The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-04-03

Special Dispatch 70 the Intslligencer.
sIsTERsv1LLE, W. Va, April H.
Yesterday Mr.. James F. Dolan, 6t this
city, proprietor and manager Of the Are
llnEton Hotel. was arrested by the chief
Of police and locked up in jail for the
reason that he had not paid his ane for
the sale Of liquors In his two saloons-
one in the hotel and the other 81 the OIL
Exchange. Mr. Dolan was given
hearing yesterday afternoon before q
Justice OF the peare and was tola tnat ne
could have his freedom on putting up g
good stin bond. This Mr.. Dolan refused
"a 40 and he was taken back to the city
prison and viii probably be kept there
for some time:
The indications are that there VIII be
considerable trouble before the matter =
finally settled up and this city may have
to pay quite nice little sum 70 get itgelE
out Of the trouble. For the past four
years It mas been the cuStnni here TO ttne
all OF the Saloona a stated amount each
month, aS none OF them had license
and It was impossible TO get the hcenSe.
When the oil field was first opened up
there were no saloons and IN q very snort
time the willows along the river bank
and all Of the ahanty boats were doing 9
thriving business as speAkeAsies. Inc
city council as well as the county court
were opposed to allowing such a thing a.
4 fSloon on q speakeasy in the city or
county and made an effort TO break the
men who were running the places, but -
soon rs one man was exterminated an
other would open up his place OF busi-
ness, and 80 It went on and has been go
ing on since oil was fiFSt discovered in
this section.
About three years ago one OF the city
councIlmen hit upon the brilliant idea OF
allowing the speakeaaleS to run and 70
flne them once q month. this moduS oper-
nndi allowing the city 70 reap the benaiht
Of about S1,500 q month, This was the
way the matter has been going ON ever
since and 50 far there has been no trou-
bIe for the simple reason that All OF che
saloon men have walked up each month
and deposited their fine with the mayor.
Two years aEn this spring an EFFORT
was made to have the county court grant
the saloons license and for this purpose
the city council granted all the saloons
permit to apply to the county court for a
license. The applications were duly
made and the court after some dehbera-
tion decided that they would only grant
license to the three hotelh in the city, ale
though It admitted that the other ap-
plIcants were equally as deserving as the
hotels. The city counell got wind of
what Il he court tGtenaed 10 DO ana IN q
hastily called session revoked al the'per-
n1its Il, mad granted and % nonhed the
county court, but that body went ahead
and granted the hotels the necessary
license.
the hotels refused TO pay and when ar
rested, gave bond and carried the cases
to the superior court. This matter went
through al the courts Of the stAte. and
the city finally won out and EAe hotels
had 70 pay the back due5 OF several
months. The case was bitterly fought
By some Of the best legal talent In the
6ta4e. but the fact that the saloon men
had formerly plead guilty to selling
li6uor without q license was against
them and they had to settle in the end.
Dolan was one OF the hotel men IN this
matter and he has apparently, been watt
ing for q chance 70 get even ever since
and Il looks very much now as tnouBh ne
had or would accomplish his object. In
8 few days the circuit court Of this dis.
trict Will convene In Middlebourne ana
thsre promises to be q warm time. The
present. Judge, Romeo H. ETeer, has
made q reputation for himself IN dealing
with speakeasy cases In the Fltchle
county oil field and It - likely that ne
will do the same here.
Now that Dolan 70 In the city prison
and win not accept the offer TO get out on
bail the city ofIiClals are In = Quand9ry
ana seem 70 be aware Of the fact that
they are placed In pretty predlc4mene.
Il 10 the opinion OF = number OF legt4
gentlemen OF tflE city and who ought TO
Know, that Dolan will cause great deal
OF trouble before the matter II finally aet-
tied, 1t Is hold bY Some OF the best tal-
enE In the state that all OF the finos which
the city has collected IN the past three
wears have been collected illegally, and
that Il the matter was taken hold of
properly the saloon men could recover,
willis Others think Just the reverse, No
natter about this, Dolan Is still In
prison and no intends to stay there and
aiSo says that 40 win not pay the three
or four months fines which he Is in ar
rearS.
What the outcome OF the case will be Is
exciting a great deal Of interest here, ~
nearly every person In the city y inter-
ested in EfIG matter In some way. The
conoensuR OF opinion seems to be that all
of the aaloons will be compelled to close
IN. and In that case the speakeaSieS
along the river in the willows and In the
4 4 . - :. ..-1t Ia, hIa 10 fhi1Flah OnHh