The Washington times., 1894-11-02
VIOLATING TEE LIQUOR LAW
Important Action to Be Taken by the
Anti-SalOOn League.
WHISKY METHODS EXPOSED
Houses Of III Fame Allowed to Conduct Open
for-An Traffic Without License-How the
Sunday Law is Circumvented by Drinkers
of white Line" and Hard Cider

A communication was received last evening
by the Anti-saloon League, through its vice
president. James L. Ewing, which will prob
ably make the forthcoming meeting of that
1 aggressive organization the most important
in its history.
The communication was signed by Mr..
Ellsworth Z. Wallace the well-known tenn
Derance detective, and others of his colleagues.
1t recites, in tine first place, that the liquor
laws of the District are being regularly and
persistently violated by the keepers of certain
houses in the Division all of whom, he
says, sell liquor without paying license.
In selling liquor without paying the license
fee, Mr.. Wallace adds, these women also yio-
late the law in several other directions. For
instance, by selling ON Sunday and after
hours, also supplying drinks to minors
STRIPPING youths who can be seen staggering
through the streets in the dark quarter OF
Washington at all hours Of the night.
quiet investigation of the liquor traffic,
as carried on i'll the immoral resorts south of
Pennsylvania avenue, has been in progress
Tor several nights, and when the Anti-saloon
League holds its next meeting some startling
developments may be expected. 1t will be
/ shown that there are upwards OF 100 of these
houses selling whisky, beer, and wine pro-
miscu0usly TO patrons. Belated pedes-
trianS, who are caught down town after the
hour Tor saloon closing. can get their ''nips"
I OF ruby red by simply applying at any of
1 these resorts. To those who want their
I drinks on the Sabbath day, these resorts are a
genuine bonanza. The prices charged for
drinks, too, are exceedingly fancy. Common,
everyday beer sells from 70 cents to 81 per
] lDffln- whisky from % n IN "a dripl
and wine averages about S5 per bottle.
Many OF these brOthel keepers, the COM
municatiOn states, are smart enough not to
tamper with Uncle Sans internal revenue
laws, which provide heavy fines and long
terms of Imprisonment for violation. Accord
ingly they take out a United States revenue
tax license, which costs S25, and hang il in a
| prominent place. But when it comes to the
District side OF the matter, the law is openly
and daringly violated.
Another matter that has been called to the
attention of the league is the prevalence of
speak easles' in certain sections of the
city, which are named in the communication.
Mr.. Wallace claims TO be in possession of in
formation rs to now these places are operated
and shielded from the eyes Of the police
These ''rummeries' in disguise, he says, dot
two police precincts at least and whisky is
sold Just as freely on Sundays as on week
days in them. A full list OF these places is
being prepared Tor the action of the league,
ana Major Moore will be asked TO detail reg
Ular detectives to work on them, just as they
are detailed 10 work up other violations of
the law.
Referring TO the Sunday liquor law and its
evasion, Sir. Wallace states that those drink
ing men Of the city who believe they cannot
! live over Sunday without having numerous
drinks OF tireWater, resort TO several schemes
| to secure the needed decoctions. One of the
,,Io nd Nv ba
drinkers is to purchase alcohol from drug
stores and dilute it,
They pay > cents for two ounces OF alcohol.
which with water makes nearly a half-pint Of
liquor ready for drinking. In the same ratio
10 cents worth of the fluid VIII make one
pint, and so on.
This. he says. is certainly a cheap alcoholic
beverage. and when the mixer converts him
self into a temporary "moonshinern and adds
burnt sugar TO give II a whisky color, and a
few drops of ginger to give the stuff a flavor
it would certainly deceive the drinker of "all
sorts. Among the drinking classes who use
ii, this mixture of alcohol and water is known
as white line. a"
Another scheme for producing that So
called good feeling" on Sunday. when the
bars are closed as tight as CLANS, is to buy
hard cider from the several establishments IN
Washington where that beverage is dispensed
on the Sabbath as well as on weekdays
Those who can afford it find Sunday drink
ing made pleasant by taking series of round
trips on the ferry steamers between Washing
ton and Alexandria. The barrooms on these
steamers are opened Immediately after they
leave their respective slips, and continue TO do
business while enroute.
These and other matters of importance will
come before the league at its next meeting
Tor action. and ii is said important steps Will
be taken looking toward the suppression of
the illegal liquor traffic in the District.