The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-12
SUNDAY LAWS
ARE FAILURES
Major Howard Declares
Them to be imperative.
N E w LEGISLATION.
What is Needed for Proper Sunday
Observance in. Richmond.
THE. OFFICERS HANDICAPPED.
Policemen In Uniform Net Permit
ted to Enter a Bar-Room and
Witnesses Back Out"
When the Cases
Come to
THE. OFFICERS HANDICAPPED.

.The laws in reference to Sunday op-
! seryance are entirely imperative ssio
| Major Howard yesterday. ana III at
| tempting to enforce them my men are
| rdic1lled TO the limit of endurance Inc
| laws are antiquated and should De lt'o
! upon the shelf, and new ones tilal Can nc
| enforced put in their places.
This was said in the presence OF the
| committee appointed by the Sunday op-
| seryance League TO confer with MN III
reference to the operation and enforce
| ment of the laws.
| rba COMMITTEES embraced Mr.. j. D.
! o,rumn (chairman). Mr. Eugene c. Masse
and Rev. w. S. Campbell
eve have made every effort TO enforce
| the law against selling liquor on sunday
| but we run up against snags on an sloeS
| and have long since reached the con
| clusion that the only way to completely
| stop the sale of liquor on sunday IS 10
| have an ordinance providing that al par
| rooms keen their curtains up ana their
| screens aside all day on Sunday ana TO
| have no connection between the par
| room and other parts OF the mousse III
which the bar is located. This plan
| think, would be the most eftectual way
| to stop the Sunday selling.
| SPOTTERS BEFORE THE DOORS.
Several years ago there was crusade
| going on in this city against this very Ilnfs:
| We made all efforts to stop the SAFE OIL
| lin,lor but our efforts were almost fruit
| less The barkeeperS would station men
| at the front doors and on the corners ana
| whenever policeman came IN siSit either
| with or without uniform, a signal was
,,,I ht,C n
! most of the places no one but well known
| customers were allowed to enter the por-
! tails of the side-doors. policeman III
| uniform cannot enter a barroom, nor can
| he go into any ones house without Il
| warrant and unless he can get some one
| TO swear to a warrant he is poWerleSS IN
| that respect.
| ..Jrrecuently cases are worked up and
| witnesses are secured, but when the trial
| comes off the cases fall through because
| the witnesses cannot be made to swear
| to what they We're willing to swear TO at
| the outset Sometimes the cases so
| through all right and the offenders are
| fined but such cases are exceptional
| ..In numbers Of cases in which the quit
| of the accused is established in the Police
| Court, appeals are taken TO the HustlnSs
| Court, but juries are hard to ind VINO VIII
| convict q Darkeeper. | am, of course, re-
fecting upon no one but it is a notable
| capped punishment through the lenlency OIL
| juries.
NEARLY ALL OPEN.
Il am morally aware of the fact that
| nearly every barroom in the city is open
! on Sunday. There are probably scarcely
| a dozen that observe the law in that re-
1 spect but we must have the cooperation
| OF the citizens in stopping them
The Chief related an incident of some
wears ago when a certain barkeeper was
asked to sign a petition in reference 10
Sunday closing.
..Tll do no such thing said the man.
for Sunday is my best day.
..Several weeks afterwards, said Major
| Howard, "the man was arrested for keep
| ing his bar open on Sunday. The case
was not proven, as our witnesses went
! back on us, as usual, and on the stand
| this man himself stated under oath, that
he had never sold a drop of liquor on
Sunday in his life.
Major Howard related another Incident
"a man on lower Franklin Street was ar
| rested on complaint that he had sold
| liquor on Sunday. y warrant sworn
to by the complainant, but when the
| case came to trial he went back on u.s.
/ and the next day he had q new suit of
| clothes.
Chairman Crump said the league was
in the fight against Sunday bar-rooms to
! that they would take up other matters.
| MAN WITH a PULL.
/ He said he had received an anonymous
| letter stating that a certain man who
had puIl was keeping his bar open day
and night all the time. He gave the
| name Of a we'll known citizen of Jeffer-
| son Ward.
| Mr. Massie said that Major Towards
remarks We're most refreshing. and he
| felt that his suggestions We're most prac-
| ticable. The league will do everything
| to assist you in upholding this law, he
| said ..and if we find it necessary to do
| so we will go to the Legislature
! Rev. Mr. Campbell acquiesced in what
| Mr. Massie said.
| Major Howard said that he had several
! suggestions that he wished to make and
| asked the reporters to withdraw, as the
| matter related to something that could
not be printed
| 1t is quite probable that the league and
| the police department will act together
! in the matter from now on, and that the
! crusade against Sunday bars will be Wig
| orousy pushed.
| The officials of the League are bIsily
engaged in perfectiEg the plans for the
campaign Of popular meetings. to be con-
Quoted by DR.. Edward Thompson, of At
lanta, the president of the Sunday OBJ
Servance League of America. These meet
ings viii commence abou- January 9th,
and there will be twenty or more OF them
held in different parts of the city, with
view of arousiug interest on this subject
amorg all classes and in all sections of the
city.
~