Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-03-14
WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION.
The Angie Strong License Question
Goes to Council.

AN INTERESTING SESSION OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS
AND CIRCUMSTANCES = THE
HEALTH COMMITTEE MAKES A
NEW AGREEMENT WITH THE
RI GIFFIN COMPANY-IMPOR-
TANT MEETING OF THE FIRE
COMMITTEE OTHER CITY HALL
NEWS.
A municipal matter which may be
fairly placed in the chestnut class is
the Angie Strong liquor license propo-
sition.
1t has been before Council Commit
tees at least half a dozen times, and
has been reported adversely, favora5ly
and without recommendation.
Angie has never obtained license;
but that small formality has cut little
figure with this self-reliant woman,
for she had dispensed drinks "alle
same" to use a Celestial expression,
and has to her credit as a result
recent fine in Police Court and three
indictments are now pending in the
Criminal Court. AT present Angie IS
reputed to be temporarily sojourning
in Chicago, but business is being con-
Quoted at the old stand, and her appll-
cation for license has been before the
Committee on Petitions and Remon-
strances of the new Council for some
two or three weeks.
Last night, after the applications OF
Earnest Horstman, at No. 224S Mar
ket street, and David H. McGlumphrey.
at No. 1888 Water street, had been
presented and laid aside for regular
reference by Council, the Strong mat
ter made its familiar appearance. A
majority of the committee, with Mayor
Sweeney, were in attendance, and tour
or five adverse witnesses, citizens OF
Seventeenth street, were in the corrl-
dor. A motion was made that the
Committee recommend that a license
be granted, and it was seconded. A
discussion ensued. The member OF the
Committee, who made the motion said
that he did not see why one person
should be granted liquor license and
another refused. Character and repu-
tation cut no figure with him. He
thought if license was granted, the
police could regulate the place to
greater advantage. This idea was
combatted. The Mayor said the po-
lice department had started out to en-
force the law in this case, but after
one arrest, had decided to await the
action of Council on the application.
1t was the intention to bring five cases
and to this end an officer in citizens
clothes had gone to the house with
two girls from Alley IS. Five drinks
were bought, but by the advice of the
Solicitor, only one case was put
through the Police Court process. It
was difficult to procure evidence IN
such a case. as one consideration ana
another made people having knowledge
of the facts reluctant to testify.
A discussion ensued, during which
it became apparent that the members
Of the committee were thoroughly
conyersant with the character and
reputation of the house at NO. 81
Seventeenth street, but still qua not
see why a license should not be
granted. One member thought the
city should get the $500 of license
money, and this cash in hand APP
peared, in his mind, to outweigh all
other considerations. 1t was finally
determined to allow the protesting
citizens and property owners to ap-
pear. and four gentlemen testified,
being allowed five minutes each.
Their evidence was the old and famil-
lar story of all-night rejoicing, in
which hacks and females are con-
spicuous component parts. There
were specific details of spicy nature,
and one of the most shameful was the
statement by one witness that school
teachers had been repeatedly shocked
to see young girls, present and former
pupils, go into the house in daylight
by the alley entrance. 1t was also
in evidence that young girls Of fifteen
and a few years older, sometimes OF
good city families and again from out
of town, frequented the house at all
sorts of hours. and that the police had
repeatedly taken young girls residing
out of town from the premises, one one
occasion with considerable difficulty in
the way of obtaining admittance. The
evidence was of a miscellaneous yet
comprehensive character, and included
such things as chopping down the
fences of neighbors and throwing
stones at gentlemen in the vicinity who
objected to the peculiar business in
vogue at the place. During the pro-
gress of the meeting one witness
pertinently enquired why the COM
mittee should seek to license place
of such repute when the police and
mayor were endeavoring to bring
about some degree of reform, and sug-
gested that the granting of a license
to a known place of bad character
was simply adding to the burden al
ready upon the shoulders of the police
authorities.
After the last witness had been ex-
amined, the chairman ruled that all
persons not members of the committee
should withdraw, and gave as the rea-
son that it was ''nObOdy's business
how | or others in the Committee