Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-18
tsrKc1AL TELEGRAM TO THE D1sp AroH..

through more severe course.
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsP AToH.!
PHILADELPHIA, March 17.-For the
third time since the high license bill be-
came a law the License Court of Philadel-
phia met this morning to decide what In
dividuals shall have the privilege of selling
liquor within the limits of the county ior
II months, from the 1st day of June, next
Since the court last met in 1889 there have
been many new and important moves mace
in the matter oflIquor selling. The Supreme
Court of the Commonwealth decided that
wholesale liquor dealers must be granted
licenses. 1t has been announced, and without
contradiction, that illegal liquor selling
has been carried on to an extent that has
alarmed the community. The constaoles OF
the several wards have been called before
the Judges and ordered to report frankly
and without reservation all speak-easles
within their jurisdiction. In addition, the
Law and Order Society has never been SO
active and so Jealous in its prosecutions. All
of these combined led to considerable appre-
hension on the part OF applicants for licenses,
and much conjecture as to whether the
heretofore.
AN UNPLEASANT DUTY.
After the Supreme Court had made its
decision in the wholesale cases 1t is known
that the existing License Court had no
particular desire to continue in that line OF
dutv Indeed, they at the time were OF the
opinion that in Justice to themselves they
should not be called upon again to act as a
License Court. The board Of judges de-
cided that the License Court should con-
tinue as originally constituted, and this
morning Judges Fell, Gordon, Wilson and
Bregy occupied the seats on the bench.
Long before the court convened the pave |
ments in the vicinity were occupied by the |
applicants and their friends. Men OF legal |
learning were scurrying around, giving this |
client a word or two and listning to the final |
statements of the other. 1t was fatetul |
day for both lawyer and client
To obtain admission within the court |
room, it was necessary for the party desiring |
to obtain entrance to say that he was an ap- |
plicant for license, lawyer, or newspaper |
man. Every seat within the building was |
taken long before the Judges appeared, and |
the space reserved for the public and wit |
nesses, during the trial of causes, was |
crowded.
A CENTER OF ATTRACTION.
Saloon keepers whose licenses had been |
granted last year and who were anxious for |
a renewal of the privilege rubbed elbows |
with those who were making their initial |
appearance before the court, asking for the |
privilege Of keeping saloon, inn, or tavern. |
The members of the bar were out in full |
force and were on hand early. Every seat |
within the inclosure reserved for the law
yers was quickly taken. There were few
,la-z - Ahn hor
Nearly all of the familiar faces to be seen
in the several courts of Common Pleas DUR
ing the regular sessions of the court were on
hand to witness the opening of the License
Court. In many cases, on account of the |
rush for seats, prominent lawyers were CON-
PEELED to stand in waiting until provided
with seats by the tipstaves, who were kept |
busy.I
THE MUSIC COMMENCES.
The State House bell had scarce ceased |
tolling the hour of 10 when the little door
behind the Judges bench was opened and |
the Judges, Fell, Wilson, Bregy and Cor
don, who have sat as the dispensers of
licenses since the creation of the License
Court, presented themselves, and in such an
easy, matter-of-fact way as to leave the i'm
preston that they had been hearing testi-
mony in license cases without interruption,
rather than that they we're about to begin
the hearings for the granting of licenses for
the ensuing year.
After the Judges had taken their seats the
Crier of the Court delivered the customary
"Oh, yez'' and demanded silence, while
Judge Bregy, who has been doing Quarter
Sessions duty, called up the cases of the
constables of the Fifteenth ward, who stood
charged with making an incomplete return
of the "speak-easies" within their districts.
At the close of the hearing OF the testimony
referred to, Judge Fell, who acts as presid-
ing officer of the License Court said, "We
will now take up the license cases." and
az once, as if by magic, every voice was
stilled and each sound hushed as the first of
the applicants for license was called upon
to answer for himself
A GENUINE SURPRISE.
The mode of procedure adopted by the
four Judges was genuine surprise to both
applicants and lawyers, and at the hour of
adjournment more cases had been disposed
OF than at any previous session since the
organization of the court. The hearings
were carried on with such rapidity that the
applicants in the first three wards, to the
number of 2S3, were heard. 1t is the inten-
tion OF the Court to dispose of three
wards daily, and at that rate the
bearings will be concluded in about three
weeks. The applicants possessing licenses
were agreeably surprised at the manner in
which they were handled by both the Court
and Mr.. Nail, counsel of the Law and Order
Society. With few exceptions they were
allowed to depart on their sworn statement
that they had complied with all the require
ments of the law.
1t is the opinion of the lawyers that the
wholesale applicants will be subjected to a
more rigid examination, and interesting de-
velopments are promised.