The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-03

Barber Found Guilty and Thirty-hv
Saloon-Keepers Dismissed.


Saloon-Keepers Dismissed.
TACOMA, Dec. 2-[special. 1.-The thirty-ive
cases pending against saloon keepers for q vio-
lat.on of the Sunday closing law, were dismissed
today in the municipal court. As this motion
was made only al hour or 50 after jury in the
same court had adjudged Charles Fettke, bar
Der, guilty OF violation oil the statute III keeping
his barber shop open on Sunday, there has been
much comment regarding the motive of the pro-
oedure. Fettke was prosecuted by the BARRIERS
Union which was recently organized. He was
fined SIS, and the verdict was based on the de-
cision Of Judge Campbell OF the superior court,
rendered about year ago in similar case, the
barber being fued Tor keeping his shop open on
Sunday. The law as cited to the jury was de-
cdedly in Fettke's favor.
When asked by a correspondent of the Posi-
INTELLIGENcER why he dismissed the saloon
eases, the assistant prosecuting attorney said
did so upon the suggestion OF President Mac
Lafferty, OF the Anti-Sunday Saloon Associa-
ton. He telephoned me the other day, asking
what we were going TO do in the matter. We
assured him that II new evidence was presented
we would go on with the prosecution. lt was
agreed that inasmuch as the witnesses had scat
tered during the six months since the ac-
tons were begun II would be just az well TO dis
miss the eases and start in anew. suppose the
prosecution will be renewed by the Antl-saloon
Association.
The Rev. Mr. MacLafferty told a different
story. He said:
We have met with such utter defeat under the
present administration that we do not propose
TO continue the fight until the present incumo-
ents in the prosecuting attorneys office are out
of office. We have not been supported by the
proceeding attorney in this matter, and mas
much as many of the witnesses have lett or
could not easily be gotten together, We shall
rest Tor the present
The Sunday saloon closing movement at
tracted much attention for a time. The Anti
Sunday Saloon Association, which is composed
principally of members OF the Ministerial AL
lance, proceeded under the state law. This
statute, the opponents of the movement held,
forbade any place being opened for the
purposes OF trade on sunday, save
hotels drug stores, undertaking establishments
ana livery stables. They therefore declared
that the letter OF the law would be enforced if
the movement to close the saloons was pushed.
The movement was pushed, and several fruit,
cigar and confectionery shop keepers were
arrested for violations of the law couple
were convicted and fined, one paying the SIS
fine and the other appealing to the superior
court This had tendency to close business
places of that kind on Sunday, and on one or
two sundays during the heat of the agitation
only few saloons were accessible even via the
back door, the others remaining closed.
The movement of the opponents of Sunday
closing had the desired effect, and the agitation
was brought into disfsvor TO q great extent as
the strict enforcement OF the state law resulted
in more or less inconvenience to many. Grad
ualy the movement Jagged, aud public feeling
manifested by certain element found full ex-
preston in the verdict OF n jury in the munich
pal court, which acquitted a saloon proprietor
of violation of the sunday law, albeit the evil
dence was such as TO convince the spectators
that there was not the least doubt but that the
defendant sold liquor on Sunday.