Putnam patriot., 1917-07-13
PGLIE HggLN
 IHSTFbHN9 G6GF
Integrity of Hartford Depart ment at Stake in Reports
 Of hobbery
NEW HAVEN FIRM VICTIM
Several Thousand Dollars In Butter, Eggs And Other Food Products Stolen From Dillon X Douglass.
 -Removed at Night.

Hariford-The integrity Of the Hartford police department seems to be involved ID reports of robbery of she firm of Dillon x Douglass Of Market street, wholesale dealers in food stufis, said Lo amount to several thousand dollars l. is declared that three members of the police depart ment whose beats were such as to give them knowledge that goods were being removed rom the warehouse CT Inc firm at nigbt hours and Tn surrepti- tious manner, received portion of the spoil4 n the shape ol eggs. butter and other articles. which would be of great yalue in aiding them to combat the ascending scale of the cost of living
 Chief Farrell ef the department and President Morgan B Bfainasd of the police commission said that reports had come to them that concerned cer- tain members of the police force in the alleged thefts, but they had r. ceiYed DO complaints from the firm supposed 10 have been systematically robbed Both officials said ihe police end vas being carefully and thorouehly probed and in due time if sufficient evidence is secured, the men involved would be brought before thc police board Direct connection of members of the police force with thieving hg employees from their firm would of course the officials inferred. be fol. lowed by dismissal
 The firm of Dillon < Douglass has not given the police department any Infermatioa Chief Farrell said Shat fDe matter came Co his intention aR routine police u 4s and he at once set oh faot on inquiry In lRo me the chief s#ia he @aaIa lay ahat 'aetH he eonla gather before tae police corn missi0nars The chief HfH hN HHd made personal iuvesf1satioa and would hsaeaa8 fHrher He woHla he .e7fd eaaouh.e7Is have nes4laat #n fereiaH NHh H#H AfHHiaa m8Haeee nf tHe Dillon BaHams #fHHe In fAs cltv. eHo ha1 thus Tar declined ta talk about ihe easp.
 Al the New Haven office ef Dillon < Douglass aat refusal 10 discnss Che case In any form was made
 That ls our attitude and we won't change our mind was the statement made hy the manager
 In police circles, however f WIS not believed that the firm would re- fuse to give information at the re- ouest of the police commissioners, when formal request was made as would probably be done The commits sioners Individuality and as a body gave indications that they would probe the case 10 the bottom, rather than allow any suspicion to rest upon innocent members of the department
 President Brainard said "0f course these reports arc unpleasant but the commission has determined to get 10 inc bottom of the matter If policemen are involved directly or indirectly they will he given a chance to make an explsnation
 CT may be that if any policeman received anVEhBs from a thief he received f. as eIft and had no knovle thai he w3s sharing in the spoils Of rrrle first heard ot this incident baHt tho middle of last week and l was informed that the firm had allowed tAe dishonest em- p'oye 10 leave town. No complaint was made to us and we are looking Into the matter on our own initiative
 President Brainard said he had no knowledge how large CT how small were the thefts from the firm or to what exent any policeman partieipat- ed in securing spells. He has heard that one policeman had received a dozen eggs That in itself if regard cd as gift might not be a serious matter. unless 1t were shown that the policeman had knowledge that the Vrara ,rf faIIr fakau