The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-01-14
report of what transpired.)
 Cries "PerSecutiou"

report of what tranSpired)
 Cries Persecution"
 Anything that the controller does wrong he treats lightly and cries, Persecution" the spokesman con- tinued. But he continues to at tempt persecution of others in the columns of the Republican and the American without waiting for facts from the auditors"
 The mayor was reported amazed" that Controller Rowland should in- cline towards disregard of the affair which became subject of complaint by the chief of police. His view of the sortie of MT. Rowland and his subordinates to the corporation counsel's office "in search of the missing books" is that the con- troller's presently publicized attack in the Republican newspapers "has taken precedence over his regard for the conduct of his city ofhce."
 Statements Coming
 Statements from every depart ment in the city which has been subjected to the Republican "at- tack" from the controllers office were promised The Democrat today, as of the time when such figures the controller releases are shown to. represent what he claims they do." The officials of the city were concerned today with what they termed "the wizardry of the con- troller and his publicity staff in pre- senting city accounts before the time that the current audit of these items is completed" due about the first of the month.
 His Own Concern
 What MT. Rowland does in this matter is his concern and that of the Republican-American public ity staff," was the sentiment of most officials. They added that the con- troller has not shown a "non-par- tisan" spirit in his handling of of flee affairs, thus far, and pointed to the nucleus of the attack" back in December when MT. Rowland made demands for "an audit" of city affairs some weeks before he became a city official.
 The statement from Controller Rowland which was not available to The Democrat yesterday, in spite of repeated attempts to procure the controllers view of the might Sortie" as a news release expected from a city official, is as follows:
 MT. Rowland's statement:
 A thinly-veiled attempt to smear my name is in the process. I am so incensed and indignant that hardly know what to say.
 Here are the facts of the inci- dent in question. want the public to know this and every other par ticular that is public business.
 I and several of my staff work ed late last night in getting out the business of the city. About 5:15, MT. Dunn (Martin Dunn, purchasing agent) told MT. Pur- cell in my office that the last time he had seen the missing warrants book was two days before the end of the year when an Alderman and Shepatin auditor had them in vacant office on the second floor.
 I did not know where this office was or that it existed. MT. Purcell informed me that it is in frequent use by outside auditors. I sug- gested that some of the missing records might have been left there, and l said Lets take look"
 MT. Purcell, MT. Armstrong and myself looked for the watch mah, and after some hunting, we located him and told him we wished to go into vacant room upstairs. As he approached the door, he said something about the room in question being the city sheriff's office.' Immediately halted him. If that is supposed to be someone's office, we do not want to go in said, and we went immediately downstairs.
 have since learned that when the city sheriff is in, he uses that room, which is merely va