The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-04-07
DROUTH in NEW YORK.
Police Give the City Driest Sunday
Known in Five Years.

Known in Five Years.
New York. April THE police and the
liquor dealers gave Greater New York
dry" Sunday yesterday. Though there
were degrees of dryness. so to speak. in
different sections of the metropolis the
day had no equal in the suspension of the
liquor traffic since five years ago. when
Superintendent Thomas, of the Byrnes
league. closed the saloons one memora bic
Sunday. On that occasion those seeking
spirituOus refreshment We're compelled to
resort to places outside of Chief Byrnes' s
sphere of influence. His ask however.
is said to have been easier than that which
confronted the police yesterday. for he had
no Raines law hotels, with their sand
witches. to contend with These hotels
must be taken into consiS grafton. there
fore when the word dry is used in con-
nection with the events of yesterday, for
the man who had cash to buy sandwich
and a drink had small dlnieqlty in stalking
his thirst. Few liquor dealers had the
alone and of those who did ; majority
were invited to visit the nearest police sta
ton. there to remain until bondsmen APP
Unquestionably the driest part of New
York was that section where last Sunday
many arrests. This is known as the West
Thirty-seventh street police precinct. Only
found by the lynx-eyed officers. and only
two or three Raines law hotels opened
their doors. and the proprietors saw that
the law was closely observed.
In the 'tenderloin." now known as the
white light district, liquor was sold, but
only under conditions which proved draw
backs to many of the thirsty In many
of the saloons the shades were drawn in
the barrOoms, but it is said that imprO-
vised bars were established in upstairs
rooms. In a few places the proprietors are
alleged to have established what is known
as the kansas speok-easy.' blind
pig consisting of q circular opening in a
wooden partition into which was fitted a
round board arranged so as to swing
about
shelf on which the bartender could serve
drinks to the waiter without being 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 cir
cular door the customer would f1nd the de-
sired drink.
Drinks were served all day in the dining
avenue hotels, and although they were
sold within the prescribed hours no at
tempt at interference was made. No one.
however, was. permitted to sit down and
order a drink even though he ordered a
( sandwich at the same time. The hotel folk
insisted that something akin to a substan-
tial meal at least be ordered
For the first time in many years the
saloons in the residence section in upper
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 saloonkeepers 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 shop
keepers throughout the city to close, ex-
cept 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 stationery
stores and news stands were also com
PEELED to close up in many sections of the
| city. In some instances the police even or
dered the confectionery stores closed Sey-
/ enty-nine arrests for viola lions of the ex-
1 else law were made in Manhattan and tho
/ Bronx between the hours of midnight Sat
urday and II o clock last night. There
were in these two boroughs fourteen ar
rests for violations Of other Sunday clos
/ ing laws. In Brooklyn the police reported
/ q arrests for violation of the excise laws
/ There was one in Richmond and none II
/ Queens This is a total of 121. as against
/ 50 last Sunday