Delaware gazette and state journal., 1895-10-03

| Dolan, last Week succeeded IN break
ing up three disreputable houses. The
proprietor Of one of the dens was
driven from the city and those con
nected with the other two, it is un.
| derstood, gave up the business alto
| gether, they finding it useless to buck
| against the law. Chief Dolan and
several Of his officers accomplished the
work, and 10 them the credit is due.
| They learned of the existence OF the
places and were on the alert for evil
dence against the parties who were
conducting them. As soon as the evil
dence was found and when the chief
was confident that he had "cinch, -
warrants were sworn out and the
patrolmen rounded up the offenders.
The consequence was the cases were
clear and the only thing to do was to
| close the doors, which was done
thanks to the chief and his men.
The chief some time ago had rule
established holding each man account
able tor disorderly places on his dis
trict, and in consequence the men are
always ON the lookout for people who
do not respect the law.
1t is a much regretted fact that
there are yet many disorderly houses
in the city, but the police are eXerting
their greatest efforts to suppress them.
The main reason that they do exist is
that it is an exceedingly difficult
matter to get direct evidence, which is
the only kind of evidence, according to
the laws of Delaware, that will assure
punishment of violators of law after
, they are arrested.
The average citizen does not know
what hard matter it is to bring an
offender to Justice. The police do all
in their power and yet many a time
conviction is not secured, simply be-
cause an officer has not tasted liquor
in saloon OF has not witnessed the
violation with his own eyes. Many a
time the police are positive that the
laws are violated and they would have
no hesitancy in arresting the violators,
but they are unable to swear that they
have personal knowledge of the viola
tions. Most of the people who could be
used as witnesses if they were honest,
refuse to tell the truth They stand
before the court and periure them
selves with impunity. What can be
done? The people who aided the often.
ders in breaking the law take oaths
that the law was not broken. If they
do not swear to lie, they run away
from the jurisdiction of the State to
keep from doing SO or from incurring
the ill will of the party against whom
they would be called upon to testify.
The writer knows of a number of
cases where police officers have seen
men entering and leaving saloons by
the droves, many of whom were either
intoxicated or bore evidences of having
been drinking, and when these fire.
quenters of Sunday saloons go before
the court they say on oath that they
either made friendly call on the pro-
prietor or that they were not in the
place at all.
In order to secure conviction it is
they tasted liquor in the saloons, and
The circumstantial evidence is CON
"don't CO.. b" Must the chief of police
the liquor? If he did they would be
claim would be made that he had
drunkards on the force. So it will be
seen that to get direct evidence Is next
to an impossibility.
Recently Chief Dolan saw a number
of men go into a saloon on Sunday.
He was on hie way to his office and az
soon as he reached there he instructed
one of the captains to go TO the place
and enter it and if he saw liquor being
sold therein to arrest the proprietor.
The captain obeyed, and when he en-
tered the place he saw number of
men at the bar drinking. He arrested
the proprietor and when the case came
up in court the men who were at the
bar drinking when the officer entered
swore. that they were drinking ginger
ale, which the captain was positive was
lie, but the men had sworn to it.,
and what could be done? The captain
had not drunk anything. He could t
have done so had he been so disposed.
The proprietor knew who he was, and
if he had called for anything TO drink
he would have been refused" The pro-
prietor OF the place was behind the bar
himself ministering to the thirst of
his customers, and he denied selling
them beer, while there was no doubt in
the mind of the captain that he was
selling them beer and that they were
drinking it.
IhlS is puG an lllustraJlon. When
persons are arrested for conducting
gambling devices they swear that they
were not doing So and the people who
are known to have been taking part in
the games swear that they were not.
So il the officers don happen to catch
them in the act there is no evidence in
nine cases out of ten. Then the hacker
goes free and laughs at justice. So it
is with other forms Of vice. The whole
burden of proof rests with the police,
who are handicapped in hundreds of
ways.
In other words, the laws are not back
of the Police Department. There is too
much red tape. The laws badly need
altering, and until they are altered the
efficiency of the Police Department of
Wilmington will be greatly impaired.
Notwithstanding that it is composed of
the very best material that could be
gotten together. The present force is
the best one that Wilmington ever had,
and it is managed admirably. The
officers and men do all In their power
to suppress vice, but the barriers will
have to be removed before their efforts
can be crowned with success.