Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-07
COUNTY commissioners.
HELD A VERY INTERESTING
MONTHLY SESSION YESTERDAY II
MORNING. 40
FEDERATION OF CHURCHES
Presents a Paper Alleging Violations
of the Law by the Wheeling Park
Association Electric Railway
Ordinance Passed-A Squabble
over a BfII-The Routine Business
Transacted.

Ordinance FdSSe0-A
over a BiIl-The Routine business
Transacted.
An interesting and unexpected fea-
ture of the regular August meeting OF
the Board of County Commissioners
was the reading of a lengthy commune
cation from the Federation of Church
es, alleging violations of the law by the
Wheeling Park Association. When
Clerk Moffat had finished reading the
paper the Rev. Samuel Schwarm, pas
tor of the English Lutheran church
arose and asked that the matter be
given proper consideration. He a1leg-
ed that the evils complained of Ave
long been matter Of public comment,
and asked members of the Board, If
they entertained any doubt as to the
truth of the statements made, to APP
point a committee to investigate the
charges.
President McGregor asked if the
Wheeling Park Association had been
notified by the Federation, and Mr.
Schwarm replied in the negative.
Commissioner Fritz moved to refer
the petition to the committee on I'M
ance. 1t was adopted and The repre-
sentatiyes of the Federation were no.
tilted to present their evidence at its
next meeting, for which no date was
set The paper follows:
To the Board of County Commissioners,
Ohio County, w. va.
Sirs:-Since the Federation of Churches
began its efforts for the betterment OF
the moral condition OF TINS coln ll M:
asking for the enforcement of laws, with
reference to gambling, Sunday selnnS
and Sunday base ball; and especially since
the council of this city has turned down
the cake hotels" denying them the IL
cense to sell liquors in connection with
houses where many girls have been ruin
ed, many citizens have repeatedly told
us that we have never touched the 1oun-
tainhead of all this iniquity.
Loudly and severely have the good cit
liens of Pleasant Valley been criticized
for having been instrumental In bringing
pressure to bear upon the officers of that
Village, leading them 10 deny license to
the proprietors of the Pleasant Valley
Park, and especially has the Federation
of Churches been criticized TOR having
stopped Sunday base ball, and at the same
time making no protest against far worse
evils constantly in operation IN Wheel-
ing Parks on the sabbath day.
Hundreds of cidzons have GENE TO us
and said if you arr going TO ask for the
enforcement of law against one of these
evils, why not ask the same against all.
We have been informed time and again
that Wheeling Park IS the greatest sap
bath breaking institution any where to be
found within 100 miles of Wheeling; that
the laws with reference to Sunday selling
are openly and flagrantly violated there
every Sabbath day; that there are eXcur-
sions from the neighboring cities pouring
Sabbath breakers into this community by
the hundreds, thereby giving our city a
bad name far and wide; that while women
are not allowed to drink in the saloons
of Wheeling with men, they are allowed
to do so in Wheeling Park; that men and
women may be seen under the influence
of drink in this park almost any sabbath
during the summer season: that the mer-
ry-So-round and billiard tables are in full
blast on the Sabbath, but the worst of all,
we have been informed that under the
cover of night In the dark places of the
park the social evil is practiced.
Now these reports have come to US from
| the mouths of people whose truthfulness
and veracity we have no reason to doubt,
| but desiring to be convinced of the truth
| or falsity of these reports we thought it
| best to make a thorough investigation; ac-
| cOrdingly we chose men from all parts of
the city of Wheeling. and from Fulton
| ana Elm Grove to visit the park on Sun
day, July 8th, 1900 and they reported as
| follows
The beer garden and bar We're wide open
and men and women were buying wine,
| beer and soft drinks. Between o'clock
| p. m. and p. m, 175 men and 10 women
| bought and used liquors, six men were
seen intoxicated and one woman was so
badly under the influence of drink that
| she had to be put out of the beer gar
| den; 80 or 40 minors were buying and
drinking On this day there were nine
| walters and ten bar tenders on active
RI Iltty 1oar md a n orc W c
! heard but yet our investigators We're told
that this was an off day with the park.
We therefore determined to continue our
Investigations when things were in full
| blast in the park. Accordingly, on Sab
! bath. July 18th, 1900, we sent men to make
further Investigations, They report the
bar room and beer garden crowded. count
| ed 300 men and $50 women buying and
| drinking and gave it up, not attempting
to count all; minors were drinking. some
| of them with their parents; billiard tables
| and merry-go-round doing big business;
! twenty men were more or less intoxicated,
| fifteen couples were found in various dark
| places in the park lynn in each other S
arms on the grass. The so-called most
| notorious portions of the park. Lovers
| Lane" and the woods and field back of
| the casino were not investigated, the in
vestigators not deeming 1t safe to venture
| into them. One case in particular was
mentioned in which, under the bOughs in
dark place, the woman seemed to be
protesting against advances upon her
chastity, and the man was heard to say,
| Oh, that is all right; L will never give
you away" Nobody can tell whose
daughter may have been ruined then and
| there. Vulgar and profane language was
! heard and it was no uncommon thing for
] young men to pass by couples lying on
| the grass in each others arms. guying
them in language which cannot be pub
| lished. Another feature was that outside
| of the beer garden enclosure the park was
! without lights, save along two roads lead
| ing to the beer garden and in the locality
| of the merry-go-round. From this it will
| be seen that there is opportunity for the
social evil in the darkness of the park
| The park was still open at II p. m. when
the investigators left
Therefore, in view of the deplorable
| state of affairs in Wheeling Park on the
| Sabbath day, recited above. and many
| other facts which might be stated. we
| petition your honorable body to revoke
| the license which you granted the Wheel
| ing Park Association. The ground for our
petition is based on sec. a.. chap SO of
| the Code of West Virginia, Fourth Edi-
| ton, which reads as follows: The coun-
| ty court or other tribunal, or council who
| authorized and license mentioned in the
first section, may for good cause shown.
| REVOKE the same upon the petition in
| writing of any inhabitant of the county.
! city, village or town. But the person
! holding the license must first have reas-
| enable notice of the proposed revocation.
| and the privilege of being heard in person
/ or by counsel After such revocation the
| license shall be of no effect to protect
1 Ia