The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1895-08-01
THIRSTY NEW YORK
The Sunday Closing Law Enforced
at All Saloons and Clubs.
NO PLACE TO GET A DRINK
Not Single Bar Room Fight Reported
at Police Headquarters for the
Entire Day

New York. July 2S.--The police made
a supreme effort to enforce the excise
law here today and to all appearances
they realized their expectations almost
to the letter. To all practical intent
the law was SO thoroughly enforced that
not saloon was open to the general
public and so fearful had the saloon
keepers become of the citizens that 1t
was a difficult matter for even the
initiated to get drink at any place
unless the proprietor or the man in
charge was absolutely certain that no
danger would follow the admission of
the wouldbe customer in the shape of
summons to court in the demand.
In the Jurisdiction of the McDougall
street police court, where violations of
the law have been for many preceding
Sundays frequent, saloonkeepers have
boasted that no power was strong
enough to close up their resorts, but
it was especially quiet and only two
arrests had been made up to evening.
Within the territory covered by the
Mulberry street police court. especially
in the area filled with Italians, there
was evidence that liquor was being
sold. but it was impossible to catch the
sellers. 1t was considered a notable
sign that no barroom fights were re-
ported on the central office slips from
any precinct in the city after the stroke
of midnight, which shut up the saloons
on Saturday. The oldest men about
police headquarters could recall no
precedent for the lack of disorder.
SWELL CLUBS SHUT OFF.
| At the swell clubs also the excise law
was to all appearances strictly observ-
ed. The precinct commanders had
strict orders from Acting Chief Conlin
to see that the clubs were dealt with
the same as saloons. The barroom at
the Manhattan Athletic Club was not
open during the day and a number Of
regular patrons who called were dis
appointed. Policemen patrolled in front
of the doors and watched the ingoing
and outgoing, but no violations of the
law were reported to headquarters.
The University and Knickerbocker
Clubs were unusually quiet and the
patrolmen detailed to watch them from
the outside had nothing to do. 1t was
said that a number of central office
men had called and tried to obtain
liquor by asking that sandwiches be
served them, which was not done. The
doors of the city clubs were closed and
guarded, as were those of the Man
haitian and no drinks were served. Al
the Manhattan Club a number of pa
irons asked for sandwiches, but as 8
regular meal was not ordered they were
refused.
At the hotels it was somewhat diff.
ferent. The regular guests were sup
piled with all the refreshments they
wanted at their meals At the Fifth
Avenue hotel the wants of regular pa
irons were attended to in parlor F
where a supply of biscuits was fur
nished with every order for drink.
MISSOURI TOWN DRY.
Macon, Mo-, July 2S.-An attempt wa.
made here today to strictly enforce tn,
ordinances providing against the open
ing of any kind of business on Sunday
AS result 40 arrests were made
Among those who will appear in th
police court tomorrow are some of tn,
city's most prominent grocery and DIR.
goods merchants, and butchers an,
bakers.
TALK WITH ROOSEVELT.
Speaking of the excise regulation
Police Commissioner Roosevelt in al
interview said:
1.-The present law is ingeniously con
structed so as to make the sale o
liquor illegal and at the same time in
crease enormously the ordinary difl
culties of getting evidence. 1t is an ad
mirable example of an effort to pas
} | a law in such terms as shall make
extremely difficult of enforcement
Now, of course, If the law is put on tn
statute books at all it ought to be en-
: forced, and every effort should be mad
! by legislators to make that enforce
: | ment easy"
do you think it is too severe to re
woke a mans license forever when h
: violates the law, as they do In Boston
/ "Without saying that mans licens
i should be revoked forever, I think
r should certainly be revoked for on
g year, and it should be revoked If the la
Is violated by mans barkeeper, whic
q is just as If he violated 1T himsel
The liquor question has been the chic
source of corruption in the New Yor
v department, and the difficulties of ell
forcing 1t have been in the main whs
n we have had to overcome.
ut is astonishing how much betts
J. off the Boston police are in matter
l. of legislative equipment than we ar
Is For instance, think of the fight we hay
i to make In carrying out the law closir
II saloons on Sunday. In Boston the boal
: of police themselves license the salool
10 and can revoke the license at pleasur
d OF course, under such circumstance
10 it is a perfectly easy matter to enfor
the law. Moreover, the Boston salot
is required to keep the shades up al
e to expose the WHOLE interior to the vie
of the police at all times. With pr
ie vision like that in the law the task
the New York police would be tighten
le by almost the entire burden Of keepil
s the saloons shut. There would be
=, - difficulty at all.
GO GO "The civil service examinations, {
III pecially the physical ones. of the Be
n ton force are admirable. Yet we ha
he very good physical examinations OF
lb selves, and with the exception of t
re running test, which / should like
o. see tried here, there Is not much tn
we can learn from Boston in this pi
ticular. 1 would like to see our men
40 tests a little more severe than they a
-, We ought to have good grade Of m
Intellectually.