New Britain herald., 1917-08-08
EXPENSE 0F COURTS
 STARTERS RECORDS
PlainVille Spent Large Amount
 Prosecuting Law Breakers TO PUBLISH DRAFT LIST

From Blood Poisoning-May Have List of ''1hree Hundred" Tomorrow Police activities during the past
 twelve months are expected to result
 Tn making the costs of conducting
 court in Plainville an important item in the list of town expenses for the fiscal year which will close next We'd nesday, and the report of the justices
 Is liable to show that the prosecution
 or men brought to the lookup for vio- lat1on of the law was more expensive
 during 1917 than at any other time
 m the towns history. Not since Plain
 vile has been recognized as 8 town
 has such record been established
 Instead of the usual sixty or seventy prosecutions for the year it is expected the town report will show nearly four hundred cases in court since last Au-
 gust.
 The record is not one of which the town can boast. Neither is it one, however, for which apologies are re- quired as the numerous arrests have been the result of circumstance over which the local government had but little control, rather than a. laxity of the officials in enforcing the law
 The locating of the transfer station here by the railroad attracted two or three thousand foaters here during the year and such a large percentage of them were loyal subjects of King Alcohol that they furnished consider able business for the courts. Muni tions factories in Bristol also drew many undesirables to this section and the records of the justices show that they were contributing factors toward Plainville's regretable record.
 The men arrested during the year for the most part were not employed and, with but a small percentage of exceptions, were without funds. Con- sequently the town helped greatly to keep the cells in the county jail oc- cupied during the year. The expense of sending the prisoners to Jail in ad- dition to the cost of prosecuting them in these cases had to be borne entirely b1, the town and the sum total for the vear Is bound to be considerable as a result.
 While the town has gone to great expense in attem pting to make Plain vile a residential town of which the inhabitants might be proud the success of the officials has unfortunately not been anything like complete. The town seems to be overrun with mot lev crew of failures and the police seem to be helpless. Arrests with Jail sentences do not appear to serve as deterrents. Neither does it seem to do any good to let the prisoners off on probation as they are back in the tolls again in a few days. The problem is one that has given the authorities considerable worry and has been very expensive to the taxpayers. Despite the efforts made to improve conditions the number of visiting "drunks' stag gering around the streets is continual ly increasing and the police manage to keep the lookup well filled nearly every day.
 Constable Marine is kept on duty al- most constantly. He spends the night covering his beat, is up early in the morning to feed and look after his prisoners, goes to court In the alter noon and invariable makes trip to jail before supper time. When he finishes these tasks he has nothing to do" until o'clock, when he again goes on patrol duty.
 Two "sIn'' This Morning.
 "Only two today" was Officer Mar ino's reply to a reporters query this morning as to his captures" during the night For the past week the | officer has been having three or four l prisoners night.
 Early last evening he met Leroy Wilcox of New Britain staggering 1 around the center. He learned from the man that his home was in Water bury and he put him aboard the | Southington trolley in the hope of getting him out of town. Wilcox seemed to like PlainviNe, however, | and he refused to leave unless the | policeman paid his fare to the Brass ! City. He landed in the lookup. This morning the accused admitted he belongs in New Britain. He met a stranger here yesterday and he be- lieves the latter drugged him.
 Tho policeman was about to con- clude his labors for the evening when he came across the prostrate form of James Ryan of Simsbury in front or the Russell building on Central Square The man was helplessly drunk and the officer got him to the town building with considerable diff1- culty.
 The pair will be arraigned in court before night.
 The stranger arrested yesterday morning for intoxication was released from custody last evening. He de- clared he had worked all night Mon- day and feeling the need of a stimu- lant in the morning he took drink. The liquor knocked him out, he said. He appeared to be telling the truth and the officer let him go.
 Hart Has Blood Poisoning
 Leland Hart, the we'll known ice dealer, is in the Hartford hospital l where he is in a critical condition with blood poisoning. Mr. Hart cut his hand several days ago but the wound healed quickly and he paid no