New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-31
A RUSH TO PAY EXCISE FINES
BARGAIN-DAY SCENES IN THE SPECIAL
SESSIONS COURT
MORE THAN 5000 IN FINES TAKEN IN YEsTER-
DAY $50 ACCUSED LIoUoR-DEALERs

DAY. $50 ACCUSED L1oUOR-DEALERS
PLEAD GUILTY.
There were remarkable scenes in the Court OF
Special Sessions yesterday, caused by the rush
of accused liquor-dealers to plead guilty pay
fines Of $25 and thus escape heavier punishment
II was all caused by the announcement OF JUS
tice Jerome on Wednesday that violators OF 'ne
excise laws who pleaded guilty yesterday wouio
be fined only s25; that those who PLEADED suii'y
after September l would he fined $500. ana that
those found guilty trial would be imprisoned
in the Penitentiary for thr>e months the result
vas inter. sting for II ever there was "oargaih-
dav" rush in any court Of justice yesterday was
the time and the Court Of Special Sessions the
p,.ca 7, was said that 81 05U in fines was re-
ceived during the day
GREAT CROWD IN THE COURTROOM
S.,c. tho new Court " Special Sessions was
opened there never was such cro"o '"e'e do
81. INA that besieged its doors yesterday MORN
a.. There were 425 excise cases set down Tor
trial Justices Jerome Hayes and HoiorooK were
nresent. The new police courtroom was used 10
accommodate some OF the people as an over
now" room.
Justice Jerome at once announced that all those
,,ouor-dealers who would plead guilty wouio DE
let off with a fine or $50
"Au those said Justice Jerome. VINO 90 not
plead guilty will please withdraw. Another DAY
will be set down for their trial There was IN
mediately a tremendous rush for the bar Green
hacks were fourished, the liquor-dealers pusneu
toward the clerks desk. as If "bucking the hhe
IN a football game. and before long there was
big pile Of bills on the desk. and the CLERK WHO
was almost exhausted. had to call line' p'ease'
gentlemen" Six policemen were needed to keep
80 nol
had been received
Among the prominent liquor-dealers present
were Henry Hirscl.. president Of the Liquor Deal
ers' Association. Morris Tekulsky ex-president OF
the association. and John McGarry. Frederick
r House. who represents the Liquor Dealers AS
ISOLATION was also present. Assistant District
Attorneys Oliver and Berlinger represented the
District-Attorneys office.
WOULD NOT TAKE HIS FINE.
David Morrison. saloonkeeper No. IS Orchard
st. was one Of those who attempted to take ad-
vantage Of the "cut rates." and who failed. Nor
rison was represented by William Greenthal who
shouted out plea Of guilty That won't do.
said Justice Jerome your client has asked FOR a
stay and an order has been granted transferring
his case 10 General Sessions.
Bat We don't want to go to General Sessions.
and we want to pay our fine now said Mr.
Greenthal.
Very sorry" replied the Court but we can't
take the s25. You must get the order vacated
first"
Mr. Greenthal and his client looked disguised
and left the courtroom to get the stay vacated.
At II 80 O'Clock $4,000 had been paid in nnes
and the crowd seemed to be growing larger
David H. Hunt appeared for four l1uor-dealers
who did not plead guilty. They were Timothy
Barry. Wamsbridge; George II. Sunderman
Wakefield: George Tressel. Williamsbridge. and
Joseph Weber. Invermere. East Chester, all in the
annexed districts. Mr.. Hunt will try the cases
on the ground that the Annexation act was I'M
constitutional. and that the Court Of Special SEES
sions had no jurisdiction over the alleged offences
THE MONEY POURs IN
At noon Assistant District ..orney Oliver
nounced that $1,000 had been received. Up to
this time $50 pleas of guilty had been received
Alois Brommer. of Brommers Union Park. was
one Of those who paid a $25 fine. There was
lull in the proceedings about this time and JUS
tice Jerome announced that all those persons
whose names on the excise calendar might
come into court any day week. and IL they
pleaded guilty the fire would be s25.
A recess taken till p m. Clerk Fuller
announced that $3.50 had been taken in, making
sl4 cases in all. This is the biggest days work
we ever had" remarked Fuller with smile.
At 2 o'clock the court ooened again, and Con-
rad Dieter who has been in Jail three days for
selling liquor to a minor. was called to the bar
Dieters counsel explained that his client was not
o regular barkeeper but was an ironworker. and
had worked in the saloon OF George A. Ulmer
No 1,543 Avenue A, for few days for his board
Justice Jerome suspended sentence.
Then a number of saloonkeepers who had not
paid their fines in the morning stepped 10 the
bar and paid their s25. The crush was not
great as In the morning session. but consider
able sum was taken III.
A HEAVY DAYS WORK FOR THE CLERK
Clerk Fuller. who was almost exhausted from
the days work. said that as far as he could COM
pute IS $50 had been received in fines during the
entire day. This would make total Of 332 cases
st fines Of s25 each. which is by far the biggest
excise day in the history Of the Special Sessions.
The biggest sum in fines heretofore received was
s., 200 which was taken in on August IS.