The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-02-28
CLUB CASES DISPOSED Of
The Proprieters Sent On to Court
by Mayor Davis.
70 WITNESSES TESTIFY
The Evidence Showed That Busi.
ness Was Conducted Without
License and That the Sun
day Law Was Violated.
A Long Examination.

G'SeHSS anu nat inc Sun-
day Law Was Violated.
A Long Examination.
Yesterday morning Mayor Davis
had before him the Naval Athletic
and Social Club, the South Ports
mouth Musical and Literary Asso-
ciation, the City Literary and Musi-
enl Association and ths Portsmouth
Colored Oyster Protective and Co.
operative Association. There were
about seventy witnesses summoned
to appear. In order to hold a pri-
vate session, or in other words, to
separate the witnesses, the Mayor
vacated his office and held court III
the room OF the Chief of the Police,
and no one but the presidents OF
each CLUB and the newspaper men
were admitted. This was disap-
pointment to the large crowd pres
ont.
Before beginning with the trial
Mayor Davis stepped in his office
and said that he had desired to make
q statement to these present.
He said that the conduct of OF.
ficer Tatem in acting as he had done
bad been severely criticised by the
liquor men. He desired to state
that Officer Tatem had done no more
than he had been ordered to do and
that he either had to act as he Lad
done or get out and let some one
take his place. He assumed ell re.
sponsib,llty for tho action of the
officers.
Mayor Davis further stated that
he bud been elected by reform
movement and he intended to carry
1t out. Personally he had nothing
against the liquor men; he would
not throw an obstacle in their way
SO long as they conducted them.
selves legitimstely, but he intended
that they should carry out the law
and he would enforce 1t, whether
he held the Office of Mayor again or
not. he said that he had sworn to
uphold the law and as long as he
held Office he proposed to see the
law properly carried out. He fur
Their said that lac desired that all the
liquor men present should hear him
and those who were not present
would tell their friends.
In conclusion he snid: II hold
In my hand an anonymous COM
munioation, of threatening
nature, signed AN Irishmau.'
L do not believe @ true Irishman
ever wrote 1t, for my experience
has been that whenever you see a
true freshman you see gentleman,
and the coward who wrote that let
ter did not have the moral courage
to sign his name; therefore, l know
TINT he WAS not true 1rishman.
however, such threats will not de.
ter nae from doing my duty"
AT the conclusion of his remarks
be called the case of the Naval Ath
letlc and Social Club. Several wit
nesses were examined in this case
and the bulk of the evidence was
about the same, and in substance
was that any one could join by pay.
ing an Initiation fee of % cents: a
membership card was then issued
to each. who could come and GO az
they pleased. Some few had not
even paid an admittance fee, and
the evidence showed that they SIM
ply joined in order to get liqu or on
Sunday. which they paid for. They
received no emoIuments whatever
and derived no benefit in the way of
dividends, etc. The Mayor then
sent them on to the grand jury aud
recognized the witnesses to appear
when wanted.
The next case was that of the
South Portsmouth Musical and
Literary ASSOCIATION. Quite q mum.
Der of witnesses were examined.
The evidence in the case was differ.
ent from the other. Not person
testified to paying for a drink on
sunday where they got it. so His
Honor took 1t under consider alton.
The third case was that of the
City Literary aud Musical Associa.
ton. The testimony in this was
about the same as that of the Naval
Club. None of the witnesses had
ever taken music lesson or seen a
musical instrument IN the club room.
but had seen plenty of papers. They
had drank Oh Sunday aud had paid
Tor the same. They were sent on to
court.
The fourth case was that of the
Portsmouth Colorei Oyster Protec
i've and 90 operative Association,
All the members testified to paying
70 cents Imitation fee and to buying
drinks on Sunday, except one, who
SAID he had never seen anyone pay
for drinks In there. They met reg
ularly every Friday night aud paid
10 cents week dues; had helped
sick brothers to the extent of 81. 30
a week; paid $25 burial expenses:
never had anything 10 drink except
on Sundays; did not know where
Ia liluAr g..