Danbury January 21, 1891
Alderman Rundle
Dear Sir,
I desire to thank you as citizen of Danbury for your [far seton] in regard to the increase of pay for the firemen. The town or the men of wealth in it should employ a first class New York detective agency to [run down] the fire bugs. The paid firemen are the fire bugs. The first series of fires was to blackmail the town into giving them pay instead leaving them as volunteers. The second batch of fires was to blackmail the town into increasing their pay. Unless law and order be maintained in the town and all such outlaw business be suppressed the bright future of Danbury will be destroyed.
Men with capital will not invest in such a place. Troy New York has been almost ruined by not maintaining order and law [in it until property] is of no value.
Put a good New York detective among the paid firemen and [page break]
[Alderman Page 2]
Instruct him to obtain their confidence and he will soon get hold of the fire bug or bugs. The paid firemen should be sent to prison and new men fill their places. Incendiaries for firemen are like burglars for policemen.
Your paid firemen (allow me to state again) contain the incendiaries. You may remember that the first series of incendiary fires was before their attempt to get pay, and the second series immediately preceding their application to obtain increased pay. There is no end to blackmail; the town allowed itself blackmailed once and now it is blackmailed again.
A true friend to the property and growth of Danbury.
