The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume], October 31, 1913, FIRST SECTION, Image 1

About The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917

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"GET THE HABIT'
1ST SECTION
Read the Want Ads. in The
Farmer classified columns
there's some good opportunities
in "For Sales" and "To Rents."
VOL. 49 NO. 258
An Episcopalian Rector On
Scheme Of Administration
To Exhaust City's Credit
Pastor Of Calvary Church Tells Why
He Will Vote Against Bond
' ' ' Issue ' ' ' . ' r.
The following communication from
Rev. A. R. Parshley, rector of Calvary
parish Is commended to the thoughtful
considera.tionof our readers: 1
' editor of "The Farmer," Sir: The
letter, from the Rev. Mr. Matthias,
"which has appeared in all of the
Bridgeport papers has attracted a
great deal of attention and I wish for
a little (pace in which to give my
lews. ,
mi. a ma . m m nan.
not ignore. The first of these is that
Lakeview is a fire trap. The reason
for -this is that on the third floor of
the building there are a good many
people who cannot walk and if a Are
gained any headway it would' be im-
MAMhfa r FM.itA m n V rf thpeA. The
- - - -
second is that there is an odor, most
offensive, which should be done away
. with and which, doctors tell me, is' in
Jurions to health.
The administration now -In power
proposes to do away with these evils
fcy appropriating J1T5.000 to build a
I I il flu TinInT Mi I n ii
to be a very -worthy -.y of speeding
money, and the proposition will at
tract many Christian men who dVesire
to give our unfortunates a better home-
end a safer.
N doubt this is one way to do It'
.and this way is to cost (176,000. . The
' fact that this figure is so large leads
me to ask- if there is not some cheaper
way to accomplish the same result.
I do not think that it is necessary
to bnild a new almshouse in order to
do away with the odor. -If the new
one received as little care as does the
110 LIGHT SHED Oil
DEATH' OF HERMIT
Seyxnsur, Oct. SIT N additional
light has been shed today upon the
death of the aged, hermit known as
James Koonan, who died at his. little
shack oh Grate .Hill yesterday. The
body was today delivered to an Anso
nia undertaker by Medical Examiner
E. W.i Davis, who is still prosecuting
his investigation in the hope - of as
certaining the . strange reason for the
deceased ' isolating himself in the
woods. At early youthful romance is
said to have driven (Noon an as a wan
derer about the' country. He has lived
in his present wild location for 15
years.
THE CASE IN BRIEF J
j "AGAINST MAYOR WILSON j
T,Ir. Waxner contributed $3,000 to his campaign.
Mayor "Wilson denied, by himself or his managers, the
money had been given. -
He deceived the people into voting for him in the be
lief the money had not been given.
He appointed Mr. Warner's employes to important
offices. , "
He permitted Mr; "Warner to be the real mayor.
He promised a 15 mill tax and didn't give it.
Mr. Warner -wanted a great debt and Mayor Wilson
tried to create the debt.
He asked the people for permission to place the city
in debt for $2,200,000.
When the people refused he asked the Legislature to
let him do it, regardless of the order of the citizens not to
do it.
He tried to mortgage the city for $4,400,000, equiva
lent to an immediate increase of three and one-half mills in
the tax rate.
' He appeared repeatedly at Hartford in the company
of Mr. Warner's notorious public service lobbyists.
He stood side by side with these lobbyists, opposing
municipal ownership and the referendum.
Mayor Wilson does not believe the citizens : have a
right to decide for themselves whether they shall go into
debt.
If he is elected Mr. Warner will continue to be the
real mayor and will govern the city through Mr, King,
and. J-Ir. Javerjr. in the interest of gas, water and railways.
present, one, the odor would be there
too. -..'..
. Nor do I think that it la necessary
to spend $175,000 to do away with the
danger of fire. A prominent and
trustworthy man, in the fire-insurance
business, told me that hie had in
spected the building and that : it was
as safe as any non-flre-proof building
could be. The only thing that makes
the present building dangerous is that
many of the inmates could not use
the very adequate flije-escapes. Is it
necessary to bond -the city . for one
hundred and seventy-five thousand
dollars to remove these people from
danger 7 - , ,
One-fourth of that amount would
build an hospital on the grounds which
would be perfectly safe. It." is not
necessary to use' marble and to line it
with silver. - A plain, non-pretentious
biulding would serve Just as well.
