Evening journal., 1890-03-08
LAST EDITION
THE OLD BUCK TAVERN.
UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO CLOSE
THIS ANCIENT INN.

term of Superior Court convened at 10
o'clock this morning with Chief Justice
Comegys and Associate Judge Houston on
the bench
AS is usual on the last day of court,
the applications for licenses to sellliquor
were brought up for determination.
Protests against the desired licenses
had been filed in only two instances, and
hence the time devoted to the considera
tion of the liquor cases was very brief.
The Law and Order Society, through
its attorney, William S. Prickett ESQ +,
entered vigorous protest against the
issuing of a license to Johanna Koeberle
to sell liquor at No. 1913 East Eleventh
street.
Levi C. Bird, Esq, appeared for the
applicant He said tnat his client had
applied at the last term of court but in
somuch as three other persons were ask
ing permission to start places over
Eleventh street bridge, she had With
drawn her papers, Mr.. Bird said
that much to his astonishment all the
other applicants had been granted H.
censes. He said that 1t would work
great hardship on his client if she was
turned down. She had rented a place
from Mr.. McClaferty, for which she was
paying monthly rent of $40 If she
was refused this money would be total
loss to her.
Mr. Prickett Of the Law and Order
Society opposed the application. He said
that Mrs Koeberle had been turned down
olce before herself and thas it was the
general belief that the real owner OF the
saloon for which she wanted q
license was Barnard Farron, who
had been refused time aud
Al. Al
already three saloons in the district, Just
beyond Eleventh street bridge while
many Of the residents thought that one
would suffice to supply the needs Of the
neighborhood
The Law and Order Society also fled
objections to Henry Jones of Summit
Bridge, as proper licensee. Mr.. Jones
is Mine Host Of the famous Old Buck
Tavern, which has been place of public
entertainment for nearly sixty years The
applicant is known as the Poor Bah Of
the village for in addition to his hotel
and bar-room he runs barber shop and
a saddlery store.
Mr. Prickett, the great objector, was
prepared to make bitter fight against
Pooh Bah Jones. He said there was
strong feeling in the neighborhood on
the matter, and the closing of this place
was earnestly desired by all the respect
able citizens Of the locality. He said he
had several witnesses in court whom he
wished to put on the stand.
Peter B. Aldrich, postmaster and gen.
eral storekeeper at Summit Bridge, was
the FIRST one called. He testified that he
had lived in the village for over twenty
years. The tavern was only about
100 yards from his store. He was greatly
bod hsy1
in the summer time. (Here Chief Justice
Comegys remarked, soto voce, that ''thev
were always noisy') Witness never knew
any one to beinsulted in the neighborhood
he had seen drunken people around his
premises frequently. They came from
the direction Of the tavern.
Frank Biggs, the legal representative
of the applicant, induced the witness to
state that the house kept by Jones was
IS orderly as any place of q similar char-
acter he knew Of
Elijah Guy, colored, sexton of the A.
NJ E. Church, who was next called, sue
ceeded ia delivering pretty fsir temper
ance lecture from the witness stand
before he could be stopped.
He stated that worship in
his church had been greatly disturbed
by the drunken and noisy people who
came from the direction of the Old Buck
Tavern. He declared with great vehe
mence that he thought he would be doing
great wrong If he failed to protest
against this saloon. The colored men
spent the money they earned there lust
as soon. as they got their hands on it,
John M. King who has the reputa
tion of being one of the greatest exhort-
ers Ia the county, testified that the rea.
son he wanted license refused to this
place was because he considered
lt the cause of all the evil.
disorder and decentralization in our com
munity" He said he was greatly
annoyed always when festivals occurred
among the colored people. They got
liquor at this tavern and made night
hideous by yelling aud singing as they
drank it on the bridge. He was more
4 annoyed than any one else because he
q resided so near the bridge. He estimated
4 that one-fourth Of all the voters
IN the district had signed the rAmoR-
stranee. He also claimed that Mr.. Jones
did not have sufficient number Of free
Z holders on his application. He Waxed 80
u eloquent as he dwelt on the evils Of the
RI a traffic and spoke so feelingly of how
u the wives and daughters had appealed to
hlm TO try to shut up the place, that
l# ~~As 0AGGo AcAb hOAAHLIhlubu TO nun.
Il with the request that be permit Mr..
Il Prickett to do the pleaing in the case
The assertion made by this witness in
regard to freeholders resulted in drawing
a ruling from the chief Justice on q
matter which Is now decided for the 6rst
time. Witness said that the application
of Mr.. Jones was invalid because some Of
the treeholders who had signed it did not
own property in the district.
The Chief Justice ruled that in order
to be competent to sign an application
for license man must reside in the dis
trict, but his freehold could be located
anywhere within the state.
P.JLynch, the candidate for the sheriff
atty nomination. testified that he had
known Mr.. Jones and the reputation of
the tavern for long time Hevisited
Il the place at least once week 1t was as
orderly house as any place of the kind
n he had ever frequented Mr.
Jones kept good table and a good bar
Judge Houston delivered little remin-
scent testimony on the Old Buck Tavern
Nj himself. He spoke Of how, when a
Hstudent at the Academy, he visited this
III nm in 1927 and while the driver watered
the carriage horses be wandered down
and gazed with rapture on the Summit
il Bridge. The structure had lust been
81 completed, and to his youthful eyes the
II canal and this bridge were the most col
5# oa sal an pinaorirer esvorlra l., o..s.4...--