Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-22

1t will be recalled that the last Coun-
Gil passed special ordinance, during
its career, making it unlawful for fe-
males to loiJer in or about saloons, the
measure being the outcome of a certain
investigation by a special committee of
Council into the reputation of the Sec
ond Ward firm of McFadden and Smith,
applying for license.
The law went on the city statute
books but was never enforced.
Women of the town continued to
ply their trade in all of the old resorts,
both north and south of the creek, the
fact being well known to the police,
and, as far as can be recalled, but one
arrest was made under the ordinance,
which became dead letter with rather
more swiftness and suddenness than is
usual with like city measures.
1t is now proposed to enforce this
section of the law, as will be seen
by the following circular notice, sent
out to the saloon keepers
CITY OF WHEELING,
Mayors Office, February, 1899.
Dear Sir
I'VE desire to call your attention to Sec
ton 18 of an Ordinance of the City of
Wheeling relating to Coffee-Houses and
Ordinances, which in future must be
strictly complied with.
Very Respectfully,
"A. T. SWEENEY,
Mayor
''W. NJ. CLEMANS
"Chief of Police
The result will be awaited with in
terest.
While the letter is signed by Mayor
Sweeney as we'll as Chief Clemans, the
enforcement of the law rests wholly
with the police. The Mayor can punish
when offenders are brought before him,
but his real power extends no farther.
The officers are the men who must see
that the law is obeyed, but heretofore
they have made no move to interfere
with the old order Of things, and sew
eral notorious places on the principal
streets have thrived as a result of Of
fetal blindness.
Last night, presuming the order OF
Chief Clemans went into effect on the
day it was issued-Monday- Register
reporter started out to see how the
new edict was being enforced by the
police. He found things running in
the same old way. The saloons
throughout the central portion OF the
city furnishing accommodations for
women of the town and their casual
friends, either in apartments adJoln-
ing the bar rooms, in rear rooms, or up
stairs, or all three, were patronized
by the usual callers, and there was no
evidence of any fear of molestation on
the part of either proprietors, women
or men. Women commonly reputed to
be women OF the town entered Ladies
entrances" Entrance to Cafss," and
entrances without a sign of any sort,
singly, in company with men, or in
couples, and in more than one instance
the reporter saw women and girls
solicit men on the street and enter
the building in which the saloon was
kept with them. This latter occurred
on three of the principal streets in
the heart of the city, between half
past eight and ten o'clock. In one
place the loud talk of women in the
rear room of a saloon was to be very
plainly heard on the sidewalk.
About ten o'clock a reporter called
at police headquarters and asked #
the order was "a CO." The Chief was
not ill., but the Lieutenant on duty said
he thought it meant business, as they
were not giving orders for fun. The
reporter asked why the special ordin-
ance passed by the last Council was
not cited in the notice, instead of the
old Sec. 10 of the ordinance relating
to saloons, and was informed that it
was believed the newer measure would
not stand a test.
AS has been remarked above, no one
appeared to be worried, last night, by
the order issued Whether they will
be hereafter is another question.