Evening star., 1902-03-19
CITIZENS IN EARNEST
PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY
WANTS LEGAL PROTECTION.
Petition to Legislature Declares Exist
ing Lawlessness is Reproach
to the State.

Citizens of Prince Georges county, Nd,
are apparently in earnest In their efforts to
be legally protected from the lawless ele-
ment of Washington city. A petition which
has been forwarded TO the legislature of
Maryland in session at Annapolis, contains
the following statement:
Fully half Of the expense Of our county
criminal court Is incurred by the lawless
ness in strip of territory say two miles
wide along the border Of the District of Co.
lumbia. Three electric and three steam rail-
ways can, and frequently do, of a Sunday,
bring into our streets from Washington,
5000 to 10000 people, a large number of
whom come to get cheap whisky in Mary
land.
Our laws require that lice nse be is
suied on petition of five freeholders. AS
result. Bladensburg had last year twelve
licensed barrooms or drinking places (at
least three of which were notorious broth
els). for population of ], 200 people. The
twelve licenses were issued on the petition
OIL about thirty different individuals One
OF our constables was a petitioner for the
license OF five barrooms or saloons.
A Reproach to the State.
1T is not unusual to find hundreds Of
drunken men from outside the state in our
streets of a Sunday evening We have not
more than half dozen officers Of the law
to cope with them.
"A Sunday base ball game or a prize
fight under the name Of boxing match
with game of crap alongside and poker in
the back rOom) will bring $500 or 81 600 into
tne coners Of one of our liquor selling law
breakers What does he care for your pal
try fine Of $50? You permit him to con-
tinue IN business and he can buy the free
hold for five petitioners with the profit of
one days unlawful business, and can af-
1ord to pay constable or two, to certify
to the good order of his place. The atten-
tlon OF our gvernor has been repeatedly
called to the disorder along the borders
or the District Of Columbia, by our citi-
Zens and our newspapers, by the Commits
sloners of the District of Columbia and by
the Washington and Baltimore newspapers
The name of Prince Georges county has
pecome reproach to the state The gov
ernor says it Is the duty of the legislature
to make laws, and not the duty Of the gov
ernOr
Relief Asked For.
we, therefore, ask you to make a neu-
tral zone of at least two miles wide along
the border Of the District of Columbia
"here the invading hordes may not law
fully get liquor. We further ask that pc
titioners for liquor licenses shall be re-
sponsible for fines in case of default Of the
iquor seller. whose license is procured by
their petition. We ask that licenses shall
not De granted on request of less than
twelve petitioners, and that protest shall
nave equal weight with a petition in re-
gard to grant of license. We also ask that
on conviction of violation of the law, a
liquor seller shall forfeit his license and be
ineligible to a renewal thereof for at least
three years, and no new license shall be
issued for the same place Of business"
The petition bears the signatures of W.
A. Bartlett. manager Brentwood & Hollo-
day Co.. Brentwood. Nd; A. L. Hughes,
Brentwood. Md; Wm Giusta, Hyattsviile,
Md: f. L. Middleton, Berwyn, Md; JOS A.
Biundon. manager Riverdale Improvement
Co. Rfverdale, Md: VIM. Wilson, River
dale. Md: Edward C. Etevens. Lanhams
Md: Charles E. Coffin, Muirkirk, Md.