The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-05-14

Many OF the city saloons were closed
yesterday, but not ali of them.
Agents for the Mems union, who
covered nearly every portion of the
city IN their Investigations. reported
that there were numerous places just
as wide open as ever, but in the ma
jority of instances they found that the
agreement of the saloon keepers, made
Friday night was being religiously
lived UP to.
That it was not a great majority"
however, could be gathered from a
tour of the central city. A few places
closed tight and let down their cur
tains TO afford a full view of the bar.
Others were closed to all outward ap-
pearances, but investigation found
men behind the bar taking care of
very large back-door trade. Some
places were closed to all except reg
ular patrons and in these it was i'm
possible to gain entrance without be-
ing known to be all right" The
agents Of the crusaders visited a num-
Der Of the open places and secured
drink. The name of the proprietor
went down in Chief Agent Wilson'S
little black book.
LIQUOR DEALERS MEET.
The Licensed Liquor Dealers asso-
citation. which was formed Friday
night with a membership of ninety
one, met again yesterday afternoon in
Durr's hall. and added fourteen men,
bers to it's rolls. Phil Coyne, Fred
Durr and j. ]. Padden, the commit
tee that waited on f. B. Sturges, re-
ported the result of the interview and
advised the association that the cru
saders were very much in earnest and
that whatever was to be done by the
association should be done with that
idea firmly in mind. That it is not to
be a temporary affair was evidenced,
they said. by the fact that the agent
Of the crusaders, Mr.. Wilson, has been
engaged by the year. and it is pro-
posed to keep him at work till the
purpose of the union is accomplished.
The rest of their report was in line
with the following account of the
meeting. approved for publication by
Mr.. Sturges:
Mr.. Sturges stated that a committee
of the licensed dealers called upon
him, but declined to give any special
details, except to say that they ex-
pressed the willingness of the asso-
citation and their own desire to obey
the law in all respects, and they Of
fered to cooperate with the Men 5
union in any effort to secure the OBJ
servance of the law and to close un-
licensed houses. They expressed, par
ticularly, the feeling, which is un-
doubtedly just, that it was an absolute
outrage that after paying q large Ii
| cense fee they should not be pro-
tected by the paid officials Of Lacka,
wanna county.
WHAT HE TOLD THEM.
Mr.. Sturges told them that one of
the principal objects of this movement
was to compel the officials to do their
duty; that there was no malice against
any ona, and that if the best results
could be obtained by not pushing the
| licensed dealers, it was possible the
prosecutors and the court might con-
sent to such an arrangement. But il
| would be necessary that the prosecu-
| tors should receive absolute and sat
| isfactory pledges that the law would
| be kept hereafter and that the IL
| censed dealers would aid the prosecu-
tors in compelling the county officials
| to do their duty. and close places
where the law is persistently violated
| Mr.. Sturges expressed a decided un-
| willingness to have one or two parties
whose bills had been ignored, includ-
| ed in any such arrangement He stat
| ed that the evidence against those
| parties was the same as against otn-
| ers, and even more complete. and the
| fact that these bills had been ignored
| proved almost conclusively that they
had been tampering with some of the
| grand jurymen; in fact, he had al
ready secuted evidence against one
or two parties. This tampering with
| Jurors he believes to be far worse
than selling liquor illegally, and these
| persons will be followed to the bitter
end.
GRAND JURY IN SESSION.
The fact that the grand jury is still
| In session may result in a demand
upon the crusaders for the evidence
| they claim to have of their having
| been tampered with. There are cer-
| tainly men on the jury who will not
rest easy under an aspersion Of this
kind, coming from a man of Mr.. Stur.
| ges' standing. and if it is within tho
scope of their authority, the chances
are they will take some steps to in
| vestigate themselves, so to speak
The final report of the jury will be
made tomorrow, it is expected. They
had nearly one hundred cases remain.
ing undisposed of Saturday.