Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-04-10
A DIR SUNDAY IN GOTHAM.
b Fact Demonstrated That When the
Police Want to They Can Enforce
the Encise Laws

the liquor dealers gave Greater New
York a DRY Sunday" yesterday.
Though there were degrees of dry
ness, so to speak, in different sections
of the metropolis, the day has had nc
equal in the suspension of the liquor
traffic since five years ago when Su!
perintendent Thomas +. Byrnes tight
ly closed the saloons one memorable
Sunday. On that occasion those seek
ing spirituous refreshments were
compelled to resort TO places outside
of Chief Byrnes' sphere of influence.
His task, however, is said to have
been easier than that which confront
ed the police yesterday, for he had no
Raines law hotels, with their sand
witches to contend with. These hotels
must be taken into consideration.
therefore, when the word DRY" is
used in connection with the events OF
Yesterday, for the man who had cash
to buy a sandwich and a drink had
small difficulty in Stacking his thirst.
Few liquor dealers had the temerity
to keep open and serve drinks alone,
and of those who did the majority
were invited to visit the nearest po-
lice station, there to remain until
bondsmen appeared.
Unquestionably the driest part of
New York was that section where,
last Sunday, the Second platoon of
police made so many arrests. This is
known as the West Thirty-seventh
Street police precinct. Only one al
legged violator of the excise laws was
found yesterday by the lynx-eyed Of
%ficers, and only two or three Raines
law hotels opened theirdoors, and the
proprietors saw that the law was
closely observed.
In the ''Tenderloir," now known as
the white Light" district. liquor was
sold, but only under conditions which
proved drawbacks to many of the
thirsty. In many of the saloons the
shades were drawn in the bar rooms,
but it is said that improvised bars
were established in upstairs roumS.
In a few places the proprietors are
alleged to have established what is
known as the "Kansas speakeasy," n
blind pig" consisting of a circular
opening in a wooden partition, into
which was fitted u round board ar
ranged so as to swing about. On each
side of the round door was n shelf on
which the bartender could serve
drinks to the waiter without being
seen, and wen if the police had sue
ceeded in getting in, they could not
have arrested the bartender, as no
one could see him. The customer
simply placed his change on the little
shelf. and then raped, at the same
time calling out his order. A moment
later the little door would swing
around, and on the shelf on the re-
verse side of the circular door the
customer would find the desired
drink.
Drinks were served all day, in the
dining rooms of the big Broadway
and Fifth Avenue hotels, and al
though they were sold within the pro-
scribed hours, no attempt at inter-
ference was made. No one, however,
was permitted to sit down and crder
a drink, even though he ordered n
sandwich at the same time. The ho-
tel folk insisted that something AKIN
to a substantial meal at least be or
dered.
For The first time in many years,
the saloons in the residence section
in upper Harlem were all closed. De-
spite the excise excitement in the
city from time to time, the liquor
dealers in that section have kept
open.
On the Bowery it was exceedingly
hard to get Il drink. The saloonkecp-
ers were not ready to take chances of
arrest, and for the most part kept
their doors locked.
In Brooklyn and other parts of
Greater New York the closing law
was generally observed.
The police also compelled the small
shopkeepers throughout the city to
close. except that the groeers ard
delicatessen shops were permitted to
keep open until ten o'clock as pro.
vided by law.
For the first time in years the
small dry goods shops in the upper
part of the city had their doors
locked, and the stationery stores and
news stands were also compelled to
close up in many sections of the city.
In some instances the police even or
dered the confectionery stores closed.
Seventy-nine arrests for violations of
the excise law were made in Manhat-
tan and the Bronx between the hours
OF midnight Saturday and IL o'clock
last night. There were in these two
boroughs IA arrests for violations of
other Sunday closing laws.
In Brooklyn the police reported 81
arrests for violation of the excise
laws. there was one in Richmond and
none in Queens. This is a total of 1s1
MS against GA last Sunday.
Thrown from Their Carriage.
Champaign, ILL.,, April 7.-President
Andrew S. Draper of the University
of Illinois and Mrs. Draper were
thrown from their carriage while
driving yesterday afternoon, and the
presidents left leg was broken above
the knee. Mrs. Draper escaped seri
II injury.
ALBANIAN REPRISALS.