New Britain herald., 1927-06-23
UNCHECKED FLAMES DESTROY ROADSTER Trouble in Locating FHemen--
 Car Burns Half Hour
 FATHER KEEPS CHILDREN
Arthur Pierce Wins Point in Divorce CoWt-Mrs. kendrick Surprised Woman Slightly Injured by Auto Snelgrove's Rights Restored.

While the telephone operators at the office Of the Southern New Eng land Telephone Co. strove vainly to locate the drivers of the local fire apparatus this morning, roadster owned by Clarence Peterson of Cot tage street was destroyed by flames which ragged unchecked for half an hour. Peterson, who is employed at the E. & L. service station on West Main street, was driving along Pennington avenue when the flames broke out. He immediately teie- phoned in an alarm, saying he was al the corner of Pennington avenue and Grove street. This was about 10:15 o'clock.
 The operators tried to reach the drivers of the apparatus and failed and met the same trouble when they sought to lccafe other members Of the fire company. They did not want to turn in an alarm for an automo- bile fire, as this would result in con- siderable expense to the town Furthermore, they had no record Of a Grove street being located in
 Plainville.
 Fifteen minutes after his first call Peterson telephoned in again and asked what the delay was, adding that his car was burning just be- yond Governor Trumbull's home ! The operators finally located Will. liam Cunningham at the governor homsv and he found Fred Caller and hastened to the Town hall tt
 take out the old Pope truck. lame:
 Boswell Was located an instant latel
 and went out in the standard truck
 Both pieces of apparatus made fas time to the fire. but their late star
 made them arrive too late.
 The auto was still flaming furi
 ously, but it had been reduced to
 charred and semi-recognizable mass
 complete loss except for the tires
 The contents of three eXtinguisher:
 were emptied on it and the las SptTkS put out.
 Father Retains Children Although Laura Wilkinson Pierce of Hartford was granted divorce
 in the superior court yesterday, hei husband, Arthur Pierce of Broac street, Plainville, was allowed to re- tain custody of their children. Mrs | Pierce alleged habitual intenper auce, but it was shown she had no lived with him for six years anc i the law required proof of this faul
 within the past year. The grounds
 were therefore changed to intoler able cruelty and the case continued Pierce defended himself witt l counter charges that Mrs. Pierce hac
 not been a good wife and mothe | and that she stayed out late nights He produced several witnesses to at test to his character and showed that he had been a faithful worker
 at the Plainville Casting Co. for th' 1 past two years. No effort was mad' to contest the divorce. the fight cen tering around the custody of thu
 children, which both parents claim ed. Pierce showed that he had beer sur porting them. boarding then with a Mrs Stetson in ToIringtor
 and paying S21 d week.
 Pierce expressed a dislike for tht youngest child, but Judge Yeoman'
 said he hoped he would overcome this. The judge, after allowing tht
 divorce, granted him the custody o1 all tiiree: Vernon, F; Margaret, 9
 and Gertrude s. David l.. Nair ol New Brtain acted for Mrs. Pierce and Charles F. Conlon represented the defendant.
 Mrs. kendrick Surprised A surprise gathering was held a