The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-21

: CerS will back up Jnelr SentrleS refuse to halt when challenged.
 MT. Hitchcock was fred on twice yesterday afternoon by Private Ar thur fl. Buttery of the Fourth com pany, Connecticut Coast artillery. when he refused to halt when chal- aenged. The first shot was aimed at one of the tires of his automobile which he was driving. The second flew uncomfortably close to his head.
 ,Mr. Eitchcocks factory is located near the works of the Lake Torpedo Boat Co. at the foot of Seaview ave- nue. Late yesterday afternoon he was driving to his factory in his al- 1omobiIe when Guard Buttery on duty there ordered him to halt. There are two versions of what happened then but according to the story of the guard, instead of halting MT. Hitch cock speeded up his car to run by the guard.
 Buttery promptly fired. aiming for the tire. The shot went wide and ] then Hitchcock did drive by the guard. As he passed the sentry sent a second shot aimed fer his head. This shot missed b6t 1t served to stop Hitchcock. He began to upbraid the EudIO put LILO 1ALCCI OIOCIC0 IV back up his automobile and get out or he would fire on him again.
 The shots brought Lieut.. Camille Mazeau, ic0mmander of the guard, to the scene. To him Hitchcock poured oyt his story, accusing the guard of attempting to Kill him. Lieut.. Mazeau heard the story without comment and then allowed Hitchcock to pass. Later . v,% !, ooy& &<v.xy hnH obeyed his orders to the letter and was perfectly right in firing on the irate manufacturer when Nthe latter refused to halt at his challenge.
 MT. Hitchcock was not satisfied, however. Still In @ very perturbed state of mind he complained to Rich- ard H. M- Robinson, managing direc- tor of the Lake Torpedo Boat Go. and a former commander in the United States navy. MT. Robinson told MT: Hitchcock that he did wrong in re- fusing to halt when ordered.
 1T wonder if intelligent men win wait until someone is shot before they understand that these military guards have orders which they will carry out?'' he said.
 MT. Hitchcock next complained to Capt. Arthur c. Bennett, commanding the Fourth company, but received less satisfaction from him. Capt. Bennett expressed surprise that a man of MT. Hitchcock's standing should attempt torush a guard in the manner he did.
 frThose guards are as much a pro v tectjon to your factory as they are to the Lake Co. If men of your stand ing in the community are not willing to submit gracefully to these war pre- cautions which are taken for your benefit, what are we to expect from others?"
 Mr. Hitchcock thought that as he has been coming to the factory every day the guard should have recognized him and allowed him to pass unchal- 1enged. Capt. Bennett said 1t was evil dent that the guard did not recognize him and that fact should have been evident to MT. Hitchcock. He said after the guard fired the first time 1t should have beel: apparent to the manufacturer that the guard thought he was trying to get by without auth ority. Capt. Bennett intimated that had he >een present he would have ordered him arrested and would have taken him to Major Henry A. Beebe,
 
 Later in the day MT. Hitchcock, af. ter thinking the matter over, ap- lproached Capt. Bennett and apolo. gized. He said he was sorry to have caused trouble for the guard in any way and promised in the future to cooperate in any military regulations which may be made. He said he would not have attempted to pass the guard but he thought the latter knew him. Tn leaving Capt Bennett. Mr. Hitchcock promised to do anything to make amends and offered the use of his automobile for the guards.
 Instead of a reprimand. Private Buttery received. nothing but praise from his superior officers. It was pointed out that ap enemy wishing to rush the Lake Torpedo Boat Co. yards could not chosen better tactics than those adopted by MT. Hitchcock. Only yesterday the guards were admonished . 10 take extra precautions and to per- init no one to pass their posts, day or night. until they were recognized by the commander of the guard.
 Private Buttery is the soldier, whose landlord, Louis Lespinasse of Fair field, served notice on him to vacate 8 flat which the Buttery family occu. pies. Buttry's rent was paid to May but Lespinasse was evidently fear. fuI that the soldier being in the ser- vice would not be able to pay the rent. Lespinasse served dispossess
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