Milford chronicle., 1917-10-12


Milford, Delaware.
Gentlemen
On Friday evening. October 5th.
took my little boy and one of his lit
! tie friends to Milford to the moving
/ pictures. l parked my car near the
theatre. and as the car is an old model
and l have to use gas for lighting,
turned the gas lights off, examined
the rear light to see if it were burn
ing. and lighted the oil lamp on the
side next to the street or traffic. 1t
would have been no trouble to light
the other lamp, but as the car was
standing in the bright electric light.
did not deem it necessary. and not
knowing the law required two lights
in front, under such conditions,
failed to comply with the law.
After the pictures were over,
came out of the theatre to find it rain
ing very hard l Immediately pro-
ceeded to put the curtains on, but
found it impossible to do more than
hang them in place without getting
wet, so decided to take the car to the
garage where l could do the work and
at the same time remain dry. There
upon | stepped from the car to the
shelter of the awning on the sidewalk
to get the two children and go to the
garage. AS l did so. your policeman,
who had been watching me trying to
protect myself and those with me
from the storm, said to me, DO you
know that one of your lights is out?"
! made the same state
ment to him that | have made to you
in this letter. concerning the lights
and my ignorance of the law.
He then informed me that | was
under arrest. l told him / was sorry,
but if | had broken the law. l was
willing TO pay the fine. Told him to
take my number, name and address,
and would come down the next day
and pay the fine; that the night was
stormy it was late. and l wanted to
get the children home. He refused
this request and demanded that / 90
with him to the office of the Justice of
he Peace. | then begged permission
10 go to the garage and get the cur
aims fastened on the machine, telling
lim that if he so desired he could go
with me; but he absolutely refused, |
and compelled me to go with him |
across your city to the Office of the |
Justice, through the storm without |
/ storm coat or an umbrella to protect |
ne from the rain) as if l had been a |
common felon guilty of some crime, |
while the two little children were |
compelled to wait on the street for |
ny return.
The result: | was insulted and had |
o accept a foul indignity at the hands
If an officer of your city. and was
to ride home. eight miles.
n wet clothing
| have been driving a car for eight |
ears and this is the first offense if II
is one. l have baen going to Mil
ord all of my life. and this is the
rst time / have been compelled to
uffer an indignity from one of your
itizens.
My purpose in writing this is two
old: First, to ask whether the treat
lent | received in your city on the
vening of October 5th (which
mounts TO nothing less than an in
lry and base insult 10 any gentle
lan) is do to the ofiiciousness and |
;norance of petty officer. or wheth-
r. as he declared, is the wish and de- |
ire OF your citizens? /
Second: If il is not the wish and \
esire of your citizens, but merely the \
esult of the law being vested in one Il
no is not capable of understanding
nd properly administering the same.
it in whom the brute force predom-
ates; then, for the sake of respect II
i. respectable and law-abiding cit II
ems who visit your city teach him II
e difference between crime and a II
itiing mistake; the difference be- II
feen resisting the law and SUBMIT II
g TO the law. II
Yours respectfully. lIl
l.. L. CARLISLE. III