I believe, ' with, every other - Chris
tian, that something .should he clone.
But see in this proposition only . a
farther evidence, of the effort, of the
administration": to" -plnnge the" city-fri
debt and to exhaust her f nedi t for par
poses that everybody knows- . And I
condemn. . be- -underhand method
wWcfc has , been usksa,,i: . , thec.ttempt
td.,"work on 'Wie sympathies of the
better' element 4n Bridgeport! " - "
, That the plan of. the administration
is succeeding-,' Mr. Matthias', letter
shows. X think that this scandalous
method - should be condemned. For
this reason, it is my purpose ?to vote
against this bond Issue. - - -
. SJncerely .yours, , - . ,
ANTHONY B. PARSHLET.
MEXICAN REBELS
TORTURE AMD KILL
47 MOUNTED COPS
San- Luis Pbtosi, . Mx., Oct. 31. A
force of 60 revolutionists yesterday
rounded -up, tortured and killed "47. put
of 50 mounted ' policemen" sent from
here to protect a ranch 20 miles to the
west.' Their mutilated bodies were
found in many Leases hung ton trees.
The three policemen who escaped re
turned here.
Bodies' of revolutionists today threat
ened -communication between here and
AquascaKentes. ' - ' - '
BRIDGEPORT,
-. - OUK iKXT AlAYiiK , IflUUA !L VI A Mil A I v. V. -
. ? 5i,
St J -
'i. it
Iff iWmM
FREDERICK
onster Dembcratic
-:.:?'..t;and hear Frederick C. Mullins, the- Democratic
candidate for Hlayor, imbossed arid fearless, further ex
pose, the .extravagances of the present administration at
the Lyric theatre tonight. An imposing array of speakers
will be on nand. Jesides tne other Democratic candidates
the speakers will include!
lion. Homer S. Cummings, ,
Hon. Lynn Wv Wilson,
. : Hon: Edward F. Hallen,
1 Hon. E. T. Buckingham, y
Hon. W. W. Bent, ' ' '
Hon. John M. Donnelly. -
Chairman, Hon. Archibald McNeil, Jr.
The hour, 8 o'clock. . ' v. " '
Don't fail to hear the issues of the campaign discussed
Dy tnese able orators. -.. ' '
Other speakers will be : Democratic Aldermanic Can
didates Patrick J. Carroll, John H. Casey arid John H.
Coughlin. ' . " ' ' - . : y -
MRS. WAKEFIELD'S
FATE IN HANDS
OF THE JURY NOW
New Haven, Oct. 31 The Jury which
sat in the trial of Mrs; Bessie Wake
field, charged with the murder of her
husband, William, was charged by
Judge Burpee and retired at 12:30,
noon, to "consider the evidence, .court
recessing until 2 p. m. Before State's
Attorney - Ailing concluded . his sum
ming up, Attorney Ievine, for the de
fense, asked permission to file mem
orandum on law points and a request
that the court consider these in its
charge. Mr. Ailing declared that Mrs.
Wakefield's claim that when the hus
band . left the house he was going in
an automobile, was "fiction out of
whole cloth." He said the husband
was "no joyrider; he drove a coal
cart." . '
' Mr. Ailing said the case reeked with
concerted ' plan. It was a deliberate
murder. He asked the jury not to be
influenced by the plea that there
would be public turmoil if the woman
was found guilty of murder. The
court for appeals and the board of
pardons both could review the, case.
He left the evidence to the judgment
of the jury convinced that it would
find the woman guilty as indicted
Judge Burpee spoke for two hours.
Beside him on the bench was Judge
Webb.
In referring to evidence given In the
case, after going into the law of homi
cide for instruction of the, jury, Judge
Burpee took up the interview Coroner
Mb w'" he wo-nan at the jail.
CONN., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1913
' . '. ' ' f
- -iV--
i
C. MULLLNS
According to the evidence on this
point, the woman admitted conspiring
with Plew to kill Wakefield. The court
said that "the evidence muet be care
fully scrutinized as well as the evidence-of
the woman given -while on the
stand - with due consideration Cor the
terrible state of mind she has been
put to in this trial.
, The jury, in retiring,, took with it
the revolver, the knotted rope, the
chloroform bottle, the lamp and other
exhibits in the case.
READ fULL, REPORT OF
RALLIES OX PAGE NJNE.
