St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-12-01
WITHOUT A LICENSE
The Grand Jury UnearthS a
Batch Of Non-Paying
Whisky Sellers,
And Severely CritieiSeS the
Methods of Municipal Au-
thopities
For Allowing the City to Lose
Many Thousands Of
Dollars.
The Officials, However, Pre-
sent a Ready and Salts
factory Answer.

The grand jury held a special session
yesterday, and at noon made its final
report and was discharged by Judge
Otis. Minnie Charleston was indicted
for grand larceny in the first degree for
having stolen S95 worth of goods from
Walter Lund. AS to John Johnson, the
milkman charged with taking the money
of Lora Beale, they reported no bill
found. The most sensational feature of
the grand jury's work since it was con
vened III October is the report as 70 the
selling of liquors without license. A
committee has been working on this
subject for some time. and the investl-
cations made are here subjOined as part
of the report Of the grand jury:
Your committee, to whom was referred the
list furnished to the grand jury BY the
city clerk and the city treasurer OF liquor
licenses issued and paid for during the cur
rent year, respectfully report that they have
carefully compared said lists and find:
first-That there has beed paid into the
city treasury for licenses since Jan. p, 1891,
the sum of $780,. GOO.
Secondhand the law regulating the sale
of Intoxicating liquors has been violated by
almost every person whose name appears
upon the lists referred to us. with the full
knowledge of the municipal authorities who
have charge of the issuance of licenses, 1t be-
ing the practice TO permit applicants for
licenses TO begin or continue the business OF
liquor selling without The actual issuance to
them of licenses for longer or
shorter period of time between
the GATE of application and date of
payment of license fee; The average time of
such unlawful selling on all the licenses
since Jun. J. 1891, being q days. In l62 cases
this period extends for more than 30 DAYS. of
which in - eases the law was continuously
violated for from 10 to 80 days; in 10 cases
from 80 to 90 days; III cases from 90 to 20
days; ana in & cases from 20 10 IS days. Be
sides being an open
Violation of the Law,
this practice results in the loss of a consider
able sum to the treasury; the interest at per
cent per annum on the legal fees for licenses
granted since Jan. l. 1891, for the average
time which has been granted for the pay
ment of same contrary to law amounts to
more than S1.501.
Third-That without any apparent warrant
of law, persons to whom licenses have been
issued have been permitted TO transfer them
to other applicants, and from one business
location to another, by consent of the mu-
nicipal authorities.
Fonrth-By comparison of the lists re-
ferred to US with list of retail liquor licenses
issued from the Office of the United States
collector of the internal revenue for this dis
trict by the committee We find that fifty
United States licenses have been issued to
identified with the persons or locations
named i'll the lists furnished by the city clerk.
A list of these, with name and location of
license. is herewith attached. IT Will be seen
from this that the city of St Paul has been
deprived of revenue amounting to many
thousands of dollars. Your committee would
suggest and request the reference OF this list
Of persons holding United States licenses
who do not appear to have city
licenses to the county attorney for fur
ther investigation. Your committee would
further suggest that, in the report of the
grand jury to the court, attention be called
especially to the constant violation of the
law on the part of the municipal authorities
in knowingly permitting parties TO sell liquor
before their application has been approved,
the fee paid and the license issued to them.
The present board of aldermen and board OF
assembly should be requested to at once
make
Radical and Decided Change
by repeating all ordinances or rules now ex-
listing that are not in harmony and do not
strictly conform to all the requirements of
the state law, then see that the same is en-
forced Special attention should be called
to the fact that of the 367 licenses
issued during the current year 29S
will expire Jan. l, 1892. and if any
or all of these parties desire to continue
the sale of liquor the application should be
made at once, the money paid and license
issued before being permitted to sell after
that date. No excuse from now forward
should be tolerated. and any or all violations
should be punished promptly and to the
fullest extent of the law. This would be
done as a matter of justice to those dealers
who do conform to the laws requirements,
to say nothing of the community. who are
also interested in the enforcement of all good
laws. To this end all information obtained
by this jury should be turned over TO the
next grand jury that they may more readily
investigate and punish offenders. Re
specially submitted.
GEORGE H. WATSON,
f. NJ VAN DUzEE,
FRANK ID. WILLIS,
Committee