The herald., 1895-08-28
Withdraws His Application for
a Liquor License
WAS WHOLLY UNEXPECTED
The Matter Had Torn Up the Whole
East Side
earon Rogniat's Property hay Become
Catholic Cemetery or Cheap Tenements
May Be Erected-rlay Try Again

The long and bitterly acrimonious con-
test over the proposed Wannack casino
resort at the end of the Downey-avenue
cable road, which has divided the prop
erty owners OF East Los Angeles against
each other came to a sudden and rather
ssnsationally abrupt ending yesterday
when Otto Wannack withdrew from the
board of police com missioners his ap-
plication for u license to sell liquor on
the premises known rs the Baron Ros-
Mat property on Downey avenue. A large
crowd of people interested on both sides
of the controversy were before the COM
mission. there heing several ladies
among those opposed to the proposed re-
sor..
Frank P. Flint made the initial argu-
ment on behalf of the protestants. He
is not paid attorney in the case, acting
simply as u house holder and property
owner to be affected by the alleged i'm
provement. Flint presented protest
against the license signed by 1866 names
OF residents on the east side, wnicn he
stated was two-thi-ds OF all the people
living on the east side.
Judge Gottschalk, on behalf of the
Wannacks. had no sooner got fairly into
his argument than Judge Paige called at
tention to the fact that the legal status of
the case could not be again opened. as
both sides had agreed last week to leave
the matter entirely with the people of the
district to be affected. Mayor iced held
Judge Paige's contention to be correct,
but Judge Gottschalk was allowed to pro-
coed. The speaker showed largely
signed petition asking that their names
be Withdrawn from the protests. as they
had been obtained under misapprehen-
ot@ VttI.. I@tta -l,.1l~ Il L.. r.
the Turnverein Germania, representing
some 400 of the leading German families
of the city, ana unanimously signed by
the order, in favor OF the resort. Fifteen
thousand dollars. the judge stated, is to
be paid by the Wannacks for the Baron
Rogniat property. and between $50 900
and So, 900 moro is to be spent upon the
property in proposed provements. The
judge pleaded for the granting of a
license for one month, the permit to be
then revoktd if the resort should prove
demoralizinr.
A mammoth hotel after the style of the
late Raymond is to he built by the Wan
nacks, the plans for which were shown
the board. The firm of White Il Munroe
are the legal advisers handling the trans
action OF the transfer of the Rogniat prop
erty for both sides. and the money for
the prorerty, Sl5, 000 is now in the vaults
OF the Farmers and Merchants bank.
Judge Gottschalk quoted a decision
from the state supreme court to show
that the license asked for must be
granted. or else the retail liquor business
could be engaged in by them without the
tornaItv OF II license.
Judge Paige, after having made Judge
Gottscbaik admit that the Wannacks
would have to have license TO make of
their business q success. charged that the
names upon some of the Wnnnack petit
tions were outright forgeries and he GER
fair tnA hot fapt I.,,,
instance. Judge Paige in,isted that the
application for the license contained not
one-half of the frontage directly effected,
the presumed rule OF the police commits
sioners requiring two-thirds of the prop
erty. He argued eoquently at great
length against the license as resident OF
the east side.
Then Judge Gottschalk took another
whack at the argumentsfor his side of the
case, lntiinating that unless the license
is gr ranted the Wannacks would erect up
on their property cheap tenements or
even cheaper lodging houses.
Judge r. A. Ling began to talk against
the license and Mayor Teed settled him
self down in his chair for n comforta BILE
nap. Commissioner Barham had to
awaken his colleague. and then there
were m IRE speeches pro and con, after
by both sides. Mayor Teed officially
STAN ped all OF the several petitions and
the other exhibits in the case. Then
came the matter of checking the names
of the signers upon the petitions, NJ it
was agreed that both sides shall appoint
each q man Tor the purpose. The signers
must be either voters or property owners
pf either sex in East Los Angeles. For
the license John Il. Yoakum was named
es inspector, and against the license o.
NJ. Rainey was chosen.
Then came the sensation of the day
Otto Wannack called Chief of Police Glass
into the lobby and authorized that offi-
cial to withdraw his application for the
license. Wannack took this action with
out the knowledge or consent of his at
torney or of any of his friends. He
SIMPLY get mad and quit. What his future
course will be, he declines to state. All
OF the papers in the matter are on file and
will remain part of the official records
OF the city.
1t is stated that the RoRniat property
Is to be sold by the Wannacks as u Cath
olic purying ground. Another story is
that the proposed casino and hotel is to
be first constructed. after which new
attempt at securing liquor license will
be made.