Danbury Superior Court Judge Howard J. Moraghan has denied Richard Crafts’ request for a reduction of the $750,000 bond that was set when he was arrested for the alleged murder of his wife, Helle. Mr Crafts has been held on the bond at the Bridgeport Correctional Center since his arrest in January. During the hearing Mr Crafts also entered a not guilty plea and requested a jury trial. “Our view is that a bond set at $750,000 is constitutionally excessive,” Defense Attorney Daniel Sagarin said. State’s Attorney Walter Flanagan argued that Mr Crafts’ bond should not be reduced because of the risk involved in letting an airline pilot with experience as a world traveler out of jail. He also stated that the state’s evidence against him was substantial. Mr Sagarin argued that the bond was set so high originally because of press coverage of this as a gruesome crime. Since his arrest, Mr Crafts has been placed under suspension without pay at Eastern Airlines. He also has not received proper medical treatment, Mr Sagarin said. Judge Moraghan denied the bond reduction on March 30. He made no statement concerning the reasons for his decision.

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Four Newtown youth soccer players will get a taste of Europe and its brand of soccer when they travel to Denmark and Norway this summer with a Danbury team. The four Newtown players are Tim O’Connor, Tim Gardner, Michael Lavery and Allan McQuilkin. The Newtown players will join 11 players from Danbury to make up a 14-year-old team that will play in two tournaments during their 19-day stay.

April 6, 1962

A total of 46 teenage drivers from the county have been summoned to appear with one or both parents at a hearing this Friday in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall. The drivers are from among a total of 91 who have been warned by State Police for driving after drinking. The hearing will bring in those drivers warned during the recent road blocks established near the New York State border to discourage trips into New York State to obtain liquor.

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Fired up by a series of set fires, false alarms and malicious mischief in connection with fire calls, Newtown’s Fire Commissioners voted Tuesday evening to support the Fire Marshals in prosecuting, to the fullest extent, these criminal violations. A board spokesman said, “This becomes a matter of grave importance when as many as four calls a day are received — not only is property endangered but fire equipment and men are exposed to accident and danger unnecessarily.”

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Monday morning found the Main Street Barber Shop open for business as usual. Edward S. Pitzschler, proprietor, had returned from Danbury Hospital on Saturday where he had been a patient for three weeks receiving treatment for an infected foot.

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Twenty-seven townspeople attended an open meeting held last Thursday evening at the Cyrenius H. Booth Library called to explore the possibility and advisability of starting an historical society in Newtown. Considerable discussion took place on the proper function of such a society, and its advantages to the town. In discussing the possibility of obtaining an old house to use as an historical society headquarters building, furnished with antique articles connected with Newtown’s early families and historic past, the meeting was reminded that during Connecticut’s tercentennial celebration, many townspeople loaned or contributed such articles.

 

April 2, 1937

William B. Harris will reopen his popular Maryland Grill on Saturday for the coming season. Many new dishes are being featured this year at the Maryland, but the popular Maryland fried chicken and sizzling steak dinners, which have made this place famous from coast to coast, will continue to be featured. The interior of the grill has been entirely redecorated and Mr Harris and his staff are ready and looking forward to a banner year.

***

Due to the snowstorms of last Thursday, the proposed hike for the Girl Scouts was changed to an indoor picnic at the home of Mrs Ray M. Leonard, Scout Captain. Games were enjoyed and a lecture on Nature was given by Mrs William McKenzie. As a result of this talk, several of the Scouts passed their Nature test.

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The “Mystery Hike” on Monday was the best the Boy Scout troop had had to date. About every half-mile of the hike which followed the Scout trail, there was a surprise event in charge of one of the junior assistants. First there was the fire permit to get. Then there was First Aid, Compass, Tracking, Signaling, Fire Building, Tent Pitching, and of course, eating. The end of the trip was marred by a loose rock falling and hitting Henry Krohn on the head and knocking him down the hill in the glen. The last reports show that he is doing nicely, although her received quite a cut.

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Sandy Hook is in the midst of the measles epidemic which recently went through Hawley School. Dr Waldo F. Desmond, Health officer, reports that 35 cases have developed in Sandy Hook during the past several days.

April 5, 1912

L. Birdsey Parsons cut down, last week, the large buttonball tree which stood in front of his house at South Center. The tree was an old landmark and it was 13 feet in circumference and 5 feet in diameter one way and four and one-half the other. Half of the tree was dead and so Mr Parsons was afraid to let it stand any longer.

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The South Pole discovery has just been made by Mr Amundson, the explorer, but the honor of navigating the upper Pootatuck belongs to three popular clerks in Sandy Hook, Josiah Tilson, Jr, Charles Tilson and Richard Carmody. Securing a small dinkey boat the other night, all three started paddling upstream. They made fair progress, but in an unguarded moment young Josiah changed his position and all three went into the Pootatuck river, which was swollen from the freshet. “This exploring business is played out,” said Carmody, as he shook the water out of his hair.

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George Mayer has bought of Eli B. Beers the Palestine farm of Mr Beers. Mr Mayer has been in charge of the farm for Mr Beers since the latter removed to the Borough of Newtown. This is one of the fine farms of the town.

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Anxious Reader: You ask what meant the great activity, Wednesday in Edward Taylor’s driveway at Sandy Hook. George F.T. wielding an ax, Edward, Sr, a crowbar, and soon young pine trees were cut down and a great post dug up which had stood 65 years, and the roadway broadened. No, Mr Taylor is not laying out a trotting track, but when the auto comes back from the Blue Ribbon garage, with a new coat of paint, it is thought a 20-foot driveway will be wide enough, so that Mr Taylor will not adopt the Levi Morris plan and run into the fence when he wants to stop. Hoping the above answers your question. —Your Uncle Ike.