The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-14
THE SKATING Kinks.
Hearing Upon the Petition of the
clergynen
For the Revocation OF the Licenses.

| would endeavor to make out against the
skating Kinks of the city. When the mayor
and aldermen came in at o'clock, the crowd
had increased, filled all the extra seats and
crowded the doorways and spaces behind
the seats of the aldermen. The entire board
was present, except Alderman Moves.
Among those present were Rev. DR.. Bash
ford, Rev. E. T. Adams, Rev. 7. P. Linehan,
Rev. Henry Blanchard, Rev. L. FL. Hallock,
Rev. S. F. Pearson, Mr. George L. Kimball,
| president of the Law and Order League,
| City Physician Charles d. Smith, Messrs.
Charles and James Warwick of the Bijou
| skating parlor, Messrs. B. J. Willard and c.
w. 7. Cooling for the Forest City rink, and
Judge Goddard, their attorney, Mr.. Groves,
| of the Congress Rink, and his attorney,
| Clarence Hale, Esq.
| The following business was transacted:
1t was ordered that the city treasurer pay
the Widows Wood Society $240, interest OF
| Clapp fund
The committee on drains and sewers sub
| mltted their report of sewer assessments LOT
| the year 1885, and it was ordered that a hear
| ing be given as usual.
The Overseers of the Poor recommended
| that an insane person be sent to an asylum
| and it was voted that the papers be signed.
| After the transaction of this business,
| Mayor Deering unrolled the petition praying
| for the revocation of the licenses OF the
skating Kinks With the petition were let
| tiers from prominent physicians. Any gen.
| tlemen who might be present were invited to
| say whatever they might have to say in fur
therance of the object sought by the petition.
| Rev. Mr. Hallock said for the petitioners
that they had chosen Rev. DR.. Bashford to
represent them.
| DR.. Bashford said he was instructed to re-
| quest that, in the interest of public decency
and to prevent scandal, the session might be
private executive session.
Mayor Deering stated DR.. Bashford's re-
quest to the Aldermen.
| Mr.. Hale, counsel for Congress rink, arose
to say a few words in behalf of an open ses-
| Sion
Mayor Deering wanted to know if the gen.
tleman thought that was question in which
the aldermen needed the advice of an out
slider in order to come to a determination.
Judge Goddard thought that as the sugges-
ton for secret session had come from one
not member of the board, so also might
suggestion for an open session come from an
outsider
Mayor Deering assumed that DR.. Bashford
had simply made request, and upon motion
of Alderman Gallagher it was voted that the
case of the petitioners should be heard in
private executive session at which all persons
should be excluded except the petitioners
and remonstrants, and their respective eoun-
sci and witnesses.
The room was then cleared. The witnesses
J;o4o
rest of the spectators, congregated in the city
messengers room and in the corridors,
where they discussed the Kinks and told what
they knew of them. Some knew a good
deal.
1t was about quarter past eight o'clock
when the doors were shut leaving the cler-
gymen and the rink owners confronting each
other before the city officers.
The following petition bearing four hun
dred signatures was presented against the
Congress Rink.
To the Honorable Mayor and Board of aldermen
Of the City of Portland
The undersigned residents of Ward One and
vicinity believing that the Skating Rink at the
corner of Congress and Munjoy streets is exerting
pad influence upon the morals OF the you'll. of
our community, pray that you will cause the
license issued to the propretors of this rink to be
revoked
DR.. Bashford then presented the case
which had been made out against the Kinks.
He spoke from manuscript, and was about
half an hour making his charges.
He charged that the Kinks were pernicious
in their effect, exerting their baleful infu-
encelboth upon the bodies and souls of
the young The iniquities and scandals
which had grown up in connection with
these places of resort were notorious. DR..
Bashford was prepared to mention there, for
the information of the mayor and aldermen
that there had come under the notice of the
clergymen represented, no less than twenty
three cases where serious, sometimes irrepar-
able harm had befallen the young who had
congregated at these resorts. He knew of
two families that had been broken up
through arrangements which had their origin
in gallantries at the rink two elopements had
recently scandalized two neighborhoods and
cast cloud upon the characters and reputa-
tions of the participants there had been 9TH
er calamities which had shattered families
and blighted lives These Kinks, too, were
disorderly places people had been insulted
there; a lady of established reputation in the
city had been troubled by the outrageous at
NS&AsANAhc
pairing this arraignment the clergymen had
suppressed the names; but it was possible to
give them and support them by unimpeacha-
BILE testimony. If the mayor and aldermen
wished to be convinced, he was ready to
crafty them providing they would meet him
and his associates in secret session where
oaths should secure the unfortunate victims
from publicity.
Dr. Bashford then requested that Marshal
Andrews state the result of his observations
and his inquiries among the police force.
Marshal Andrews was called and stated
that he had no doubt that the influence of the
Kinks was bad. He and his force knew many
instances to support his opinion.
Mr.. Hale, counsel for the Congress rink,
then moved that the Kinks of the city be put
upon probation for month or more; that
police officers be detailed to maintain order
and fair trial he made to see whether
the charges just made had foundation.
DR.. Bashford complained that of course,
under the eye of policeman, rink would
appear orderly and respectable.
Mr. Hale replied that if such were the
case, there would be no grievance against |
the Kinks.
Judge Goddard took the ground that, in
fairness, the Kinks on the island, which are
now closed, should be exempted from the
consideration which the others are now I'M
dergoing.
Alderman Denison moved that these Kinks
be so exempted 1t was voted.
Mr.. Charles E. Warwick, proprietor of the
Bijou rink, then stated that he was ready,
either at that time or at any time in the
future, to answer the charges made by the
reverend gentlemen, and show the falseness
of any assertion that his rink was an i'm
moral place, or place in which the young
were enticed into harm
Mayor Deering said that he had been into
the Bijou rink three times since the begin |
ming of the present agitation against the
Kinks. He had seen nothing out of the way
at any of these visits. Everything was de- |
cent and in order
Alderman Gallagher gave it as his opinion |
that Congress rink and the rink on Dan |
forth street were each nuisances, and ex-
tremely pernicious in their influence upon |
tho morals of tha CnunU naonla in tbai,