Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-03
Especial to The Bulletin. )

New London, Nov. 2.-The retire 11er1t of George Haven as captain of police is liable to be a matter to be considered at the regular meeting of the court of common council at the session Monday evening, if all reports published and otherwise are based on truth, and they probably are. It is understood that the captain is ready to retire, but the pay that goes with his retirement is no more than that allowed & patrolman and is inadequate for his support. The friends of the captain, and they are legions. have nope that the council will be at least az liberal in this case with the public money 1t las been in the past in raising the salaries of already over paid city officials. Captain Haven is deserving of liberal treatment by the city, which can be bestowed by the action of the city's representatives in the council.
 Captain Haven was born in New London some seventy-two years ago and has always been a resident and before his entry in the police depart politics. This fact should be borne
 in mind by the republican majority
 i1 the council. some of whom. do not
 even know that in the days that have gone Captain Haven was hard and zealous worker for the success of the republican party.
 After being captain of the police for a zens of more or less prominence have formed opinion that he is not the man for the place, and never has been, that he is lacking in executive ability and in the enforcement of discipline. Such opinion from such a source is but to laugh. When President Lincoln first called for troops in the Civil War, George Haven, then a boy not fifteen, was among the first to enlist in the first. company from his native city. and here he gained the rudiments of discipline and realized that to am nand it was necessary to be able to obey comnanI. When this first com pany was mustered out of service this same George Haven, still a youth. en- listed in the First Connecticut Cav airy regiment. with honor and credit tc his city, his state and his country, and has in his possession documentary proof of his efficiency as a true sol dier.
 When the war ended and George Haven was mustered out of the miii- i1e began work in a foundry, his abil- ity as a soldier and disciplinarian was recognized by his fellow towns men who formed Company D, Connec- ticut State Militia. He was asked to rose to the captaincy. and for many years was active in the state military service, in positions that required eX- ecutive ability and the enforcing of discipline. He became rnapor of the Third regiment, Connecticut National
 Guard Lieutenant Colonel and then colonel. His executive ability and his skill in enforcing discipline always being recognized in each step of his advancement In the old Third regi- nient. His military career did cot end there. He, by reason of his known qualifications to command men. was made brigadier general of the entire Connecticut National Guard, and to this day is conceded to have been the ablest brigadier commander the state ever had from a military standpoint His ability was further recognized and he was, called to the highest mil itary position in the state. the adju- tant general And with such an in Gisputab1e record, this bunch of Inen who are posing as police department reforners. actually: intimate that Po- lice Captain % Haven, who has com manded the entire soldiery of the state. lacks the qualification to com n,and the police force of .the city of New London,
 But inuendoes and aspersions aside, the captain is not as young as he used to be and would not object>to honor able retirement with adequate pay, long and faithful service. He did not retire under fire when he risked his fife for country. and he is not of the
 sort, that would retire under fire at
 
 as well for the self appointed bunch
 of police reforlners to draw their sled
 and not attempt to beznlirsh the good
 name Of longtime faithful and com
 potent police captain.
 This same reforme bunch is also
 after the scalp of Lieutenant Thomas
 Jeffers, the dean of the. police force
 and perhaps the. most active officer
 that ever donhed the blue before he
 was taken from patrol duty and as-
 s3gned to night duty at the desk He
 has to his credit some of. the most
 rota ble arrests and there is record of
 his ca apturing three almost world-re-
 DoWned crooks at a time and single
 iia ntled. The, bunch intima tes' that
 hoth the .capta ir- and the lieutenant
 are incompetents, and they are work
 ing every string with an influence to sound the death kneIl of these two veteran officers. What Is this all about? Has the. bunch men of their choice to take charge of the police department, and for some special pur- pose?. It may be that the present captain and lieutenant are not taking orders from those who have consti- tuted authority to give them orders, and that may hurt the few who seem desirous to usurr the general manage nent of city affairs, and without the advice and consent of the court of ,rfl