Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-23

element purchases from the alley or corner
grocery having a wholesale license, in
residence community. where in order to
evade the law which prevents drinking on
the premises, it is largely procured in re-
ceptacles from which liquors are drunk on
the adjoining street corner or in the near
by alley.
Those who practice to assist in eyasions
Of the law induce the disorderly and crimi-
nal classes to reside in such a locality to
the disparagement and discomfort of the
better Classes. One need but investigate to
observe such drinking from receptacles Of
ten furnished by the dealer If all licenses
were confined to business streets as | have
suggested, the establishments would he nm
der the constant surveillance of the police
ana result in a stricter adherence to the
law and in the commission of less crime
and disorder
Difficulties Experienced.
Because of certain conditions, the police
ma 1t difficult to get some of the owners of
speakeasies into court Despite the
troublesome feature of the law, however
many offenders have been caught and sent
to jail 1, 4
AS already stated. the police are making
an extra effort to break up many of these
stores that the illegal liquor traffic is car
rled on, SO the police say, but many per-
sons living in private houses carry a small
stock for the benefit Of their friends who
selling is done largely in alleys. where only
residents Of the particular by-way are
taken into the confidence of the dealer.
OCCASIONALLY Ssasto,, howevsr: outsiders or
are required to spend their money by
proxy. Then, too, there! is liquor sold, it is
alleged at cake walks" and ''parlor So
Gals, and there are a number of persons
VINO give such entertainments at almost
regular intervals. An admission of 10 or
ID cents is charged, and this includes cake
and wine, and it is this wine that so fire.
Quently causes scrmmages with fatal re-
suits.
Then there are walking "speakeasies."
During past years several such violators of
law have been apprehended. This class of
offenders confine their operations almost
exclusively to Sunday mornings, and it has
frequently been stated that many Of them
were in the employ of licensed rum sellers.
Some of them go from house to house and
sell drinks from bottles, while others carry
a supply of half-pints. which they sell al
any price, from ten to twenty-five cents.
The lowest penalty for the offense is
fine of 800, but the penalty for default
is usually a few months on the farm or III
Jail, many persons are willing to take the
chances.
Those Who Suffer Loss.
Licensed dealers are the ones who suffer
most from the "speakeasies.'' The trade
taken from them. it is estimated. amounts to
thousands of dollars annually Frequently
complaints are made by licensed dealers
against those who are engaged In the lille
gal traffic, but they are never willing to be
known in the cases.
Speaking of the illegal traffic, a saloon
keeper said to a Star reporter that his
trade had been very much cut up because
of the presence in his neighborhood of
places where the patrons are required to
speak easy when calling for a drink.
II can see kegs or boxes Of beer delivered
q Ia he
land the amount is large enough to almost
supply my trade. While 1 have never been
in the houses to see what is done with the
beer, 1 am certain 1t is not given away, nor
is 1t thrown away, and the people in the
houses could not consume a days delivery
in month.
But what can I do about it?' he asked.
1.-The people are my neighbors and sup
posed friends, and If 1 complain l make
enemies Of the whole neighborhood, and
that would result in the destruction of what
little business 1 have left But I suppose
the time will come when they will be
broken up and the trade will again find it's
way back to the legitimate channel.
81 suppose he concluded. that L ought
to be thankful that the speak easies' can't
get my GROWER trade from me, for the
carrying of tin buckets, pitchers and coffee
pots openly to the houses would mean that
the police would soon learn of what had
been coming on
Fresh Every Day.
The police say they have reason to be-
leve that in many of these places, as well
as in some of the cheaper bar rooms, there
Is whisky made fresh every day. This
homemade stock has a burning sensation
which pleases those who are unable to de-
tect the counterfeit from the genuine, and
the more it burns the better they seem to
like it. Mixed drinks OF various kinds are
made in the alley speak Basies," favor
lite one known as gilmore a mixture of
blackberry brandy andfgin2 being the most
popular % m
Because of the difficulty the police ex-
perience in getting patTonsdof the places to
make aff1davits, manytiflieit bars manage
to run for months without molestation.
But sooner or later the officers find there Is
trouble of some kind, and then some of the
victinhzed ones are willing to tell all they
know and swear to 1t. In some of the
places the proprietorst are bold enough to
entertain both men and wsmen, and some
allow the use of cards. in order to detain
the patrons and dispose OF so much more
liquor In such cases .quarrelS invariably
result and sometimes a, free fight disturbs
the neighborhood and attracts the police.
With Military andrMasOnic HOnOrs.
Madison Veile of Fort Harrison, Mont,
member of Military Lodge, No. 1913, Mis-
souri, jurisdiction, was buried Tuesday with
full military and Masonic honors at the
Soldiers Home, near this city. The Mason
ic services were under the auspices of
Hiram Abin Lodge, No. 3. of Washington
The lodge was represented by NJ. H. Hill.
w. NJ: Rev. Peter Lucas. s. W.; F. A
Jackson, ]. W.: J. NJ Washington, chap
lain; Rev. Cypress, assistant; j. N. Adams.
p. G. NJ: j. r. Brown, treasurer; w. A.