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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1947-01-22 A special'meeting was held January 22,'194V with ~ ~Messrs. I..S°verino, H. smith, W. Glidden and J. Har~y ~esent Of th~ Board and· Patrolman Howes', Henderson and Lamb of the Police Department to interview Chief William J, ~iair of the Fire Department.. Mr. Howard Hull was not. present although he had been notified of the meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to confer relative to conduct of C~hief Blair as set forth in the following records from the ~Police Department. Also record Of Howard W~'Hull. " "January 19, 194V - 12:20 A. M. Fire truck Went up Main St. to a fire in Gordon Peters car near Satlers house. ~.Cruiser followed up fire t~uck. Officers Lamb ~ Howes notice. the operator of fire truck Howard Hull was in no 'condition to drive fire truck so Officer Howes drove fire truck back to the· Fire Station,~and backed it in. I located, Fire Chief Blair at his house at 1:05 A. M. and he said he Would be right down to the Fire Stationto observe conditions.. Fire Chief Blair came to the ~01ice Station at 1:30 i. M. and Said he had'gotten Anthony Sylvia and his son Robert Blair to stand watch. ~"In regards to Howard Huli's condition of Jan. 19, at 12:20 A.M. when oPerating.Fire truck could sme!l'iiquor on his breath, mumbled when talking'& when a~rived at got off of truck staggered & had difficulty in'pu~ti~g'out red flashing light. Talked with Hull with Officer Lamb at scene-of fire when noticed Hula-had been drinking & t01d him he wou~d not be allowed to take truck back to Station. Hull moved from oPerators seat & I 'drove truck back to Station. Fire truck No. ~ American La France' signed: Howe~s'' "~anuary 21~ ~9~g - 11':~0 P, M. While trying m~ doors on Main St. I heard a siren blow and a motor roaring and I thought it was a fire but heard no alarm or saw any fire aparatus. After I turned off of Main-St. to try the bank doors and Mirror office doors l~observed a car up Orange St. ~ /~ .....'~ ~.' ~ /~. Special Meeting January 22,L~194V,~.(continued) All of a sudden this terrible car roar and this ~car came back down Orange St. backwards going ~very fast and almost t0'~the entrance of 0range'& Main St. the 6ar being out of c~0nt~ol 'jumped the Stdowalk and/,s~ashed into', the Brock block and jambed'itself b~tWeen the pole with fire box 45 on~it and the building smashing the rea~ end up considerable.. Later went up the hill and found in' front ~of Congdons house Pole ~54~ with cab'lo on it had been hit tearing cable ~.°ut of the ground 'and away from pole. Also car cartooned across the Street and struck hTdrant. ~ound the Vehicle to be a Ford/ Sedan Reg. 'cut across the bridge of Blairs nose ~sked him 'if he w~nbe~' to be taken to a Doctor and he said no he Wanted to be taken home. Operator had been drinking and was in a ~dazed cofidition We took him home after talking with him at the ~Police Station. Signed: Henderson" "January 2i,'~ 194V - 12:10 A; M. Selectman Ha~dy notified and pulled out Blair's car off of Sidewalk which was very much wrecked. Signed: Henderson" "January ~2, 194V - 9:30 P. M.' Ha~ a talk with Gordon Peters to dete~ine the condition of Chief Blair'at the~Bow- ling alley last night. Peters stated that Chief Blair c~e in there about "half-shot" and that when he left b~tween 11 P. M. and 12 midnight he was feeling p~etty d~n good. Signed: L~b" "¢130 P. M Patrolman Howes, Henderson and L~mb met ~with the Board of selectmen~ J. Hardy, I. so~erino,. H. Smith~ and W. Gliddin. Purpose-of meeting to give officers repo~ts regarding Howard Hull incident ~of"Jan. '10th and Fire Chief ~. Blair as to his incident of Jan. ~lst. Chief Blair was present in his behalf.~ ,~H°ward-. Hull was not present but SeleC~en had been notified by~. Patrolmen excused at 9 P. M. gigned: Lmb" ~. . Statement by Chief Blair_as told the Board~ of.~Selectmen. ',~"He ~,¥as:~at the Bowling Alley all evening~' After leaving the Alley,~"he Went to .the Fire S~ti0n ~to check up on the c0nditi. Of. the Station~.. While 'at the: Station, he opened' Some of his 'a~d did some paper work for the R;d I~Ien's. He then'left the Station for home going by the way. of Nain St~. and orange On ~turning the corner of Orange St. he put the car in second and pr~>~ceeded up the hill. The next thing h~e knew was the Crash which was proven to be when the car hit a' p01e With the right front fender. It would appear 'that l~IX;. Blair then Put the ~ar in reverse and tried to back away from the pole and in so doing lost control of the car and shot across the street in re- ver:se hitttng'a hydrant and then shot across the street' in ~the opposite direction and up over the side walk ~and jammed'the cdr between the Brock building and a telephone p°le on the outer edge of the side walk. The ~pole had a Fire Alarm box on it.~ The Chief says he does ~ot r~member' anything except 'the. ~ Notion made and so voted that Chief Blair and Howard Hull be requested, in'writing,' to resign and their replies to be ~'received in writing' not later than 8:00 P. N. ThurSday, jan. 2~rd, 19~V at t~e selectmen's office. Secretary.