New Britain herald., 1929-08-27
RECKLES DRIVER
 PASSES OUT COPS
Meets Waterloo by Speeding Past Police Car-Fined S15

Driving at the rate of AS miles an hour between Lincoln street and the entrance to Walnut Hill park on West Main street about 7:15 O'CLOCK last night, John A. Parsons, 52, of 28 Hawley street, passed trolle! car and Il automobiles including police car in which Sergeant J. C. Stadler and Officer Edward Muszyn- ski were riding, according to the:r testimony in police court today when Parsons was arraigned on the charge of reckless driving.
 Sergeant Stadler said the traffic coming towards him was such that he could not cut out of line and overtake Parsons sooner than ne did, and when he questioned Par sons, the latter said he realized he was driving faster than he shoull have but he was in hurry to get to a store to buy pane Of window glass. Officer MusZynski gave slm- liar testimony.
 Parsons, who pleaded not guilty, denied that he was driving at the rate Ol 70 lHlltS dil 1lOui 'AiiA -' was certain that he had not passed a trolley car. He admitted that he was driving fast but he did not pass as many cars as the police counted, and he was at all times in contru. of his car. For 12 years he has been driving and he believed he av- eraged ten or a dozen trips about the center of New Britain every day without becoming involved in diff;- culty with the law. "If I was a reckless driver you would have had me before this," he said.
 Prosecuting Attorney Woods scor- ed Parsons for his attitude and told Judge Sake he had never seen q more defiant man in police court. "He sits there nd defies the court, Mir. Woods declared. Judge Ja&e remarked that many persons who are intelligent in their handling of ordinary matters become reckless when driving automobiles, and he pointed out to Parsons that it was not necessary under the law to ac- tually have an accident to be guilty of reckless driving. When the safe ty of others on the road is endanger- ed as it was last night. reckless driv- ing may be properly charged, nc said.
 Parsons, who conducts factory in this city, was fined S25 and costs, of which $10 was remitted.
 Passes Traffic signal
 Gaetano Spagnolo, 29, of 155 Washington street, pleaded not guilty to the charge of disobeying the traf- 1c signal at the South church corner. He was arrested by Sergeant J. c. Stadler shortly after 10 o'clock last night after he passed the light while going from Arch street into Main street.
 According to the sergeant Spag- nolo was driving north on Arch street and passed the light, forcing south bound traffic to stop and wait for him.
 The sergeant was driving the first car in the south bound string.
 Spagnolo contended that the llShtS were Just changlng as ne went by at the rate of 20 miles an hour, not 30 as the sergeant claimed. A fine of s3 without costs was imposed.
 Drunken Driver Fined S1OO
 Frank Kosakowski, 39 of 445 Burritt street, was under the influ- ence of liquor while driving an auto mobile truck east on Broad street shortly after midnight-last Saturday morning according to Officers Kelly and ODay. They were at the corner of Grove and Broad streets when the truck passed and Officer O'Day fol- lowed him on his motorcycle, over taking him at the corner of High and Broad streets
 The officers suspected that Kosa- kowski was under the influence of liquor when he passed them and their suspicion was proven to be well founded when he was caught. Lieutenant Rival testified that he was in charge at headquarters when Kosakowski was brought in and he was not in condition to drive. Kosa- 1 kowski had nothing to say and was given a suspended jail sentence of l 5 days, with fine of s100 and costs.