The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-09
KNTFTNCS STUD
FOOT SUIT WAR
CONTINUED from Page u

of justice.
I'VE deplore the instances of law
lessness and racial discrimination
and Of efforts of various groups to
take the law into their own hands"
Three street cars were stoned late
last night. Several passengers were
cut when windows OF two interurban
cars carrying sailors were smashed.
A gang of zoot suffers waylaid the
cars enroute to the harbor, hurting
rocks through the windows as the
cars stopped to unload passengers.
The gang fled when a police riot
squad raced up with screaming
sirens. A Navy nurse was cut by
flying glass.
Every available policeman and
auxiliary policeman was on duty on
the fifth night of battling between
service men and the gaudily CARRIED
youths who frequent dark streets
and amusement areas.
Sailors and soldiers, beaten and
victimized by many Of the over
dressed gangsters, formed their own
police squads 10 clean out the areas.
The zoot suffers, ordinarily intense
in the gang rivals, banded together
TO battle the service men.
Arrests of long haired hoodlums
with ankle-choker pants were run
ming more than 100 day, and sew
eral voluntarily appeared at Central
jail asking TO be locked up 10 pro-
tect themselves.
Nearly all were Mexicans and Me-
groes aSilors and soldiers made no
attempt TO identify their quarry.
Anyone in a zoot suit was stripped
Of 1t. If he resisted, he was beaten.
Carrying knives and clubs, several
gangs of zoot suffers waylaid sailors
during the day, sending three to
hospitals with cuts and commissions.
Four and five policemen covered
every downtown street intersection.
Rowing Black Marias and two-way
radio patrol cars cruised through
the area breaking up wandering
gangs of service men in whatever
part of the city they were found.
All juveniles were hustled from the
streets and zoot suffers spotted by
police before service men arrived
were taken to jail for questioning
and their own protection.
Rear Adm. D. w. Bagley, COM
manding officer Of the 18th Naval
district, who closed the city to naval
personnel said he did so as a pre-
caution for the men acting In self
defense against this rowdy ele-
ment."
Mayor Fletcher Brown said he
thought the out of bounds order was
"a little severe" He promised every
police effort to stamp out the hood
lum element.
Foot suit gangs have been growing
In size for the past two years, af-
fecting the amply-cut suits with
their advent and finally adopting
them almost as uniforms.
The gangs first contented them
selves with rock throwing at each
other, then graduated to clubs and
knives. Several deaths resulted. Po-
licemen attempting to intervene
were assaulted and their patrol cars
overturned. Girls In the feminine
auMliaries of the gangs are as
tough as the youths themselves.
One auxiliary, the BLACK Wild
ows," requires Its members to have
committed theft, arson, and have
had at least one Illicit affair.
The girls, however, have stayed
out of the military battling.
State corrective institutions are
overcrowded, and military organiza-
tons refuse to take many otherwise
eligible zoot suffers on grounds they
would foment trouble or are morally
unfit.