St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-18
THIS IS HOT STUFF.
Raey Testimony in the Mar
garet Street Police In
veStigation.
What the Mayor ana Chief
Knew Of the Cooper
Dance House.
One Witness for the Defense
Threatened With an In
slant Arrest,
But, After 1t All, the Repub-
lieanS Stand by Mayor
Wright.

held a long and decidedly interesting
session yesterday afternoon. Thursday
plight the chairman of the committee,
Mr.. Doran, objected to hearing the testi-
mOny, owing to the absence of the par
ties interested. 1t was noticeable yes
terday afternoon that neither the mayor
nor chief of police was present, al
though the clerk to the chief had long
talk with Mr.. Doran before the meeting
was called. If any explanation was
made to Mr.. Doran as TO the absence of
the chief he kept it to himself. Mr..
DOran had a written opinion from the
corporation attorney stating the extent
and character of the investigation were
within the discretion OF the committee,
and all The members required was to
satisfy themselves as TO what report
should be made.
There was an extended discussion as
to The scope of the investigation, Mr..
DoIan claiming the testimony should be
brief. He also insisted the testimony
should be only such as to refute any
thing IN the paper handed III by the
mayor. Capt. Hanft was called, and
after being sworn by Corporation AttOr-
ney Chamberlain testified as to his age,
position on the force, and that lie mad
served eighteen years as patrolman,
sergeant and captain. lie knew OF
COOper'S keeping a saloon ana dance
hall. The dancing hall had been putt
last summer. No orders had been issued
to MIN by Chief Garvin or the mayor rel
alive to the place. The chief had on
one occasion visited COOper'S place and
other resorts of a like character in his
district. This visit was made on Sun
dav i'm July or August. After coming
out of COOper's place the chief had
remarked there did not seem 10 be any
thing wrong with it. In answer 10 a
letter written 10y the chief he had made
a written report as to Cooper'S place
and other resorts of a similar character.
he had
Carried the Letter
to the chief, but had never heard from
either of the officials until In January
last. The morning before the license
committee met Chief Garvin had called
him into the office and said it would be
we'll to have some officers before the
committee that night. He was accom-
panied to the council chamber by Ser
geants DOwlan and Larson and Patrol
men Conroy and Fitzgerald. Neither
he nor any of the Others
was called by the committee
to give evidence, but were called by
Henry 3ohnS. the attorney for Cooper.
No facts as to the character of the place
or people who visited there were sup
pressed by him. and in his testimony
before the committee he did not try TO
shield Cooper. lie had seen the mayor
and chief coming out of the place one
Sunday afternoon, but could not say
how long the officials had been there.
The report of the testimony as read,
purpOrting to have beeh taken before
the mayor, was not correct. The day
after the place had been closed he told
Aid. Zimmerman he was glad 1t had
been shut up. There was no change In
the manner in which tho place was
conducted between the times the mayor
and chief were there aud the refusal OF
the committee to grant the license.
The mayor was there at different times
in July and August. After he had
written the letter To the chief regarding
the complaints about the place he saw
the mayor and chief come out of Coop
er's. 1t was one Sunday evening, and
some days after he had sent i'll the
letter.
The evidence was evidently not of the
kind the majority of the committee de-
sired, for Mr. Doran objected and said
they did not want any such kind of
testimony.
j. w. Pinch, representing the men,
said if it was shown the chief of police
and mayor knew of the character of the
place from their own personal knowl-
edge and had not closed II, they were in
the same position Hanft vas, only
worse, as they were the ones to issue
orders for It's closing. Mr.. Doran put
great stress on the stamping-out order
issued by the mayor regarding this and
other places of like character. He said
| the mayor having failed to suppress
such places in court proceedings,
! had issued an order for the
police to be very particular about
| disorderIy resorts and selling liquor to
minors. Capt. Hanft said he had been
| frequently ordered by the chief to allow
! saloons to be run after midnight. He
| had not said at the time he was before
| the committee this place was no worse
! than others.
At this point in the proceedings the
| clerk to the chief of police came in with
a letter, which he handed to Mr.. DOran.
| After perusing the note Mr.. DOran
| showed it to Mr.. Pike, who had taken
Mr.. Chamberlain's place as tine Legal
| adviser of the committee.
COnrOy's Hot Relation.
Mr.. Doran said he had no questions
| to ask. and PatrOlman Anthony Con.
| row was called. He had been on the
force seven years, and during last sum
mef was detailed in plain clothes. He
| knew the mayor had visited CoOper'S
| place three times and the chief often
| On one Occasion-a Sunday in July OF
| August the mayor and chief of police
had visited the place. This saloon and
dance hall was running at the time
Both the mayor and chief had said in
his presence the place was all right and
| there was nothing wrong. The chief
ordered a round of drinks, and the
mayor had sent him out to tie the horse
! After they went away from Cooper:
the mayor and chief went to "UnclG
| BilPS place." about a block away. Two
| weeks later he met the chief and some
| friends at COoper's place again. The
same class of people visited Cooper's a:
| attended dances at Market hall anC
other dancing halls in the city. HI
| had no idea it was the wish of The
chief or mayor to prevent a license
being issued to Cooper. Even had hC
been so informed, his testimony would
have been the same. In answer tt
questions of Mr.. Van Slyke, the witnes:
said saloons and houses of prostitution
were closed only by order of the chief
The mayor and chief had visited
Cooper's on Sunday afternoon, be
tween and o'clock.
They had ordered drinks, and dis
posed of them the same as other visitors
A woman, under the influence of liquor
had accosted the chief by saying
Hello. ola boy" The chief had asked
"Do you know that woman ?'' and wit
ness had said yes, she kept house o
prostitution down town. After this thu
chief said her face looked familiar.
was afteI this occurrence that the chic
said it was an orderly place. Mr.
L nl.innhnL "a LII