The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-03
OLYMPIC THEATER AND BAR DOES
BUSINESS DESPITE MAYOR
DORAN'S PROMISE
TO THE CITIZENS LEAGUE
FORMALLY ADVISED YESTERDAY
THAT THE LAW WAS BEING
OPENLY VIOLATED
UNDER A PERMIT OF HIS OWN.
Chief Executive Playing Fast and
Loose With the Representatives
of Law and Order.

Inc ola olympic theater was running
last night as usual, bar and ALL It
has been open for several days, and,
while both the mayor and the agents
! Of the Christian Citizenship league say
they have ordered License Inspector
Maloney to close the bar the inspector
| doesn't feel inclined to do it, The fact
that the bar was open last night was
a surprise after the conference which
| Rev. David Morgan and two other
! members Of the league had with Mayor
Doran in his office yesterday. While
not making any charges, the members
! of the league are of the opinion that
! there are several things in connection
with the reopening of the theater which
| do not reflect credit either on the
mayor, the license inspector or the ad-
ministration.
Some ten days ago a striking blonde
who is now posing as the manager Of
the theater, visited the mayors Of
flee, accompanied by an agent for a
| brewing company. She had an inter-
view with Mayor Doran and, after it
was over. announced that the place
would be reopened The Citizens
league had their attention called to
the opening Of the place and immedi-
ately commenced an investigation as TO
how the thing was arranged. 1t was
found that the saloon end of the the
alter, which is what the league partic-
ularly objects to, was running under
an application for the transfer of a
license from a saloon on Robert street.
The law provides that nearly the same
steps shall be taken to secure a trans
fer as to procure a new license. a
| committee from the league notified the
license inspector, and that official stat
ed that he would lay the matter before
the mayor for consideration. lie evil
IDENTIFY did so, for the prOprietress call
ed on the committee of the league and
| requested that she be allowed to con-
tinue. This was refused, and she was
! informed that the league would take
steps to close the place Yesterday Rev
| w. B. Willard, Rev. David Morgan and
a third person, constituting a commit
tee from the league,
CALLED on THE MAYOR.
and requested that the place be closed
| After a deal OF discussion the law was
| looked up, and when it was found that
| it was being violated, the mayor pre-
tended to be surprised and said he
would have the place closed immediate
! ly, but from appearances last night at
! the theater the closing order4either had
| not been issued or had failed to be de-
/ livered to the persons running the
| place. "s.-
Rev. David Morgan was seen at the
Bethel yesterday and asked the attl-
tude Of the Christian Citizens league
| toward the reOpening of the theater4 un-
der another name. He said:
THE Christian Citizens league Is
| firmly opposed to the theater and bar
attachment running at all and will do
all in it's power to again close the
| place. The persons interested in re-
| opening the theater say they propose
to conduct an orderly house, but also
to sell liquor through the audience, and
where this cus.Jm prevails there must
! be deviltry.
when it was known that the theater had
been reopened, the members Of the law en-
! fOrcement committee of the league were sur
Frised, because the law regulating the trans
! fer Of liquor licenses from person or
building to another was being openly violat-
ed. In cases of this kind it is necessary to
observe nearly the same requirements in con-
nection with taking out a new license, in
Guiding the securing of new bOndsmen and
| the publishing of the transfer, two weeks
| before the new place is put in operation.
The 'Alhambra' theater, as 1t is now called,
| opened under an application for the transfer
Of the license OF James Hogan, the former
! proprietor of the Woodbine saloon, at 419
/
! doing business two days after the application
was made. When this state of affairs was
clearly established, I notified License In
| spector Maloney that the law being vio-
! lated, calling his attention to the section gov
! erning the matter in hand and asking that
! the place be closed.
THE request to the license inspector was
not for concession 10 those opposed to the
reopening of the Objectionable place but
merely that the existing law be enforced.
/ Desiring to satisfy ourselves as to the steps
|
Christian Citizens league visited the Alham-
! bra theater later and found it in full opera
! ton, Notwithstanding the statement of the
/ license INSPECTOR that he would bring the
question before the mayor. Several days
! after this l received visit from the Wright
/ woman, who informed me she had been told
1 by the license inspector that she had better
| see me. l told her l had no authority in the
matter. which was in the hands of the law
! then she asked if she could meet that body.
! | informed her that she could do so, and last
Thursday she appeared before about fifteen
| members OF the committee with what she
! claimed to be written agreement between
HERSELF AND MAYOR DORIAN
regarding the lines upon Fhich the theater
| should be conducted. She pIead the fact
! that she had invested a considerable amount
| interfered with. To this request the commit
| tee would in no wise consent and Miss Wright
was emphatically and candidly told the league
| meant to fight the reopening of the theater
under any conditions. Furthermore she was
! informed that she was violating the law by
conducting the place before the license trans
fer had been complied with the law re-
quired, and that the league would fight this
matter also.
To-day Rev. Watson B. Willard, myself and
another member of the law enforcement COM
mittee called on Mayor Doran and requested
that the theater be closed Immediately, in
! forming him that, even If permission were
! given to reopen the place, 1t a violation
! OF the law for it to run before March 10
| when the two weeks after the publishing of
| the license transfer would expire The mayor
| professed to be much surprised that the law
! contained provision upon which the de-
mand of the league was based but after look
! ing the matter up for himself declared that a
mayor really ought to have nine heads to
regulate the affairs of q city instead Of one.
| He knew the place was running, the mayor
! said but thought that as long as an applica-
/ tion for transfer of license had been filed
| it was all right. Enlightened by our COM
mittee however, Mayor Doran declared that
! he would not for a moment countenance a
violation of the law, and informed us that the
theater and bar should be closed at once He
would see to it that the law was enforced
! that very day, the mayor stated and the com
mittee retired satisfied that its mission had
| been fulfilled.
eff that place is running this evening"
! said Mr.. Morgan, in conclusion, ''the parties
! interested in it cannot claim that nv con-
Sodini recently did, for during my inter-
view with the White woman I had two wit
nesses purpcsely at my elbow to exhonerate
me in case another such contingeny arose
] The woman declared she would not misrepre
sent me in the matter, but one such experi-
ence as recently had in connection with
4 the Olympic theater has made me guarded"
| ANSWERED. THE CALL.
Mrs. William seng, Another Pioneer.
Passes Away.
! Nrs William Seng mother If Couptn A.