Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-11-22
SUNDAY LIQUOR LAW
Tbs Committee Of the Whole RtScindS
the Paid-InfOrmtr Clause.
THAT OLD ORDER OF THE Bo o,Rp.
n Was Inwi.c aud should Never
HIVE Ucen Adopted. Saws the city
AttOrncy--Mr. >nends Piain WORDS.
Chief Uoward's Work.

The Board Of Aldermen and Common
Council convened last night as Committee
OF the Whole for the purpose OF continu-
ing the consideration OF the revised city
ordinances. President Turpin. Of the
Board. presidod. and the members present
were Messrs. Blake. Burton. Briggs, CAS-
kie Bloomberg. Snesd. Woody and
Vaughan. Captain Alexander Coke. the
codifier. acted az secretary. and Sergeant
alarms Ralston acted as reading clerk.
An invitation having been EXTENDED 10 the
Board of Police Commissioners To attend
the meeting. Chief-of- Police Howard ana
Commissioners Joseph ". Laube and j.
Il. Welsh were on hand.
Mr.. Archer Anderson. Jr., appeared be-
fore the committee and urged the passage
Of an ordinance imposing license tax OF
so upon bill-posters. those VINO scatter
bills up0n the streets OF to post the same
on blil-boards Mr. Anderson eApldlheu
the necessity of putting such restrictions
mn This business. Only two bill-pOsters,
Nessrs. ". A. Klevesahl ana W. >. bul
ION. Maid taxes for carrying on this busi-
MSS I'm the city. They had control or all
the boards. and while they did not ask
the CITY TO give them u monopoly, 'h'S
asl,ed protection from such nuisances ai
haye been caused by having outsiders
paste advertisements OF oil KINDS on tneir
boards The ordinance contained hothihb
which vou,d not prevent merchant from
advertising his business. There was a
great deal OF discussion Of the pIopo-ltloh'
hut the ordinance was finally adopted.
The committee then took up The recon-
siIeratiou Of the "iniOrmer clause IN the
Sunday liquor law. President Iurplu eN-
ulaiuet very clearly the situhtioh an"
slated that the chief or ponce anu 'nr
members OF the Board Of Police Comlnis-
sioners had been invited 10 DE present
The President said the question before
the body Was whether or not II would
rescind the part OF the ordinance 9HerlhB
"a reward To iuformants upon persons VINO
kent their saloons open IN violation oi the
Sunday law. Air. Turpin asked thiet
Howard as to the instructions the ponce
had received concerning the execution ol
the Sunday laws. The chief replied that
about = wear ago while Major Poe was
CHIEF OF Police. instructions were gwen
"a tn. uoiice 10 report the names of all
persons seen on the Sabbath coming on,
Of a house IN which liquor was sold. and
INT subsequently the police were directed
not To 30 this.
Nr Rrig.s. see that there have re-
Gently been "a number Of cases III IN" i"-
lice court. How were these saloons ie-
ported?
as best We could. Sometime We 20 IN az
YOU or any one else would. in citizens
clothes.
AIR. Briggs. WHY do you 30 in disguise?
Why don't sou enter these baT-rOOms IN
your uniforms
Chief Howard: All officers wear their
badges. which gives them their authority
but the difficulty encountered IS Thar me
salooaists have spoilers. some across lNe
street. some a. far on as Two docks,
Who communicate with eaei .nhlei. ara
therefore make II impossible FOR the ohi-
Gers TO catch the baIkeepers who vioiat"
this law. That is the reason why Inc
men are pat I'm citizens clothes
Mr.. Briggs said what he wanted To- 10
was 10 abolish IN" ini0un"r clause anu 10
have the police simply carry out the a"
lie. said lie WAS entirely opposed TO he
inf0rner feature. aud 'hirt Howard
shared this view also.
THE LAW NOT Sufficient.
President Tutpin here asked cant
vour police force enforce the law
chief Howard: IL think 50. In regard
10 the SUNDAY liquor Law. | wish To cay
that our powers are limited. one man
can 20 in ana cut Of these restaurants
with the bar attached, and wnen 2"
| am refused admtiance. because ] an
not 4 boardcr there. / cannot fore" my
way in. The law is insufficient
Alr Caskie. addressing his remarks 10
the informer clause of the ordinance.
said tnat he was Of the opinion that any
person who would 30 around and report
bar-rooms for being open on sunday
could hardly De trusted.
The question was asked as TO where
lay the authority TO change the law hear
ing upon sunday Observance. and city
Attorney Meredith said b. wac only
vested in the Legislature.
Major Howard being further ques-
toned concerning the matter said that
since he lad been Cnief OF Police he had
not been given any Instructions concern
Ing the carrying out of the Sunday laws.
liz hal been acting under directions
given during Major Poe's administration
that the police should not report The
names Of persons observed on Sunday
going i'm or coming olt OF places wherein
llGuor was sold. Tie said that this was.
as he understood in. q resembling of The
orders given just prior to fhlt time Tor
the oficers To report all such persons.
and that the resembling occurred after a
committee from he Liquor Dealers A.
sOciatiOn had appeared before the board
and stated that the rule laid down work
also ran restaurants or had hoarders
Chief Howard said he understood hat
he still had instructions not - report '
persons coming ont or going i'm places t
Of this character on sunday to be sum- .
m0ned as witnesses.
WAS Az CNWisE STEP
Mr.. Meredith the city Attorney. said .
that IL The police were Handicapped. +
while he was not I'm favor OF having in .
but II the officers could carry cat the I
laws there was no need 10 offer any
reward 10 one who reports the Viola-
tions He thought the Police Board diI i
quite an unwlse thing when they adopted I
a rule which required every man coming
out OF a place where liquor s sold TO be
reported He said hc. did not see why the
police could not use discretion n th" dis
charge Of their duty in this respect as
well a. in other eases Mr. Meredith
gave a very striking Illustration of what
he meant by saying 20 chief Howard
that IN he were 10 see him (Mcredith) |
coming out OF Mr.. Lauhe's house az mid
night, he ,Howarop wOuld think nothing
strange of Il. while n he were to detect
rOugh-lOoking man sneaking away
from the residence ~ Mr.. Laube. the
chief would immediately place him under
arrest.
WHY IT WAS RESCINDED.
Here the President called upon Mr..
Iaube. of the Board Of Police Commits
sioners. who said that he was not in the
city when the first action was
taken instructlng the police 70
report persons coming in or going
out OF alleys or side-doOrs leading
TO bar-rooms Mr. Laube added. however.
that he was largely instrumental in hav-
ing this rescinded. He saw ihat the move
by the Police Board in giving such direc-
tons. I'm the first place. was NOT wise
or proper one The majority OF the bar
l.. III, ii,..lI H.. III |