Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-09
BACKDOORSTOCLOS
Rev. H. H. Abrams Says Saloons
Must Comply With the Law.
GOING AFTER OTTUMWA DEALERS
Des Moines Temperance Worker Will
Establish a Branch of the Anti-Sa-
loon League Here-Says No ottum-
wa Saloon Complies With the Law.

From Mondays Daily.
The saloon-keepers of Ottumwa are
soon to be in "a peck of trouble" &C.
cording to the statements made today
to a Courier reporter by Rev. H. H.
Abrams of Des Moines, superintendent
for Iowa of the Anti-Saloon League.
Rev. Abrams was in the city yesterday
and last evening he delivered an ad
dress at the union meeting at the First
Methodist Episcopal church. He has
been here before and has done such
good work for his cause in Wapello
county that he has succeeded in clos
ing all the saloons outside of Ottumwa,
and now has decided to go after the
local sloons, not for the purpose of
closing them, but of making them con-
duct their business according to law.
To Close Back Doors.
Rev. Abrams says that all the back
doors of the Ottumwa saloons must be
closed and kept closed, that none of
the doors must be open and no one
must be in the saloons on Sundays or
holidays nor after 10 o'clock at night.
He says all tables and chairs must be
removed from the saloons and that
nection with the saloons In addition
more than one door, and that one must
open upon the principal street on
which the saloon is located.
Will Organize.
Rev. Abrams stated that any woman
whose husband is sold liquor contrary
to the law and contrary to her notifica-
ton to the saloon-keepers may bring
her evidence to him or his attorneys
and the case will be looked after with
care. In order to accomplish all this
work there must be an organization,
and in few weeks there will be anoth-
er meeting held in Ottumwa when a
permanent organization of local
branch of the Anti-Saloon League will
be effected. The funds will be sup
piled by means of joint stock plan.
Those who support the move will
pledge themselves to support it to the
amount of $100 apiece. Then, as the
money is needed, assessments of ten
per cent are made upon this amount.
Much money has been raised for the
work in this manner.
Committee Appointed.
Last evening committee was ap-
pointed to make arrangements for this
future meeting. This committee con-
sists of the pastors of the four down
town churches-Rev. F. f. Stoltz of
the First Presbyterian church; Rev. F.
G. Davies, of the First Baptist church ;
Rev. A. E. Craig, of the First Metho-
dist church, and Rev. P. A. Johnson, of
the First Congregational church
Hopeful of Success.
! Rev. Abrams is very hopeful of sue
cess in the work of bringing the Ottum-
wa saloons within the law. He says
that it has been done in several of the
c4.ies of Iowa, and there is no reason
why it should not be done here. He
intends to lecture in Ottumwa and
throughout the county, for the purpose
of informing the people of the evils of
the whiskey traffic and as a safeguard
aginst the petitions that saloon men
might start in the country.
Most "Wide-open' Town in Iowa.
Rev. Abrams says that Ottumws is
the most "wide-open' town in the state
of Iowa. He says that Des Moines is
much more in line with the law and
that the other cities of the state are
also more law abiding than this city.
Last evening, in his address, Rev. Alb
rams said: There is not a saloon in
this city that is running according to
the law. ] have had a detective in this
city and he has visited every saloon in
Ottumwa. He has found that there is
not one that is not violating the law.
4 This must be stopped.
Against the, "Whiskey Man.
Rev. Abrams is the sworn enemy OF
the '.whiskey man." That is the name