The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-15
By DEN LAHEY Fire Marshal of Waterbury


 The death of Robert T. Hurley carries with 1t a state history, for 1t was here in Connecticut that MT. Hurley was born and brought up, and attained the high reputa- ton among the people with whom he had been brought closely in contact for the past 35 years.
 MT. Hurley was one of the first members of the Connecticut state police. He was Ion" at the time of the well k nown Bridgeman, Bill Jackson, out own Bob" Hazelhurst who came from Nor wich, Rowe Wheeler, Al Rudd, Art Parnell, Frank Nichols, and Walter Stiles. Nichols is now major in the department, while Stiles holds the position of cap- tain. Old Tom Egan of Southing- ton was the superintendent; his deputy was the venerable MT. Story of Norwich. In those days the state Republican machine controlled the department, and not one of the appointees was 6 Democrat.
 Bob" Hurley was an outstand- ing worker. He was active from the very start, and for years was the right hand man of the state attorneys office of Hartford county, under Alcorn.
 Look at some of the cases he "brokc.' Back some 20 years ago, he worked alone, day and night up Windham county way. and eventually produced the evidence that convicted a lawyer and an assistant messenger of the supe- rior court for arson. The lawyer went to state prison, while the young messenger went to the state rcformatory. In our own city, back nearly 90 years ago, 1t was Bob Hurley who secured the evidence in the burning of the Burton street fire station, which resulted in the loss of one life, and serious damage to the build ing. Of course there was no crim- inal intent in this case, just care lessness on the part of some young fiiemcn who lost their jobs as q result of the investigation.
 Then. too, 1t was Bob who worked up the case of the Fotch- kissvillc knife factory burning of years ago, in which residents of this city were involved one Clark from the west who lived here, and who owned the old plant. The case was tried in Litchneld. and ran several months. John II. Cassidy and the late Jim Russell. along with Judge Nickcrson defended. Hurley was under cross cxamina- ton for several days He was ham, mered from tho beginning, attacked on all sides, but after it was all over and the jury brought in an acquittal, Bob shook hands with the men who had laced" him on the stand and before the jury. and forgot everything.
 That was hlS way, nc never Dc- came rufrlcd, was always cool and calm, and not of the kind that held things against the other fel- low. We have seen him under much stress, and worry, and yet, unlike many others would not say i'll of those who seemed Ot be anx- ious to disturb him in his official duties.
 We of the office of the fire mar shal of Waterbury think we knew Bub Hurley just little bit better than anyone else of the state. We have been close to him ever since tho unfortunate burning of the Burton street station. We were with him then; we were with him on the Hotchkissvillc factory case: and we knew the real inside do- ings of the famous W!ndham county case.
 MT. Hurley was not college man, but oh. how he knew fire and its progress. There arc many fire experts in tho country, but to us, no one knew the ways Mnd turns of fire better than he did. Up at his little home in New Hart