The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-27
SAM DIN MINIS ORGAN.
In Basement of His SaIOOn-His Reply
to Captain Ritter.

In an account of an anti-saloon meeting
held the night before, the Journal yester-
day morning referred to the fact that Eli
F. Ritter said that Sam Dinnin, proprietor
of the Fan saloon. corner of Washington
and Delaware streets, was violating the
Nicholson liquor law by operating his mann
moth mechanical organ. trip to his
saloon last night revealed that the organ
is not operated in the barroom, although
passers-by might suppose that it was,
judging from the music floating out into
the street from the saloon. Dinnin an
swered the attack made on him by Captain
Ritter good-naturedly.
What have you done with your organ"'
he was asked.
Its been moved out. You don't see it.,
do your"
mo. Where is it?''
I'm the basement. Wait few moments
and you will hear it playing"
Almost Immediately the inspiring notes
of a march from William Tell' floated
through the barroom.
Dinnn was asked what he had to say
in reply to Captain Ritter. He indicated
that he had nothing to say He expressed
surprise, however, that the captain should
always single him out from so many saloon
keepers for an example of law yiolators.
L don't know that any one will say that
| violate the Nicholson law by running my
organ in the cellar said he. There is not
a saloon man that obeys the law better
than do. 1 am never open on Sunday and
| close promptly at II o'clock every night.
If a drunken man steps up to my bar he
is refused drink. | cannot see what harm
there is in having music. If l allowed
dancing, card playing and kept winerooms
and had disorderly women around me they
might kick. believe in obeying the law"
Dinnn seemed perfectly confident that he
could not be convicted of violating any
law. His mechanical organ was, brought
relegated to the lower regions of his place
an iron table, much like a heat radiator,
has been placed in the center Of the room.
The top of the organ comes level with the
floor beneath the iron table and pots of
flowers DECORATE the top of the musical al
scores of men drinking their drinks and
Wan Z FEM iHs M aTf q and other op
eras. From the sidewalk any one passing
naturally supposes that there is music in
the saloon but upon entering there is not
the sign of an instrument visible.
While speaking OF the fact that he had
moved his organ down to the basement
Dinnin cited other instances where the
spirit of the Nicholson law, if not the let
ter, was being violated. AT Weilacher'S,
two or three doors west, he said, the me-
chanical organ had been moved up stairs.
AT Carpenters winerooms, on West Mar
ket street, an electric piano was operated
from the hayloft of the old blacksmith
shop that has been turned into a summer
and winter garden by strewing sawdust on
the floor planting evergreen trees in half
barrels and scattering tables for male and
female drinkers profusely in the artificial
forest. These statements were found to be
true. Other places mentioned by Mr.. Din
min, among them George Golfers, on Vir-
ginia avenue, where he said the piano was
set up in the basement, were not visited.
Samuel Dinnin was prosecuted for having
music in his saloon and the case appealed
to the Supreme Court where the fine
against him affirmed The Supreme
Court has never passed upon the question
of whether Dinnin and others were violat-
ing the law by resorting to such thin SUBJ
terfuges.