The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-08
WILL COMPLAIN OF
MAYOR AND CHIEF
Constable Tim Jones Says They Allotted
Public Nuisance.
STORY WITH TWO VERSIONS
The Question of Whether or Not a
Society Can Run Bar at u Ball
Enters Into the Case and May Claim
Some Attention from Court--Wha
the Various Interested Parties
Have to Say.

The spectacle of the mayor and chief
of police of this city being called be-
fore court to answer the charge of aid
ing and abctting a private nuisance is
among the possibilities of today.
Whether or not the court may see fit
to summon these officials to answer the
above charge is not known, but one
thing is known and that is the charge
will be made.
The complainant will be Constable
Timothy Jones, of the Fifth ward. He
AYERS that the charge is true and that
he will make it and if given a chance
prove it in open court this morning
The public nuisance in question is the
speak easy of Mike Sharrock on Twen-
ty-second street. SharroCk was arrest
ed and indicted about month ago for
selling without a license and for run
ming a disorderly house. Recently he
built hall in connection with his sa-
loon and Saturday night 1T was opened
with a grand ball. Before making the
arrangements for the opening Shar-
rack went to County Detective Ley
shon and Constable Tim Jones to find
out if it wouldn't be all right to dis
pense beer there as long as it was done
by a society under whose auspices the
opening ball was to be given. The Of
ficials appealed to advised Sharracli
that if he allowed intoXicants to be sold
on his premises he would be making
himself amenabe to the law. Despite
this warning h put in fourteen kegs
of beer and ten gallons of whisky, ac-
cGrdng to Constable Jones statement,
and sold it without any attempt at Sc
creCy.
SHARRACK AGAIN WARNED.
Constable Jones went to Sharrack's
place Saturday night and again
warned him to desist. Sharrack said
he had a right to sell as the society
which was running the ball mad char
ter which gave them the right to haze
beer and whisky at their balls, just as
they do in their halls over in town. He
also said the mayor and chief of police
knew it was all right because they had
given him police protection. Mr. Jones
found Patrolmen Saul and Peters on
the ground in uniform and making in
quiries learned that they had been sent
to the place at Sharrack's request by
Chief RoblinG. Constable Jones there
upon decided that when he made COM
plant of the affair he would include
| the mayor and chief of police and put
| them w at the top of the list among
| the principal offenders. When seen
| last night Constable Jones said
We have orders from court that
| when we return man for selling with
| out a license and he continues to sell
after being indicted we are to arrest
| him for maintaining a public nuisance.
| That is what we propose to do in this
case. The mayor and chief are guilty
| "a N.
ance by encouraging the ball by fur
| nishing uniformed officers to preserve
order, after being warned by citizens
| that the place was speak-easy. / will
go before court this morning and COM
| plain of the mayor, chief and the pro-
| prietor of the place"
Mayor Bailey when asked for a state
ment concerning the matter said he
| knew nothing of it until yesterday
when he heard the officers talking about
it in the station house. He denied that
any comm ittee of citizens or any other
committee had waited on him concern
ing the ball or anything pertaining to
it. Chief Robling said when approached
on the matter:
! PROTEST WAS ENTERED.
1T is true man came to me to pro-
test against officers being sent to the
ball. He said his name was Lynn anG
that he kept a saloon on Callahans cor
ner. l told him that l knew nothing
whatever of the character of Shar.
racks place. All knew was that So
ciety, a chartered fraternal organiza.
ton, was to run ball in some hall OF
Twenty street, that they want.
ed couple of officers to prevent dis
orderly characters from breaking il
and disturbing their ball. This was
commendable in them to my way OF
thinking and as is customary with ev.
cry society making similar request
| assigned two day officers to do duty
there. They We're paid by the society
I suppose. Whatever they get goes
into their own pocket according to the
custom that has been in vogue in the
department for years.
| Anthony Lunda, one of the members
|