New-York tribune., 1902-03-31
POLICEMEN IN EXCISE REVOLT
7RLRTY-EIGHT MEN REBEL IN TWENTIETH PRECINCT-
WILL BE sCAPEGOATS NO LONGER. THEY SAY
MORE ARRESTS-STILL WET
POLICE GET SIXTY-TwO PRISONERS
ONLY 4 FEW SAHARAS.

ONLY 4 FEW SAHARAS.
There was special Easter matinee perform
snce yesterday Of Manhattan's little comic
opera. How 70 Be open and Shut" Up in the
TenderIoin. where virtue has become as common
as policemen are energetic, there were evident
signs Of the presence Of the open door, that com
merciaI question which Is more germane on the
East Side than in the Far East. The family
entrances were wider open than is customary on
week days. and the police captains all affirmed
that the town was close" Such signs as these
were sufficient 70 convince all acquainted with
excise that the same dear. delightful little skt
which for three months has furnished amuse-
rnent, excitement and food for reflection was
once moro being presented by the coterie of
police knockahout teams, whose eyes are
AFFLICTED a Least once a week.
To pick out p specific example Of what is
meant by an open town. a Tribune reporter
paused at West Thirtieth-st. and Seventh ave.
and watched family entrance. in which he
could waving arms and from which pro-
ceeded the unnistakable sounds of feminine re-
naonstrance. Presently an elderly woman,
slightly the worse for liquor. was propelled into
the street. Beside the reporter stood two 20
ncemen, who really looked If it was an un-
usual occurrence. They presently put their
heads close together and consulted. Afterward
they walked away from the communicating in
-iuFnft- SINKING lneT neaQS SdulN dI SN'il an
exhibition Of human depravity Meanwhile the
elderly woman wandered down the street, and
the centre of the stage filled by drunken
man. who was plantively pleading 10 be shown
the avenue in which he stood.
HE DIDN'T WANT TO BE TOLD.
So impressed was the reporter with what he
had seen that he hastened to the West Thir-
tieth-st. precinct and told his experience TO
Captain Sheehan. He. too. was deeply moved
thst is. until he learned the situation of the
saloon. Then, shaking his head thoughtfully,
he said;
I am sorry that is out of my bailiwick"
To be fair however. the reporter did see one
policeman who was doing his duty. This po-
liceman was carefully peering into the front
window OF a saloon in One hundred and-fourth-
ST Several times he carefully studied the in
terror Of the deserted bar OF course he could
see nothing and was about 10 walk away, when
thoughtful urchin suggested in a piercing
voice:
Say. Mr. cop. they're all in back" The
outraged and indignant officer naturally chased
the offending Arab at least ten blocks. Then he
forgot to come back until the crowd had dis
persed
Evidences Of terror on the part Of the saloon
keepers we're hard to find. The old familiar
doormsn stood guard at many places but il was
only a perfunctory duty. Perhaps he was there
20 keep out those who were looking for soda.
Certainly no beer booze thirsty man was
turned away II was reported that certain
enterprising photographer had put on the mar
ket complete gallery OF Jeromes staff which
had been placed in many saloons.
FEW UNIRRIGATED SECTIONS.
Another precinct where the full rigors Of the
Law visited the purveyors Of dampness.
was that under the jurisdiction Of the West
Fifty -hrst-st. station, where Captain Lantry
rules. There seemed 10 be some apprehension
that this district had been marked out for
special examination and visits from the repre-
sentatfves Of the anti-Wet in search of evidence
were feared. As a result. there Sahara
like desert there. Strangers in this district were
obliged 10 carry their beverages with them or
fare on TO more hospitable shores, for while
natives found admittance, only impossible doors
met the stray wanderer. In the Raines law no.
tells one was forced TO accept a Tin roof sand
wich. without which drink was delivered.
There were other unirrigated sectio rs of the
town. on the upper East Side and on the river
fronts there was sharp falling off in the hospi-
tslity extended. particularly to strangers But
still, in the Tenderloin and on the lower East
Side where flow the central streams Of the
scity's LIQUOR supply, there enough for all
Yet If the town was open ii should also be
recorded that the record for excise arrests
nearly doubled. For weeks this number has
totalled no more than thirty, but this number
was more than doubled yesterday. An enter
prising officer in Chambers-st. peeked into
saloon at No. Chambers-st.. and deserving
bartender drawing some beer, took the un-
fortunate man into custody He was later dis
charged, as Magistrate Deuel. decided that the
prisoner might have been drawing the beer for
his family. This is a sample Of excise arrests.
When the record of excise arrests first
posted at Police Headquarters last night one ar
rest was announced at Central Park. This was
later changed, and six arrests from the East
Etghty-eighth- station substituted. The total
number of arrests yesterday for excise violations
was sixty-two This is the highest number
since the present administration came in.
2 Forty-two on January 26 is the best previous
record The arrests by precincts was as follows:
Church-st station p Elizabeth. i; Madison,
]: Leonard. /: Charles. 1: Mulberry, l: Eldrdge,
4: Delaney. 1: Union Market l: East Twenty
second /: West Thrtieth. ,: West Thrty-s
enth. 15: West Forty-seventh, 2; East Fifty
first .; East Sixty-seventh 3: East Eighty
eighth, 6 East One-hundred- and fourth. |:
West e-hundred-and-twenty- l. East
One hundred -and-twenty- sixth. 4; Highbridge,
:: fremont. l, and Borough OF Brooklyn. 6.
ARRESTS IN RROOKIY\