Readers of The Farmer will find on
page 9 a complete report of the three
rousing district rallies held for the
Democratic candidates last evening.
' Of special interest will be found the
addresses of Candidate Mullins, Lynn
W. Wilson and Sheriff John M. Don
nelly. License Applications to Be
Received After Election
As soon as election is over the coun
ty commissioners will commence to re
ceive applications for liquor licenses
in this city. The period when appli
cations are accepted continues until
November 15.
The " commissioners do not begin to
issue licenses, however, until Novem
ber 1. Next Monday they will issur;
licenses to dealers in other towns
and cities of the county with the ex
ception of Bridgeport.
The money received from the sale of
liquor licenses during the month of
October was divided as follows:
Bridgeport, $231.75; Fairfield, ' $405;
County, $7.75
Rally
STRIPS CITIZENS
CIVIC PRIDE
Health Officials Find That
Delays of Collection Lead
to General Laxity in
Cleanliness.
Uncollected garbage, garbage that
could be collected according to con
tract by the use of a proper number
of teams and men, has proved the
greatest handicap of Department ' of
Health officials in their campaign foi
a "City Beautiful" through the cle$B
up. of yards and about buildings. This
emphasized by those acquainted with
the experiences of the officials in try
ing to compel owners and agents to
clean up yards littered with rubbish
of all kinds.
"What, clean up this yard when
garbage cans are running over, al
lowed to remain uncollected for a
week at a time and necessitating the
bringing into use of boxes and pails?"
has been a frequent reply. Investi
gation has showed that they are cor.
rect' In their complaints concerning
garbage collection. Also that the
thousands of complaints on the offi
cial book comprise but- a small min
ority of those dissatisfied with the
garbage situation. East Siders have
had this condition ' added to odors
from the reduction plant. In other
parts of the city there has been as
loud complaints concerning the trou
ble in getting their garbage collect
ed. John T. King's explanations concern
ing lack of men, teams and technicali
ties may have been satisfactory to the
Health officials buf have been fal
from satisfying to- tSe residents hav
ing pails and cans of rotting garbage
in their yards and giving off an odor
penetrating their homes. Many of
them did not know until the past, few
days that the collector could ' have
more teams and men if he cared to
press those into service that were
drawing down extra money in city
work. Some of them did not previous
ly understand why their one or two
teams were not wanted by city offi
cials. Now they know and are even
more indignant. '"Have the garbaga
collected as it. should be and we will
see that the yards are cleaned up
and at that without expense to the
city," are the replies now given when
attention is called to rubbish in his
yard..
On all sides the Inspectors have
found the people only too glad to aid
in the city clean-up but unwilling to
have their labors go for nothing when
a man having a fat contract with the
city for collecting their garbage is
allowed to do as he pleases. They
point out that the garbage reduction
contract with C. C. Fischer was can
celled on account of his contract nol
being lived up to and question why
flagrant violation of the King contract
should not result in the same action.
One additional complaint was regis
tered with the Department' of Health
today,' it being recorded that therei is
uncollected garbage at 39 Highland
avenue. ' i
STATE PRISON
EPORTS MADE
ANNUAL MEETING
- Hartford, Oct. 31 The annual meet
ing of the Connecticut Prison Associa
tion was held at the Capitol, this af
ternoon. The business transacted in
cluded the reading and discussion of
the report of Secretary C. M. Thomp
son, the financial report and the re
port of the agent, also the election
of officers.
. The need of reform in the jail sys
tem, of a state farm for inebriates
and of a state reformatory for women
were emphasized and the present
method 6f changing court officers crit
icised In the report of Secretary C.
M. Thompson, of the association. Re
ferring to the probation service branch
which he - stated had been doing good
work during the year,iMr. Thomp
son said:
"The unsettled political condition in
our courts has been reeflcted In this
branch. "Whether the changes in our
courts are for better or worse, the
method of change is wrong. It is
unfortunate that positions of such so
cial service as are presented by the
officers of our courts should be sub
ject tt partisan politics. As the ten
ure of office on the part of probation
officers was so uncertain it seemed
unwise to attempt to hold the meet
ing of probation officers, last .winter.
Plans are being made for one to be
held, this winter."
Continuing the secretary paid that
at the last session of the legislature,
two bills of special interest in con
nection with prison wotfi were passed,
establishing commissions, one to In
vestigate the system of labor in the
penal institutions of the stato, and
the other to study the need of a state
reformatory for women.
