The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-04-07
GASES IN THE
CITY DESERT
&
Raines Law Hotels Sold Liquor
to Customers.
NO BEER FOR THE POOR MAN
BUT PLENTY OF CHAMPAGNE
FOR THE ARISToCRATs.
NO BEER FOR THE POOR MAN

4 EW YORK, April 6.-Ihe police and
Y liquor people gave Greater New
York a dry" Sunday today
Though there were degrees of dryness,
sc to speak, in different sections Of the
metropolis. the day has had no equal
in the suspension Of the liquor traffic
since five years ago. when Superintend-
ent Thomas F. Byrnes closed the sa-
looms one memorable Sunday. On that
occasion those seeking spirituous re-
neshments 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 considera ton, therefore,
when the word dry" is used III con-
nection with the events Of today, for
the man who had money to buy a
sandwich and a drink had small diff
iculty in slackening his thirst.
Few liquor dealers had the temerity
to keep open and serve drinks alone,
and of those who did a majority were
Invited to the nearest police station,
there to remain until bondsmen ap-
peared.
One of the Driest.
Unquestionably the driest part of
New York today was the section where
last Sunday the second platoon" of
police made so many arrests. This is
known as the West Thirty-seventh pO-
lice precinct. Only one alleged vio-
latOr of the excise laws was found to-
day by the lynx eyed officers. Only
two or three Raines law hotels opened
their doors, and the proprietors say
that the law was closely observed
In the Tenderloin. now known as
the White Light" districts. 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 rooms. In a
few places the prOprietOTs are alleged
to have established what is known as
the Kansas Speakeasy," or Blind
Pig" consisting of a circular board
arranged so as to swing about.
On each side of the round door was a
shelf, on which the bartender could
serve drinks to the waiter without be-
ing seen. and even if the police had
succeeded 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 reverse side of
the circular door the customer would
find what he desired.
Aristoerats Got Liquor
Drinks were served all day in the
dining rooms of the big Broadway and
Fifth avenue hotels. and although
they We're sold within the prescribed
hours, no attempt at interference was
made. No one, however, was permit
ted to sit down and order a drink.
even though he ordered a sandwich at
the same time. The hotel folks in
sisted that something akin to a sub
stantial meal at least be ordered.
For the first time in many years the
saloons in the residence section Of up
per Harlem were all closed. Despite
the excise excitement in the city from
time to time. the liquor dealers in that
section have kept open. On the Bow
cry it was exceedingly hard to get a
drink. The saloonkeepers were not
ready to take chances of arrest. and
for the most part kept their doors
closed.
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 grocers and delicatessen shops
were permitted 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
tonery stores and news stands were
also compelled to close up in many
sections of the city.
In some instances the police even
ordered the confectionery stores closed.
Seventy 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
tonight There were in these two Dor
cughs fourteen arrests for violations Of
other Sunday closing laws. In Brook
iyn the police reported twenty-seven
arrests for violation of the excise laws.
in Richmond one and in Queens none.
This is q total of 121, as against sixty
four last Sunday.