Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-06
SELLING TO MINORS.
THREE BAR-YYYpERs SENT on FOB II
AND OTHERS REPORTED.
Justice Richardson Announces His Inten.
tion to Try to Break Up This
Unlawful Practice.

Three bar.keepers were before the
Police Court yesterday morning on q
warrant charging them with having
sold liquor to minors within the last
twelve months past. The parties were
V. Donsti 4 Brother, who keep ct the
corner Of Eighteenth and franklin
Granville Hord, who keeps at lS49 and
1851 venable street, and Mrs. Ann Nc
Kinley, who keeps at the corner OF
Eighteenth and Marshall.
ORIGIN OF THE GASES.
Saturday night, July oath, an officer
arrested Rosser Coleman, . sfiftesn-y ear
old youth, on the charge Of being dis
orderly on the street. When Coleman
was on trial it appeared that he WAS
under the influence Of liquor when the
offence complained Of was committed.
Justice Richardson questioned Cole
man as to where he got his liquor, aud
he said that he got some At each OF
these places. He gave the names OF
two other boys who were with him
when he got the LIQUOR. They were
summoned as witnesses in the case, and
warrants were sworn out for Donati,
Hord, and Mckinley. Their cases we're
called last Friday and continued until
yesterday.
THE CASES CALLED.
When the cases were called yester-
day morning Mr.. Samuel NJ. Page ap-
peared as counsel for all three OF the
defendants, and said that he wished all
of the cases tried together. The wit
nesses for the prosecution-Rosssr
Coleman, Hampton Melton, Samuel
Lambert, and Charles Briel-wers
sworn, and, at tho request Of Mr.. Page,
separated.
COLEMAN's TESTIMONY.
Coleman, the first witness examined,
said that on the day he was arrested he,
in company with Melton and Lambert,
had gotten liquor to drink at the places
of all Of the defendants. They first
went to Hord's, about $50 P. M., and
there got a gill of whiskey, for which
Melton paid, and which they drank at
the counter. They then went to Nc
Kinley's, where Lambert bought
halfpint, which they also drank
ct the bar. Later they went
to Donati's, and got pint.
Lambert paid for half pint, which they
drank, and. after going out and waiting
few minutes, Melton set up an
other half pint. They did not drink
at any other places. The witness was
closely cross questioned without bring
ing out anything in addition to the
.bove, except different points in the
city to which the witness and his friends
went and persons with whom they met
after the drinking. Witness said that
Clarence Vest waited ON him at Hord's,
one Of the young McKinley's at their
place, and A. Donati at Donati Bro
thers'.
OTHER EVIDENCE
Melton's and Lambert's evidence con-
cerniDg the drinking at Donati's was
similar to that Of Coleman. Melton
remembered drinking at McKinley's,
but not at Hord's, on the day named.
Lambert's testimony, in substance,
agreed with that Of Melton.
Briel knew nOthisg Of the case. He
left the factory at which he works with
Lambert, but was not with them when
they werc drinking.
THE OTHER SIDE.
Hord testified that he was in hia store
all day Saturday and didn't remember
that either of the three young men wero
in there at all that day. Lambert gos
a drink there two or three months ago.
Before letting him have it, however, hs
asked il be Lambert) was twenty-ons
years old, to which he replied that he
was.
Clarence Hopkins, fifteen-yeAr-old
youth, who stays In Hord's grocery
and bar, said that he WAS there most Of
the day Saturday and up to midnight,
but, to the best Of his knowledge and
belief, be did not remember seeing
either of these young men in there.
He said later that he sold liquor be-
hind the bar that night, and was posi-
tive that he did not see either Of them.
Justice Richardson asked why the
witness at first qualified the express
sion and then made it moro positive?
Mr.. Page said he thought it Was due
to the fact that the boy was young,
and that this was his first time on the
witness-stand.
Justice Richardson said that be
sympathized with the boy, if for no.
thing else because one of his tender
years is put behind the bar TO sell II
quor.
Thomas Vest, who resides half
square from Hord's, testified that he
never knew the accused to sell liquor
to minors. lie had seen Hord refuse
to sell to men who were intoxicated,
and he did not think he would sell to .
minor knowingly.
THE DoNATIs' SAY.
Andrew Donati said that on Sstur-
day he was behind the bar from 1O A.
NJ. to S or G p. NJ, and from about 10
P. NJ. to midnight. He did not see
any of the boys in his place on the
night named, and had never seen any
Of them in there except Lambert, who
had been in there and drank with his
father. He was in thsre either Mon
day or Tuesday of last week, and
wanted to get hslf-pint Of liquor for
his older brother Phil. He (witness)
refused to sell it to him, saying that il
his brother Phil. wanted it he would
have to come for it. He did not know
iDgly sell to minors, and had such .
plscard hanging in his bar.
V. Donati said that on the day
named he waited on the bar from 3 to
10 A. NJ. and from S to 10 P. n. He
did not sell liquor to either Of the boys.
lie had refused to sell to Lambert re-
pes,edly. When Coleman was arrested
he Donati), as justice Of the peace,
recognized him for his appearance at
the Police Court the following Monday
morning, and did not think at the time