The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-07-09


The council committee on petitions and
reuronstrances last night rejected the
application OF August Matthews, for a
liquor license for the "Hotel ciemen-
tine" Considerable interest was at
tached to the committees action on tho
matter for the "Ciementlne'' has been
a bugaboo to the committee for a long
time. Messrs. Howard and Handlan. APP
peared for Mr.. Matthews, and 4. $. RI
ley looked after the interests Of Mr..
Feinler and Others Directing TO the IL
cense being granted,
The members present were Messrs
PAUL, KIndeyberger, Bachman, VIII
Jams and Chairman Hazlstt- The first
business transacted was granting ordl-
nary licenses to Wdllde s Tyson and
VIM. H. Sherry. Then the Matthews APP
plIcation wasconsldered The application
had been read at previous meeting,
when petitions pro and con were pre-
sented, but at that meeting Mr. Mat
tflews was not present, hence the com.
mittee decided 70 hear Mr.. Matthews, Il
he had anything to say.
Mr., Howard suggested that In the re-
monstrance flIed by Mr.. Felner ana
Others therehad been merely inttmations
that the saloon was a dlsOrderly resort
under the Matthews regime. The OBJ
1ectors should prove this allegation,
otherwise Mr.. Matthews would have to
prove himself innocent, which was not
In the natural order Of things.
The chairman OF the committee stated
that the committee recommended ia
vorably without further action II there
were no objections.
This question being decided, Mr.. Riley
read number OF depOsltions from
neIghbors, ex-Chief Of Police r. T. Nc
Nichol and others, stating that prosti--
tutes, both black and white, gathered
at the saloon for immoral purposes, TO
play policy and to drink promiscuous!y'
when Mr.. Matthews had license.
In favor OF the petition were read a
dozen names, including John S. Welty,
A, G. Hadlich and real estate owners
in the vicinity.
Mr.. Matthews was then sworn by Mr..
Howard, the only notary puSlic'present
to administer the oath. Mr.. Matthew's
testified that he had owned the property
since 1863. He had kept a saloon there
for twenty-nine years. Had trouble get
ting license one year, 1t being claimed
he had stalls in the saloon, NO immor-
aaity had been conducted in his place. He
never kept rooms for designations. The
witness nowwnnted q license for himself
and son, and not for other parties. He
would comply with anyor all ordinances
Most Of the persons who signed his peti-
ton own the property they occupy.
Some Immaterial testimony was brought
out by Mr.. Howard, after which he was
Inte!rogated by the committee.
To Mr.. Riley witness acknowledged
that many OF those who had signed his
petition had their places OF business
near the saloon, but lived In other parts
OF the city. Mr.. Mathews wouldn't say
much concerning the character or repu-
taIon Of his female customers, though
MIR. Riley pushed him hard He ac-
knowledged that man once In a while
would treat the women in the rear room.
George Watson used to write policy IN
his saloon, but witness got none of the
profits, excepting Watson helped him at
the bar. Not all the policy players
were colored people and prostitutes; the
witness knew respectable women wo IN
witness knewrespectable womenwho In
chance. Mr.. Matthews didn't know IL
his female patrons were all married,
though they claimed to be. He knew
that "LIz" Fletcher wasn't married. One
OF his successors put stalls in the sa-
loon, and witness tore them out.
Mr.. Felnler then took the stand, and
said he had complained to the police
while Matthews kept the saloon, but had
never made other protests. He had
never aoticed anything wrong in tho
upper part OF the house, and knew that
black and white women drank together
in the place, yet couldn't give any facts
to showimmornlity was conducted there.
This concluded the testimony, and the
committee cleared decks for action by
going into executive session. The mo-
ton TO reject tho license was adopted
without dissent, though come discussion
ensued whether the ordinance prohibit
ing women lettering in saloons would
result in the "Clemeutina" losing It's OBJ