Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-01
PAWTUCKET'S SHAME.


are not many kitchen barroom dives In
this city. The TRIBUNE has not been
slow to point this out, nor has 1t been
anyway tender In prodding the Police De-
partment relative to the matter.
The comments OF this paper have been
received with more or less inactivity on
the part OF the authorities and have been
sneered at by the scene shifting strangers
OF our downtown contemporary.
The latter said the police were doing
their duty; that there were no Sunday
dives, and that no improvement could be
made In the situation!
Witness how II gulped down It's own lie
last evening In reporting the poisoning
horror. This is what 1t said: Michael
Quinn, as is well known, keeps grocery
store on East avenue, not far from Divi-
sion street bridge. 1t is probably equally
as well known that he keeps a grog shop,
refused 10 grant a renewal of his license
this year, he has been doing Hourishing
trade ever since, especially on Sundays.
His place is known to the police as one OF
the worst dives in the city. According to
all accounts, Quinn did a business ysster-
day among the inhabitants Of the neigh
borhood on par with that OF previous
Sundays"
So much for that wind-wheel paper,
which will doubtless keep right on prais-
ing the police!
What do outside people say OF our cityf
They say enough to cause honest officials
to hang their heads in shame.
This Is what the Telegram says of us:
''The lesson OF the affair is . very simple
one. These kitchen barrooms, run with
out licenses, selling the vilest stun imagi-
nable, are bound to make every dollar
they can because of the danger they run
of being caught and made to pay fines.
The split which is the popular beverage
under prohibition In Maine, and which Is
sold to some extent elsewhere, Is as mid
as milk compared with new whiskey doc
tored by a blacksmith with so deadly
poison as the oil of almonds. The Paw
tucket shop which is responsible for Sun.
days fatality was known to the police, It
is said, to be selling Sundays. Its reputa-
tion was so bad IL could not get license.
Why not have our license law enforced?
Do the police want to bring about a new
agitation for prohibition, or do they sim
ply neglect their duty, or how do these
things 60 ont The licensed dealers, the
hotel keepers and others who do respec-
table business six days In the week ought
to be the first to call for better enforce
ment Of the statutes. II they had done It
before Norris and the others would have
been alive and well today"
And the Providence News, a staunch
Republican paper, Gays: "The poisoning
OF three men who drank whiskey In a
Pawtucket saloon Sunday and the death
oftwo Qt them calls attention again to
the fact that the police authorities are
flagrantly derelict In the matter OF en-
forcing the Jaws against Sunday sales o
liquor. In this particular case there
seems to be no excuse for the failure or
the part OF the police to do their duty
Quinn, the owner OF the saloon, was re.
fused q license, yet while the police wer,
well aware of this fact IL would seen
they have permitted him to continue tn,
trafic week days and Sundays as vel
without Interference or moleststion on
their part. This is disgraceful. Fol
much of the Illegal traffic the police are In
. measure responsible. Reasonable activ'
ity on their part In the line of the en-.
forcement of the law would drive the Law
breakers out of business and remove tb,
stain which Sunday free rum has put on
the good name Of the State"
Mr.. Mayor, you are Chief Of Police.
Whore IL the Jim Brown backbone7