Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-16


the Anti-Sunday Base Ball Ordin-
ance-Other Business Transacted
at the Special Meeting Held Last
Night.
The license fight in the Second
Branch of Council, at the special meet
ing held last night, was very bitter,
and developed some sensational feat
ures.
1t was openly charged on the floor
of Council that money brides had been
offered to influence members to with
draw their opposition, and support the
petitions for license of the applicants
who have heretofore been rejected.
Mr.. Ross Chew stated that he had been
offered $500 to vote to grant license
to G. A. Landmesser & Co. Mr.. Frank
Healy stated that he had been offered
money. Mr.. Miller related a CONVEX
sation with the City Solicitor, in which
the latter is reported to have said he
was offered $500 to prepare an opinion
favorable to the rejected applicants.
These were very grave and serious
charges. No action was taken, look
ing toward an investigation, and as a
matter of fact they created no great
stir on the floor of Council. There
was a big lobby, including a delega-
ton of representatives of the FEEDER
alton of Churches. The clergymen
were very much pleased with the re-
suit of the license fight, and made no
effort to conceal their qualification
over the turn of affairs.
After adjournment Register repor-
ter endeavored to secure details of
the attempt to bride Councilman Chew,
but Mr.. Chew declined to talk on the
ground that he would implicate per-
sons who were his friends. The offer
did not come directly from Landmes-
ser & Co." he said, but there are sew
eral members who have been approach
ed with money offers"
The fight opened when Clerk O'Brien
read the report of the Committee on
Petitions and "Reminiscences, recon-
mending that the applications of H. L.
Wheat. Carenbauer & OMally, and
O'Brien & Gollner be granted. The
report was adopted.
The Clerk read the other section of
the report, stating that the City Solic-
itor had presented a written opinion.
President Maxwell ruled this section
of the committees report out of order,
on the ground that the rules provide
that the committee must make a rec
ommendation.
Mr.. Marscnner moved to suspend the
rules.
You will not suspend that rule
said President Maxwell.
Mr.. Weisgerber moved to have the
report of the City Solicitor read Mr.
Miller took the floor and opposed the
reading of the Solicitors opinion. He
was interrupted by President Max
well, who ruled the motion out of or
der, on the ground that the Solicitors
opinion was not germane, inasmuch as
the applications were not before Coun-
Gil.
Mr.. Healy wanted to appeal from the
decision OF the chair, but President
Maxwell declined to entertain the ap-
peal
Mr.. Ritter moved to adjourn. The
motion was lost, and the Second
Branch proceeded with the regular or
der of business.
A little later Mr.. Healy moved to
take a recess for twenty minutes in
order to enable the committee on petit
lions and circumstances to take up the
question of granting license to the ap-
plicants, and report to Council.
Mil1ar tonlx 10 Hnor +O II
upon the motion, and created a SEN
sation by charging openly that at
tempts at bribery had been made He
understood that one member of the
Second Branch had been offered $500
to keep away from Council meetings.
He also stated that the City Solicitor
had told him he was offered 5000 to
render such an opinion as would en-
able the rejected applicants to get
license.
Several members laughed and at
tempted to interrupt Mr.. Miller, and
President Maxwell was compelled sew
eral times to rap for order.
Mr.. Chew took the floor and stated
that an attempt had been made with
money to influence his action.
Mr.. Healy said he felt interested in
the applications Of Fish and Wilkie,
which were different from the others,
both agreeing not to harbor women
about their premises. He added that
he had also been offered money.
The charges of attempted bribery
appeared to create no surprise on the
floor. Mr.. Chew moved TO postpone
any further action in the matter of the
rejected applicants for seven months
The President ruled this out of order,
and also ruled several other irrelevant
motions out of order, upon the ground
that the committee had not sent re-
port upon the rejected applications to
Council
Other business was disposed of, and
there was another temporary lull in the
license fight. 1t broke out again when
Mr.. Marschner sent TO the Clerks desk
/ and had read a petition from G.. A
Landmesser & Co., asking the appoint
ment of a special committee to inves-
tigate his establishment for the pur-
pose of aseertaining whether or not he
is entitled to liquor license: also pro-
viding that the committee consist of
Messrs. Fair and Beckett from the
First Branch and Messrs. Chew and