The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-30
TO GUST A CHURCH
SCHEME TO PUT MUSIC HALL IN ITS
PLACE.
SUNDAY SCHOOL WON'T MOVE.
WEST SIDE RESIDENTS PROTEST
AGAINST A CHANGE.

Place on West Broad street-His
Application for License Referred
! 10 Police Committee of Council
and Protests Were Heard-super-
| fntendent of the Fire Departing mt
| Masnire Described Gaming Tables
He saw-supt. Crittenden of the
| Mission Sunday school Will Not
Give Way for Saloon, and Says
sunday school VIII Have to BE
Dispossessed.
The plan to GUST a mission Sunday
school for the purpose of making room
| for a concert hail. or free-and-easy,
| at West Broad street and Bay lane,
was unfolded to the Police Committee
of Council at a special meeting at po-
lice headquarters last night. Men
! ton of the meeting, which was called
for the purpose of looking into the
| licensing of concert halls, or free-and-
| easies, was made in the Morning News
| yesterday. ''.''' -.
A man named Alexander petitionsd
for q license to conduct a bar and
music hall at the address given, and
a protest went up from citizens, who
! object to such a place. Alexander gave
it out to the authorities that he pro-
posed to conduct an orderly place and
one at which the most fastidious can
offer no objection. Even along with
this declaration came a protest from
| persons residing in the neighborhood
| of the place selected for the alleged
music hall.
| Superintendent of the Fire Depart
ment John e. Mcguire was one of those
to file objection to the issuing of the
| license, and Mr.. H. E. Crittenden, in
| charge of the Mission Sunday school
! on the West Side, was another. Both
gentlemen took a positive stand. and
| invoked Council not to grant a license.
Their protests, along with a petition,
caused Council to consider, and it was
| decided to refer the application for a
| license to the Police Committee. The
committee wrestled with the problem
| last night and then decided not to
| make any recommendation, but to re-
| fer it back to the Committee of the
| Whole. This decision was reached af-
| ter Alexander Supt. Mcguire and Mr..
| Crittenden had been heard from.
Mr.. Crittenden stated that a part OF
the building which Alexander desires
to use is now used by Sunday-school,
and contains benches, hynnals, prayer
books, Bibles and an organ. From a
personal investigation he said that he
| did not believe that the proposed pal-
ace of pleasure is one which would
| give tone to any section of the city,
and certainly it will not be a proper
| successor to a Sunday-school. MIR,
| Crittenden stated that he had. learned
| things from men who appeared to he
connected with the enterprise that
made him firm in the belief that a
| license should not be granted, and that
| the special committee from Council
should file an adverse report. He stat
ed to what use the Sunday-school
would be put, as he had been informed.
Mr.. Crittenden is in. charge of the
| Sunday school organized several
months ago for the children living on
the West Side, and declares that he
will fight the granting of the license to
the bitter end. He stated that he had
been requested to move his Sunday
school, but that not until yesterday
morning was he officially notified by
his landlord that he must vacate. Mr..
Crittenden takes 1t to mean that he is
allowed thirty days notice, to date
from Nov. 1, and that the letter sent
to him yesterday means that he must
make way for the alleged concert hall
by Dec. l. Mr.. Crittenden says that
| he will do nothing of the sort.
| He declares that the agents for the
property will have to dispossess the
| Sunday-school and that they will have
to legally place the benches, organ and
books on the sidewalk before the
school will make room for licentious-
ness. He says that he is thoroughly in
earnest in the position that he has TAX
en- that he intends to put the owners
| of the property on record as having
| busted the property of God to put in
| the tools of wickedness for the pastime
| of loafers and wantons.
Superintendent Mcguire was equally
as firm in his OPPOSITION, and expressed
| himself plainly to the committee. He
| stated that he had gone through the
| place with Mr.. Crittenden and that he
| had seen things which made him quite
4 certain that not the half had been told
i by Alexander in his application for a
license. The chief fireman stated that
he saw certain pieces of furniture
4 which he had at once recognized as
| crap and poker tables. The kitty hole
was unmistakable and Superintendent
Mcguire pointed out the little opening
to the Sunday-school superintendent
and explained how chip always went
| through the opening for the lights
| and porter"
Superintendent Mcguire told the COM
| mittee that he is opposed to the OPEN
ing of the place. even though the gam
| ing tables should be discarded. He
does not wish a concert hall, or even
a bar. in the place chosen by Alexan-
| der. The superintendent resides in the
neighborhood, and stated that he does
not care to have his family in such
close proximity to such a place of
! amusement and hilarity. Superinten-
dent Mcguire was severe in his criti-
cism of Alexander's proposed place.
Alexander explained to the commit
tee just what sort of place he desires
to run. He stated that he does not
propose to have any gambling device
| Of any sort, and that ii is his pur-
pose, If granted a license, to conduct
an orderly music hall. He stated that
IL is his intention to run clean vau-
deville show, with novelties, and that
he does not propose to have any mix
ing of the races. His plan is to admit
whites to the first floor and allow col
ored persons to occupy seats in the bal
cony. After hearing Alexanders state
ment, the committee decided to hear no
more testimony, but to refer the mat
ter back to the C ommittee of the
| Whole. There were other witnesses
present who would have testified
against the issuing of license.
| s-e
HURST, THE BOXER, HERE.
/ VIII TraIu In "A ~.