Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1919-04-25
FALSE FIRE ALARM
PULLED TWICE
Box "a Rang At 100 Sunday
Morning, Followed By Box
SO At 2 O'Clock
One Stroke AT 1890 Causes Suspi-
cions of Someone Near Home

The ringing of the city fire alarm
system in the early morning hours
last Sunday has provided mystery.
Two boxes were found open where
an alarm had been pulled in but there
was no fire A stroke of one about
1890 o'clock adds to the mystery, as
this can only be pulled from the fire
station or from box by one having
a key to the inner part of the box,
and there are only three officials hold
ing these keys. An official of the de-
partment expressed the opinion that
the alarm was rung in by someone ia
miliar with the department and its
workings.
The stroke of one was rung about
1890. This tap was heard by num-
Der of officials and telephone calls
were made as to what it meant. A
fireman went to headquarters and
found everything to be all right, and
so notified the superintendent of fire
alarm.
Then, at about half past one, came
an alarm from box 80, corner of
Providence and Marshall streets, P.
NJ. LeClair's store. The firemen of
both companies responded, but there
was no fire Nothing was found but
the alarm box with its door wide open
and glass broken.
The companies returned to their
quarters. Superintendent J. B. Daig-
lie. Fire Chief Boursier and Joe Page
started for home in Mr.. Daigle's car
At the corner of Woodstock avenue
the superintendent of alarm thought
he would stop and test the box there
No sooner had his automobile engine
stopped than box SO began to ring
AS quickly as possible the machine
was cranked and up Church street
went the three men. At the box near
the Putnam Manufacturing Company
the three men got out and found the
box open, but of course by this time
no fire was anticipated, although no
chances were taken and the companies
responded to the alarm
81 thought | would be foxy SAID
Supt. Daigle. Il figured that man
who was pulling in false fire alarms
would not run up and down Provi-
dence street. l thought he would
probably hide in some place and SO
called to Paige to go with me into
the mill yard where there were some
bales of cotton which would make a
good hiding place. We found no
one"
Mr.. Daigle said he met Officer
Laird and asked him to keep watch
on the box at the corner of Provi-
dence and School streets. Mr.. Daigle
and his party went up to Mechanics
street. All remained quiet and finally
the watch was withdrawn. Members
of the company remained at fire head
quarters all night.
Inc superintendent says thoI eiiS
only place that the one stroke alarm
can be pulled in is from the interior
of the box, to which only himself, the
chief and possibly an assistant chief
have keys. This one stroke may be
rung from fire headquarters, and the
door there to the place from which it
is rung is always unlocked. From
this it is believed that some person
familiar with the alarm system IS the
guilty party Pulling false fire alarms
is serious offense, but it is also one
that it is very hard to detect. As far
as can be learned no one was seen
about the streets near the time when
the alarms were rung and there are
no clues, aside from suspicious that
some of the officials of the depart
ment have to work on.
y v y
F. M. MESSENGER TO SPEAK AT