The age-herald., 1902-04-07
NEW YORK HAS
 ON[ DRY SUNDAY. Kansas Speak Easy System Adopted in Several Places COULDN'T SEE BARTEHGRI A Few Raines Law Hotels Sold Drinks With Sandwiches, But as a Cen eral Rule Regular Saloons
 Were Closed Tight.
COULDN'T SEE BARIEhgER

l New York, April 6.-The police and liquor dealers gave Greater New York a
 dry Sunday today. Though there were
 degrees of dryness, so to speak, n dff-I ferent sections of the metropolis. the day
 has had no equal in the suspension of
 the liquor traffic since five years ago when Superintendent Thomas F. Byrnes tightly closed the saloons one memorable
 Sunday. On that occasion those seeking 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 confronted the police today for he had no Raines law hotels with their sandwiches to contend with. These
 hotels must be taken into consideration therefore when the word dry is used In connection with the events of the day for the man who had cash to buy sand
 wich and 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
 police station. there to remain until bondsmen appeared.
 The Dryest Section. Unquestionably the dryest part of New York today the 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 alleged violator oi
 the excise laws was found today by th'
 lynx-eyed officers and only two or thre'
 Raines law hotels opened their doors ant
 the proprietors saw that the law wal
 closely observed.
 white lion" district. liquor was sold. but
 only under conditions which proved draw
 backs to many of the thirsty. Tn many
 of the saloons the shades were drawn on the barrooms but 1t Is said improvised | bars were established in upstair rooms.
 In few places the proprietors are aI- legged to have established what is known | as the Kansas speak-easy'' or blind l pig consisting of a circular opening in a l wooden partition into which was fitted a round board arranged as to swing about. On each side of the round door
 was shelf on which the bartender could | serve drinks to the waiter without being seen and even if the police had succeeded l in getting in they could not have arrested | the bartender as no one could see him. The customer placed his change on the little shelf and then rapped. at the same time calling his order. A moment later the little door would swing around and on the shelf on the reverse side of the circular door the customer would find the desired drink.
 Served In Dining Rooms. Drinks were served all day in the din- ing rooms of the big Broadway and Fifth Avenue hotels. and although they were sold within the prescribed hours. no attempt at interference was made. No | one. however. was permit ed to sit down and order a drink even though he order l ed a sandwich at the same time. The l hotel folk insisted that something akin
 to substantial meal at the least be or
 dered.
 For the first time in many years the |
 Harlem were all closed. Despite the ex-
 else 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 drink. The saloon keepers were l not ready to take chances of arrest and | for the most part kept their doors lock- | ed tr | In Brooklyn and other parts of Greater | New Tor, the closing law was generally | observed
 Shop Keepers Closed Doors. The police also compelled the small shop keepers throughout the city to close except that the grocers and deli- catessen shops were permitter to keep open until 10 o'clock as provided 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 sta tionery stores and news stands were also compelled to close up in many parts of the city.
 In some instances the police even order ed the confectionery stores to close.
 Seventy-nine arrests for violations of the excise law were made in Manhattan and The Bronx between the hours of midnight Saturday and Il o'clock to- night. There were in these two boroughs fourteen arrests for violations of other Sunday closing laws. In Brooklyn the police reported twenty-seven arrests for violation of the excise law; there was one in Richmond and none in Queens. This Is total of l2l as against N last Sunday.