Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-12
ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
RIGID ENFORCEMENT OF SUNDAY
LAW ORDERED.
Mayor Notifies Police Of Reported
Violations-Injured Man Declines
to Give His Name.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. August II, 1904.
The old state law providing for the clos
Ing of houses of business on Sunday Is to
be again enforced Though remaining
the statute books. the provisions of the
statute have not been carried into effect
generally within the past quarter of a CEN
fury or more. In an order directed to
Chief of Police James F. Webster, Mayor
Simpson has called attention to state
| ment that the law is being violated. Chief
Webster has issued sweeping orders to the
officers, directing them to see that almost
all business Is entirely suppressed during
the coming Sunday.
The following is the order of the mayor.
which was read to the officers at o'clock
yesterday afternoon:
Take notice that q complaint has been
lodged with the mayor of the city of Alex
andria by the Alexandria Retail Merchants
Association to the effect that grocery and
meat stores In this city are violating the
Sunday closing law. AS the mayor Is not
a member of the police force, and as he Is
not officially aware of violations of the law
aforementioned. he only depend upon
information given him by reputable cit
iZenS and that information has been
given in the case now under discussion he
expects the officers and the members Of
the police department to comply with their
oaths of Office and see that the laws OF the
state and the ordinances of the city are
obeyed.' You will read this to your men,
The Initiatory Step.
The initiative in the movement for the
enforcement of the Sunday laws was taken
several weeks ago by the Alexandria Re-
tail Merchants Association. body Of the
members waited upon the mayor and in
formed him that they desired to have the
provisions of the law put into active op-
t-ld ham
that he would be glad to be informed of
any infraction of the statutes OF ordi-
nances. and would, upon the receipt of re-
liable information report the matter to the
police department with instructions to have
it duly investigated. In the course of
few weeks the mayor received a letter
from the association in regard to the Sum
day laws but he regarded the repre-
sensations somewhat vague he took no ac-
ton. Yesterday, however. he received an
other letter from the association contain
ing a notice of resolution passed at
regular meeting July IL, calling upon the
mayor to enforce the laws providing for
the close Of the grocery and meat stores on
Sunday in this city. Thereupon the mayor
directed the order above mentioned to the
chief of police.
Creates Discussion.
Since the matter has become generally
known II has created much discussion
among business men and citizens gener-
ally. The full and complete operation or
the law next Sunday is awaited with much
interest. Acting under directions from
Chief Webster the officers have notified
milk dealers, ice dealers, grocers, butchers,
newsdealers and, in fact, business men en-
gagged in almost every vocation, that they
must entirely suspend their business OPP
erations every Sabbath. The undertakers.
the druggists, the physicians and the man.
ayers of the Alexandria Hospital will not,
1t is understood, be commanded by the
those days.
Mayor Simpson said this morning that he
had. In the performance of his duty as
chief magistrate Of the city. called the at
tention of the police department to a well
authenticated notice of a violation OF a
state law. He remarked that il was
neither his duty to try the cases nor to in
terpret the law. The scope and application
of the statute in question he said. was to
be determined by the head of the police
department, who was charged with the
duty of specifically instructing the OFF,
GERS He emphasized the fact that he has
no responsibility in the matter of deciding
what vocations are prohibited on the Sab
bath under the law in question, that duty
resting with the police department.
Unknown Man Injured.
A white man, who positively refuses to
give his name, is being treated at the AL
exandria Hospital as the result of an ac-
cident the Richmond, Fredericksburg
and Potomac railroad at Freestone, a sta
ton in Prince William county, yesterday
morning. The man attempted to board a
moving freight train. but fell and his left
foot passed under the wheels. The foot
was so badly injured that 1t was ampu-
tated. the operation being performed at
the hospital by Drs. Smith, Brown and
Moore. 1t was stated that the man was a
stonemason and that he had gone to Free
stone to get employment, but at the hos
pital he repeatedly refused to tell his name.
saying that he wished no one to know any-
thing about him.
General and Personal.
Miss Mildred Shackelford of Culpeper and
Miss Mildred Ewell of Prince William coun-
ty are the guests of Misses Fannie and
Bessie Smith on Duke street
Mr.. Winfield Jones, who has been visiting
his father, DR.. T. NJ. Jones' on Prince street.
will return to his home In Atlanta, Ga, to-
morrow.
The funeral OF Walter, the infant son Of
Officer Nicholson. took place this afternoon
from his fathers home Prince street.
Rev. ]. HI. s. Ewell of the Methodist
Protestant Church conducted the services
Rev. E. v. Register of Baltimore for
merly of this city, will occupy the pulpit
in the M. E. Church South. Sunday night
week.