The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-07
HAD A DRY SUNDAY
NEW YORK POLICE ENFORCED
SUNDAY CLOSING LAW.
SANDWICH AND A DRINK WENT
MANY sUBTERFUGEs REsoRTED TO
IN TENDERLOIN.

The Law More Generally Enforced
Than at Amy Time Since Supt
Byrnes' Famous Order-Big Hotels
Served Drinks With Meals but Not
Observation-Disclosures Law Hotels
Kept Up the Sandwich Racket-The
BOwery Was Thirsty-SmaII shop
keepers Compelled to Close, Also.
New York, April 6.-The police and
York a dry" Sunday to-day. Though
there were degrees of dryness in differ
ent sections of the metropolis the day
has had no equal in the suspension of
the liquor traffic since five years ago,
when Supt. Thomas F. Byrnes tightly
closed the saloons one memorable Sun
day. On that occasion those seeking
spurious refreshments were compelled
to resort to places outside Chief
Byrnes' sphere of influence. His task,
however, lis said to have been easier
than that which confronted the police
to-day, for he had no Raines hotel
laws with their sandwiches to contend
with. These hotels must be taken into
consideration, therefore, when the word
dry" is used in connection with the
events of to-day for the man who had
cash to buy a sandwich and drink
had small difficulty in shaking his
thirst. Few liquor dealers had the te-
merity to keep open and serve drinks
alone, and of those who did the ma
jorlty were invited to visit the nearest
police station, there to remain until
bondsmen appeared.
Unquestienably the dryest part of
New York to-day was that section
where last Sunday the second pla-
tcon" of police made so many arrests.
This is known as the West Thirty-sev-
enth street police precinct Only one
alleged vioIator of the excise law was
found to-day by the officers and only
two or three Raines' law hotels opened
their doors and the proprietors saw
that the law was closely observed.
How the TenderlOin Managed.
In the "Tenderloin,' now known as
the white light" district. 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
barrooms, but it is said
that improvfsed bars were established
in upstairs rooms. In few places the
proprietors are alleged to have estab-
lished what is known as the Kansas
speak easy" or bling pig" consist
ing Of a circular opening in wooden
partition, into which was fitted a
round 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 with
out 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 little
later the door would swing around,
and on the shelf on the reverse side
of the circular door the customer
would find the desired drink.
Drinks were served all day in the
dining rooms of the big Broadway and
Fifth avenue hotels, and although they
We're sold within prescribed hours, no
attempt at interference was made. No
one, however, was permitted to sit
down and order a drink, even though
ne OIGSICQ d SduQWtCH DIT the SAINT
time. The hotel folks insisted that
something akin to substantial meal
at least be ordered.
For the first time in many years, the
saloons in the residence section in 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.
No Drinks on the Bowery.
On the Bowery it was exceedingly
hard to get a drink. The saloonkeep-
ers 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, except that the grocers and del
icatessen 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 lock-
ed, and the stantionery stores and
news stands were also compelled to
close up in many sections of the city.
In some instances the police even or
dered the confectionery stores closed.
Many Arrests Were Made.
Seventy nine arrests for violations
of the excise law were made in Man
haitian and the Bronx between the
hours of midnight Saturday and II
O'Clock tonight. There were in these
two boroughs fourteen arrests for vio-
Iations of other Sunday closing laws.
In Brooklyn the police reported TWEEN
ty-seven arrests for violation of the
excise laws; there was one in Rich
mond and none in Queens. This is a
total of 121, as against ga last Sunday.
-S-o-S
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