The report of the agent showed that
203 persons had been released from
the state prison during the pasj year.
Of the number 122 were released be
cause of expiration of sentences; 39
by parole; three by pardon; 10 by sen
tence remitted: 14 by transfer to the
state reformatory; two by escape; 11
death and two by execution.
Question Comes Not Upon Debt
That Was Created, But Upon
Debt Mayor And Lobby
fried To Creaie
If Mayor Believes He Was Right In
Opposing Referendum And Try
ing To Plunge City Into Debt,
Why Does He Not Boast Of His
Conduct Now, Instead Of Pretend
ing That He Favors A Small Debt
Mayor Wilson's continuous evasion of any discussion of his
efTort to create a debt of $4,400,000 was being widely discussed
today, by taxpayers of all classes, business men, manufacturers
and especially by the most numerous class of taxpayers, those
whose property is chiefly invested in a small home. -
During the early days of the campaign there had been a
general disposition to regard Mayor Wilson as a sincere advo
cate of large bonding.
During his campaign, even before he had received the ad
vantage of Mr.Warnee's $3,000 campaign contribution, Mayor
Wilson had pledged himself to "bond for all permanent improve
ments." V .- :r-"si
But this conviction that the mayor has been sincere has dis
appeared as he has steadily tried $6 make it appear, that he has
not been an advocate of bondingf This he has sought to do by
showing that other administrations issued bonds and by laying
emphasis upon the circumstance that his bond issues are scarce
ly more than a half million dollars.
But the very children in the street know that Mr. Wilson
was not permitted to create the debt he wanted to create.
He tried to get power to issue $4,400,000 worth of bonds. He
was prevented from doing so by the Democratic delegation in
the General Assembly, but not until he had made the -most
strenuous efforts to get legislative permission regardless of the
views of Bridgeport's representatives
So eager was he to get these bonds that he received the
assistance of a number of lobbyists, several of them notorious
throughout tthe State, and all of them connected in one capacity
or another with Mr. Warner's public service corporations.
Mayor Wilson, accompanied by these lobbyists, appeared be
fore legislative committees -for bonds, and against the referen
dum. He appeared with these lobbyists and several corporation
lawyers against the bill which would have permitted the citizens
of Bridgeport to vote whether they wish 'to make 'their own gas,
or to supply themselves with water. ,
In every way he indicated a disposition to appreciate the $3,
000 whicfi Mr. Warner had contributed to his campaign.
His lobby escorted visits to the General Assembly were not
hi sole nor first attempt to create a large debt.
His first purpose was to avoid opposition to the referendum,
if he could. sHe wished to escape the charge that he did not be
lieve the people should themselves decide if their city shall
be mortgaged, and if so, for how much.
He apparently believed, at this time, that by calling a spe
cial election, and using the machinery of his office to influence
the vote, he could get an affirmation of his program. In this
he was mistaken. Instead of the small vote he had expected the
citizens came to the polls in thousands, and they beat the bond
issues by pluralities ranging from 8,000 to 4,000.
And this was despite the circumstance that the ballot boxes
were substantially unguarded, and the people so voted although
Mayor Wilson had called his place holders and followers to
gether and instructed them to "hustle for the bonds."
So that in going to Hartford for power to create a debt.
Mayor Wilson was more than discourteous to the citizens whose
servant he was. He disobeyed their direct Order not to create a
great debt, and working through Mr. Warner's lobby created a
public scandal and humiliated his townsmen.
In this program Mayor Wilson returned value ror his big
gest campaign contribution, but he repudiated the historic prin
ciple that Bridgeport will pay as it goes.
Bonds are sometimes necessary, but they are always expen
sive. An usually issued, they mean twice the payment for the
same service.
A large debt means a high tax rate, with a maximum outgo
for interest and a minimum value in things the city can use.
In the matter of Mayor Wilson's program, the Increase in
the tax rate would have been almost instantaneous.
The additional $4,000,000 of debt which he tried to create
and could not, upon the basis of a 25 year serial payment issue
at four and one-half per cent, would have required an immediate
interest payment o f$180,000. It would have required an almost
immediate payment to principal
(Continued on
ges 1 lo 16
PRICE TWO CENT3
of $80,000, making an immediate
Page Two.)