The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-12-17
WAR ON SUNDAY RUM
Salvation Army Lays Out a
Campaign Against Sa-
looms on the Hill.
CLOSED ONE UP YESTERDAY
Johnny Kaiser's Place in Full
Blast With a Policeman
in Front.

Army. Bergen avenue and Union street,
have started in earnest upon crusade
against Sunday liquor selling on the Hill.
They were the means of closing one
saloon yesterday and they say they will
not rest until the work is complete
and it is impossible 20 get drop of in
toxicants in bergen on Sunday. AL
though it may not he generally known
the Salvation Army is the largest tenn
peranee organization in the world. 1t
has over a million members and rot one
of them handles liquor in any form.
A man cannot be conscientious sol
dier in the Army and drink intoxicants-
Many of the Salvationists are reformed
drunkards, however, and occasionally
one of them will be tempted to backsilde
and resume his old habits. If one of
their number backslides, the Salyationists
neved let up until they have done all in
their power 10 get him back. They often
enter saloons and drag men away from
the bar, take them to their homes, watch
them until they sober up and eXpostu-
late with them, in tact do everything
they can to get them to live sober lives.
1t Was through the temporary back
sliding of one of the young converts at
Corps that the present onslaught
against the saloons was started.
For the past six weeks or so the Sun
day night meetings at Corps have been
more or less disturbed by young men
who have been under the influence of
liquor Two weeks ago one of them bel
came so far gone that he had to be
carried out by two men, 1t was we'll
known fact that the majority of these
young fellows secured their drink at
a place on Bergen avenue, at the head
of Bra1nnall avenue, known as ''The
Frenehman's,' and run by a man named
La Platte. Often they would leave the
meeting early in the evening sober, visit
his place ard return drunk. The Saliva
t.onists have long prayed that La Plat
te's place should be closed Last week
Sunday however, they decided to act
as well as pray.
RESCUING THE BACKSLIDER.
That afternoon one of their converts
was tempted to drink. He, with a num-
ber of his old t'unsaved" companions,
got drunk at the 'Frenchman's.'' and to-
wards the end of the evening meeting
entered and took back seats. The back
slider was induced to renew his good reso-
lutions and go no further into sin After
the meeting the thing was talked over
and it was decided that every effort
possible should be made to compel La
Platte to keep his place closed on Sun
days in future. In accordance with that
resolve one member went to Chief Muir
ply on Wednesday and another went
( TO Acting Captain Snow of the Fourth
precinct. and they told them that they
wanted 1.-The Frenchman's'' place closed
in compliance with the law, and that if
, necessary they would furnish evidence
to convict him.
Both officers promised to close the
place. The Salvationists, however, were
not satisfied with mere promises and
early yesterday morning one of their
number mounted guard in front of the
obnoxious saloon. It appeared to be
doing nearly as much business as it
ever had. He kept a close watch all
fhe morning and counted over f1f-
teen men that went in and out. 1t was
not until about eleven o'clock though
that he caught any one carrying away
any liquor AT that hour he saw a man
enter with a bag, which contained a
pail. He waited for him to come out,
and following him down C1endenny ave-
nue. accosted him and asked him what
he had in the pail The man acknowl-
edged he had beer. When asked where
he lived he said on West Side avenue.
The watcher DIDN'T believe him, so
after bidding him good-day he followed
I'm at a distance to see where he
went, -as he might need him as wit
ness in case of an arrest of the saloon
keeper. He went down Clendenny ave-
nue. to below the Boulevard, crossed
some lots and then ran up Union street,
almost to Bergen avenue, or about a
block from the saloon he had visited.
Up to this time the police had showed
no signs of keeping their promise.
A POLICEMAN'S POTENT CALL.
At one o'clock, however, Patrolman
Harms called on La Platte, and soon
after the place was closed and the shades
We're thrown up so that the bar was
visible from the street He had done
business for nearly seven hours before he
closed. Many people passed and com
1nented on the unusual sight of place,
notorious for it's open violation of the
Sunday law, being closed. The usual fire.
cuenters Of the place were all at the
meeting of Corps 2 last night and all
were sober. The Salvationists say that
they will waSss. the place every Sunday,
and if it is opened again they will not
apply to the police, but Win go before
Justice Douglass ana have La Platte
arrested. They say, too, that the closing
of La Plates is only the beginning of a
general movement to close all the
saloons in the neighborhood. They are
taking the worst ones first. The next
one they attack will probably be Thomp-
sons, on Communipaw avenue, near
Jaclyso1l avenue
It is an open secret that not only is
liquor sold in violation of the law, but
craps and other gambling games are
played all day Sunday. The French
mans was probably the only saloon
in the Fourth precinct that was closed
yesterday, or that has been closed of a
Sunday for over six months. One does
not have to enter the saloons to know
that they are doing business. All that
is necessary is to pass the door and
hear the loud talking and cursing that
goes on inside.
JACK ROBERTS PLACE OPEN.
Jack Roberts place at Bergen Hal
$ was open for business when a News
Il reporter called yesterday afternoon.
A number of topers were at the bal
a.d a drunken man was lying on table
sleeping off the effects of his jag
-Johnny'' Kaiser's place at the junction
did thriving business while police
4 X man stood on the corner and winked