New-York tribune., 1902-05-05
A RAINES LAW SUNDAY.
SALOONS DO SOME BUSINESS. BUT AS A
RULE AVOID APPEARANCE OF
VIOLATION

A Ranes law Sunday is perhaps the best de
scription that could he given of yesterday. All
the business was not done by the hotels. Here
and there a saloon lifted up it's modest head, or
rather unfolded its family entrance, and did a
quiet business Cans were replenished as Of old;
a moderate blindness the requisite of all good
policemen was apparent; but after all, a quiet
decent Sunday observance Of appearances II not
ordinances. prevailed.
The East Side was watched with a good deal
of interest by the friends and foes of the admin
istration. Yesterday being the first Sunday since
the holidays. II was a matter of considerable In
terest to discover what attitude the police would
pay to the enforcement of the laws and ordi-
nances requiring the closing of the shops There
was little disturbance caused by this however
The ma jority Of the inhabitants of the East Side
were keenly alive to the fact that the special in
diligence allowed them by the Mayor in
tended for the holidays only. and few pushcart
men attempted TO do business.
Here and there shop opened. Especially
in the early hours some business was done by
the butcher shops. and, in fact, almost all the
shops were open: but many people live In the
back rooms of their stores and have only the
shop door as mode Of egress. this appearance
was somewhat misleading.
There was little evidence Of the difference IN
enforcement at the Essex Market court. that
thermometer which tells the moral temperature
Of the East Side. Early In the morning two
Hebrew tailors were arraigned before Magis-
trate Cornell for running sewing machine.
The policeman who made the arrest declared
that the noise Of the machine could he heard
for two blocks. A wag in the court suggested
that the policeman was sore because the noise
had disturbed his slumbers. Magistrate Cornell
refused to take the case seriously. and dis
missed the prisoners. James b. Reynolds who
sat as usual on the bench beside the magis-
trate enjoying his Sunday after breakfast visit
TO Essex Market court. also expressed his In
dignation at the pocemans charge.
why. at two blocks you couldn't hear a
call to dinner in this district he declared.
little later two men who We're selling pret-
gels Of a basket were hailed to court. and
that the selling Of pretzels was not a work OF
necessity-perhaps because the excise enforce
ment had removed the need of the thirst induc-
ing pretzel-and fined the men - apiece. I'm
fortunately, the arrest had been made before
the profits Of the pair had reached the required
sum- and they were locked up.
In the afternoon there were many street fights
place just in front Of the Eldridge-st station.
About two hundred men pursued poor, be
draggled Individual, who at last turned and at
tackled the foremost OF his pursuers. This
worthy instantly took to his heels, and the crowd
faced about and chased him. Meanwhile there
was not the slightest sign of life in the station.
The street was filed with yelling people but
Captain Walshs discreet bluecoats, anxious not
add TO the disturbance. kept out of sight.
There were several of these miniature riots. and
residents Of the district declared It the most
boisterous Sunday they had known
James b Reynolds, who was seen by Tribune
reporter at the University Settlement, declared
that there no unusual activity that he had
noticed ir the district. He reported that he
had not a single excise case at the Essex
Market court during the morning.
Along the river front the saloons were nearly
all closed. one RaincS law hotel In a distance
Of more than six blocks the record long
distance in dryness for the lower part of the
city. ParadoXiCal as II might seem, the nearer
f1aa rlN rf.aF drNar taaPo
the excise situation-dryest of all was the river
front itself
Sixteen arrests for excise violations were made
In the city yesterday, fourteen of them being in
Manhattan.