Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-11-17
sARron's CASE TRIED.
BAD Dive Kept by = Man with Bad
Record.


Record.
The case Of James NJ Barton proprietor
of the Novelty Theatre, charged with
selling liquor without license. was
called in Municipal Court at a special ses-
sion last evening. William T. Smithers,
ESQ. appeared for the defendant and
asked a continuance until next Monday
evening This the court was not disposed
to grant until City Solicitor Turner sug-
Gested that the prosecution offer its testi-
nony then and the defense be put in on
Monday This was agreed to and the in
formations were considered as filed.
George r. Hoffman, the detective who
has SO shrewdly worked the cases, was
the first witness called. On the night OF
November 8 he bought ticket and en-
tered the Novelty Theatre. He had been
in there but a short time when he made
an effort to get up in the boxes. In this
he finally succeeded. having made known
his intention to Barton. He found the
show rather lively IN the body Of the
hall. After the act ended the girls came
up into the boxes and made themselves
exceedingly agreeable There were
other men there besides himself and we're
ordering drinks for the girls. He turned
t. woman back Of him, who afterwards
proved to be Mrs White of No. 101
Water street. He asked her to take
drink, which she did, ana he paid for the
drinks He made himself exceedingly
agreeable and treated indiscriminately
They liked him so well that he finally got
into a room back of the stage on Water
street. Here he found all the implements
of bar-room. He treated in there a
number Of times Barton was there and
bade him goodbye before going off to
Richmond, to which point the latter was
bound The liquor was served by a young
man named Kennedy and by the girls
about the place He saw in the audience
a number of children from to years of
age. The proof Of ownership by way Of
theatrical license was submitted.
The charge of selling on November
was next heard and Hoffman was again
called Il was election night and he
went through the same program described
above Of getting in the place. 1t was
full Of people and election returns were
being received (''Sad night, quietly
observed the city solicltor) He obtained
Iiquor again both in the boxes and In the
back room. 1t was brought to him by
Kennedy, Name Sullivan and a girl
named Hughes, who were performers on
the stage Mrs. Barton was also present
on that evening. The girl Sullivan
was not over 10 years of
age. The detective also testified
to purchasing liquor ON the 9th, 10TH and
10Th Of November. On the latter occasion
he met his colleague, Detective James H.
Randall Barton introduced Randall to
Hoffman. Randall was next called. He
entered the theatre on the 19th instant
and was almost Immediately recognized
by a man in the place as a detective.
Randall went out, but in few minutes
returned He took seat along side Of
Barton and said
Jim you did not know me when was
here before.
Yes, ! did, replied Barton "You are
on the Philadelphia detective force
mo. that's my brother, Al Randall
Barton asked Randall what he was doing
here and be said that he had come down
10 see him He then showed Barton
Telegram from Mayor Harrington to his
brother His brother and he were bad
friends he said He had broken open the
telegram and had come down here TO
warn Barton Barton treated him roy
ally after this and took him up stairs 70
get drinks. as he came out Barton slip
ped 81 in his pocket.
Barton was held in $500 for a further
hearing Monday night.
James M. Barton, the proprietor Of the
diHeputable dive, is well know in police
circles in Philadelphia He was indicted
three times in that city and was unable
to do any business there when he came
80 Wilmington. He came originally from
Baltimore and about 1877 he opened a
dive on Eighth street near Vine, Phila
delphia. he had one OF the most disrepu-
table places in that city. He was fire.
quently raided and arrested for selling
liquor to minors and various other viola
ti0ns Of the liquor laws. He soon became
power in the politics of the Tenth ward
aud always had about him a crowd Of
twenty five or thirty men. With these he
would take more chances on election day
than any Of the crooked frater-
nifty in Philadelphia. He would
usually vote the men several times.
Among the other offenses was that Of cir
culating criminal libel on General Wag
ner, director of public works For this
he was convicted in court but never sen
tenced Towards the last his violations
of the liquor law became so frequent that
he left Philadelphia and turned up al
Atlantic City as the proprietor of q dive
He ran this for a couple Of seasons when
the old Carroll place in this city passed
into his hands. He made an effort t,
obtain a license at each session of the
Court, bnt all to no avail. In the wine
room. at his place, liquor has been openl,
offered ever since the place was opened
by him, and the municipal authoritie
have determined TO break the place up
1t has done more than any other on the
street TO contribute towards the bad
name that East Front stree is enjoying
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