Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-11

EVERY APPLICANT FOR LII
CENSE WHO COMES ALONG, NO
MATTER WHAT HIS OR HER
CHARACTER, OR WHAT THE
REPUTATION OF THE HOUSE
OR OF IT'S PATRONS MAY BE-.
EVERYTHING WENT THROUGH.
LAST NIGHT, DESPITE OBJEC-
TION BY THE MAYOR AND
CHIEF.
There were some rather remarkable
and moving scenes in the Council Com
frances, last night, while about one
hundred applications for liquor licenses
were being run through the mild, and
the net result of the meeting was the
declaration of the Committee, or of
majority of it, by the action taken,
that anybody can get a liquor license
in Wheeling, no matter what his or
her record or the character of the place
kept or the nature Of it's patrons, may
be-
The Mayor and Chief of Police, who
have jointly been engaged in an effort
to regulate matters little In certain
lines, were present, and entered a pro-
test as to two of the licenses, giving
reasons for their action. The licenses
were granted, nevertheless, and the
two officials named looked little IA
tigued.
The session of the Committee opened
with Mayor Sweeney, Chief Clemans,
Solicitor Nesbitt and Clerk Watkins
present, in addition to two attorneys
of the body Mr. Beuter was called to
the chair. The first paper presented
was that ancient standby, the apli-
cation of Mrs. Angie Strong, for IL
cense at No. 81 Seventeenth street.
1t will be readily recalled that Mrs.
Strong has had this application before
the Committee and Council d number
of times in the past three years, and
that it has been rejected. sent forward
without recommendation, favorably
recommended, and tabled. The last
time it appeared it was sent to Council
without recommendation, but the OPP
position was SO vigorous that the paper
was withdrawn, only to reappear last
night. Mrs. Strong was represented by
Messrs. John j. Coniff and w. P. Rob
inson, and presented three affidavits,
one by Mrs. Strong herself, one by
Julia Chisnell, and the last by an en-
ploye of Mrs. Strong, denying the allie
cations as to the character OF the ap-
plicant and the sort of place she ran,
in general terms. Mr. Coniff then adj
dressed the Committee, urging that the
1ioo, ~, l.f +ol Co..,
and in the course of his remarks as
sorting it was well known there were
other places licensed in the city many
times worse than Mrs. Strongs would
be were all the allegations made
against her true, and yet these places
were invariably licensed, without ques-
tion. Mr.. Robinson added something
to Mr.. Coniff's statement, which was
quite long, and then Mr. NJ A. Chew
spoke for the other side, saying there
was no doubt of the character of the
place, that the applicant had been ar
rested and convicted for selling without
a license, and that there was not only
no necessity for the place, but the neigh
bors objected to it. For his part he
would vote against any license where
the people OF the immediate neighbour
hood filed objections.
The Mayor and Chief were questioned
as to their position, and replied to- the
effect that they were content to let the
Committee decide the matter, and they
would do the best they could. His
Honor, however, said they had changed
their minds as to the statement at the
previous session, which was to the eff
feet that the place could be better con-
trolled with a license than without, and
when pressed for an explanation of the
reasons for this change, the Chief said
that evidence had lately come to their
knowledge which brought about the
change of opinion. The Mayor added
that if the authorities would go after
evidence in the possession of people for
whom they had some consideration a
much worse case could be made against
the applicant than had been made. 1t
was admitted that young girls had been
taken out of the house
After a prolonged and general dis
cussion, during which Mr. Chew said
he was certain there was no doubt in
the mind of any one Gresent that the
applicant was not a fit person to be
given license, the question on favor
able recommendation was put and was
carried, ayes 4, noes 2, the former
Messrs Ritter, Bachmann, Williams
and Bloomfield, and the latter Messrs.
Chew and Beuter. 1t was ordered that
all the papers in this case go to Coun-
Gil with the application and recommen-
dation.