchased the article at I. J. Birnbaum's store, pay ing $1.50 for it. MT. Birnbaum dis agreed with him and told the court that there had been no goods of that 11ti i,1 h; fo, year. He further gave the opinion that the garments were worth from $4 to $5 each.
 Justice Prior branded Wynn as a liar and sent him to jail for thirty days. While he believed the story told by Light he pointed out that the negro knew the garment had been stolen when he borrowed it. He was fined $5 and costs. A similar penal ty was imposed on Williams. Because of his truthfulness and the assistance he rendered the state in prosecuting the cases, Davis was let off with a fine of $2.
 Out Again, in Again.
 Daniels Wells of Bristol, was re- leased from custody yesterday morn ing after having been fined $5 and costs on the previous evening for drunkenness, Constable Downing, who arrested him, having remitted his fees out of sym pathy for him, the ac cused having claimed that he did not have enough money to pay the entire costs of the court.
 Wells showed his appreciation of the officers kindness by getting drunk as soon as the opportunity presented itself. The constable picked him up in the afternoon while he was making a nuisance of himself at the center. Justice Prior refused to give him an- other chance when he was arraigned