The record-union., 1891-09-03
IN IT UP TO THEIR KNEES.
What the Trustees Get for Juggling
With an Evil.
Instead of Revoking the silva-Cunha
Dive License, They Grant a
Hearing-The Result.

The proprietors of the disreputable
dive on the northeast corner of Second
and L streets seem determined not to let
go without contest. At last Mondays
session of the City Trustees Police Judge
Cravens complained of the place and in
stanced cases of robbery that had been
committed on or about the premises by
male and female thieves who resort there.
and asked the board to revoke the license
under which the dive was being run.
Police Captain Lee indorsed what Judge
Cravens said. He regarded the Silva
Cunha dive as among the worst in the
city, but added that there are several
others not much better which should also
be suppressed.
The Trustees have decided to give the
proprietors hearing tomorrow evening,
which proceeding appears to be wholly
unnecessary. That body can grant or re-
woke licenses at will, and it had abund-
ant evidence before it on Monday on
which to act in this case. Trustee Conk-
lin was then prepared to vote with the
Mayor to revoke the license, but the lat
ter yielded to demand" for ninQuiry.
Now comes Mr.. Anderson, counsel for
the dive-keepers, who files protest
against the proceeding, in the following
terms:
"The respondents, Silva and Cunha,
deny each and every allegation in the
complaint filed herein by Il. .. Cravens
and w. d. ComstOck, Police Commits
sioners.
'Respondents deny the right or power
of the Board OF Trustees to revoke or
forfeit their license, and deny that there
is or ever was any cause for the alleged
complaint.
i
to the proceedings because the Board OF
Trustees has no power or authority to
forfeit or declare forfeited any property
or rights Of the citizen, and any ordi-
nance, or pretended ordinance, granting
such power, is void.
That licenses. are property under the
laws of this State and cannot be forfeited
OF taken by the Board of Trustees.
THAT respondents object 10 W. D..
ComStock sitting as q court i'll judgment
ofthe alleged complaint and the accusa-
tiOns therein made, because the accuser
shall not be the judge in his own case.
THAT Ordinance No.,276 is void and
unconstitutional.
''That said alleged complaint of w. d.
ComstOck and K. Q. Cravens does not
state any cause Of action against respond
entS."
By its temporizing action on Monday
the board now finds itself confronted by
a perplexing obstacle, in the way of a
formal protest, which may interfere with
any present action on its part and thus
give the dive q temporary lease of life
that Will tide over the two weeks of the
State Fair. In that time there is no tell
ing how many whisky befuddled men
may be ''done up" by the gang that rem
devious there.
In a conversation on Tuesday with a
RECORD-UNION reporter, Trustee COnk-
lin said he was weary Of having the dive
question constantly before the board in
such a slip-shod manner.
I'VE have repeatedly asked the police
department." he said, ''tO inform the
board as to what places should be refused
licenses or have their licenses revoked.
That department knows, or ought to
know, what places are not fit to he al
lowed to run, and it should keep the
board posted, otherwise we cannot know
how to act.
This business of having hearings be-
fore the board, with one or two respecta-
BILE compliments and a whole regiment
of dive-habitues as witnesses and q lot of
lawyers insisting upon the enforcement
of courtroom rules is all nonsense.
II, for one, was prepared last Monday
to act on the evidence laid before us by
Judge Cravens and Captain Lee, but it
wasn't done, and now we are in for it."
The proper thing for the Trustees to do
would be TO revoke the licenses of all
dives that they personally k1Olr to be
unfit places to let run, and then let the
dive-keepers and robbers OF drunken
men go TO the courts, ii they have the
courage to do so, for any redress TO which
they may feel themselves to be entitled.
That would be a quick and effective
method of settling the dive problem.