The sun., 1897-05-17
MORE RAINES LAW CLUBS.
THEY SELL LIQUOR TO ALI ooMERs
UNHINDERED.


As the Police Cannot Entor Them In an ON
ciai Capacity. MANY Are Mach Worse RE-
sorts than when Conducted ne saioons-A
Test Case May Csuarm Their Privileges.
Instead OF preventing or lessening the sale and
consumption of liquor on Sundays ard between
the hours Of / and o'clock In tho morning or
providing a better regulation Of the liquor
traffic during that time, the amendments to tho
Liquor Tax law have created in this city resorts
such as could not have been conducted under
any former excise law. Tho desire Of Senator
Raines to put o tax on clubs is the cause of this
What were formerly simply saloons or res
taurants operated as hotels In some cases, but
always under the supervision OF the police, have
now become clubs which the police may not In
vestigatc, so that perpetrators OF acts that
might cause saloon TO be raided can defy arrest.
The number Of these clubs In the Tenderloin
has increased very materially since Silver
Dollar" Smith paved tho way with he
Young Mems Cosmopolitan Club over his saloon
at Sixth avenue and Thirty.frst street. There
were dozen or more OF them In full operation
IN that precinct last night. Every ono was pa.
tronizcd 80 literally that 1t was almost impossi-
bio to satisfy the demand for drinks Nearly
every ono was froquented by the class OF women
who infest that section OF the city, while perhaps
the majority Of the malo patrons were of the
very youthful sort.
The clubs" which did tho biggest business in
the Ienderloin Saturday night and last night,
besides silver Dollar's," were the Gramercy
tine Newmarket dance hall), Tom Nelson's
Franco Belgian. In the rear of the saloon at
Seventh avenue and Thirtieth street. a resort
for blacks and whtos tho Shcnandoa (Clark's
Bijou restaurant) and the Plymouth Social Club
dhe Broadway GardenD In the Newmarket tho
band played until o'clock yesterday morning
and the drinking inmates danced and indulged
in high kicks.
The proprietor of one OF the new clubs who
fct obliged to get club charter to compete
with other places which had done so, expressed
himself yesterday as disgusted with the change
In the character Of his customers which followed
the change in tho character Of his place, and
said he would probably stop trying to run q club
and refrain from selling liquor during prohib.
Capt Chapman of the Thirtieth street police
said on Saturday night that he had detailed
men OF his command to visit some Of the more
idea that they would be solicited by the women
frequeniers. With such evidence Of the disor
tSe M ae spss tq 5o SS
he would use such evidence. should he get 1t.
The law specially exempts the clubs from In
Eestigation by the police without authority from
State Excise Commissioner Lyman. 1t has been
suggested that such an investigation without
OF the policemen who are responsible for 1t. The
policemen had to become members OF the clubs
procuring membership privileges is not difficult
however.
:, There are clubs organized chiefly to drink
liquor on Sunday and after hours which are
less objectionable than those of tho Tender
ioin Some Of these have been formed in
der dss1ly !,oIa manner The Germsnis Quartet Club
quarters at the Lexington ODera Hnuaa the
proprietor Of which. Michael Heumann. is its
Rresident, is said to be of this class. Mr..
policeman on Sunday of last week. and an in.
teresting test case has grown out OF his arrest
case will be had In the Supreme Court to-day.
Excise Commissioners Lyman is deeply Inter.
the general Club incorporation law OF s95 can
traffic in liquors not only with members. but with
section 2 declares tratticking in liquors to be,
BY betTeen or on behalf Of members Of Il T oorpo
ration. association; or coopartnership to men,
In Section %. 1t is declared that no tax certif-
cate may be granted to any corporation organ
lied under r, the Club incorp9ration law OF 1928.
than a member thereof.
Mr.. Heumann's lawyers contend that any club
in liquors with other than members. II the
courts should sustain this contention the pre-
deroin clubs and the efforts made by them to
make all their patrons members have been an
unSesesssry S sSic waste ,d Of energy et. p,,
hotels, which were In operation a week before
were closed 10 ed yesterday; Some Of them viii be
conform to the provisions Of tho law
Chief OF Police Conlin made pretty general
workings OF tho amend cd law. He found all the
inspectors and precinct commanders active. but
us regards the clubs powerless