Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-23
NAHONEY A DISAPPOINTMENT
President Of Civic Federation Pail, TO Give
Testimony Helpful to Thsma.
AFTER LEFT TO PADDLE HIS OWN CANOE
Mshoney TELLS Fire and Police Board
He Thinks saloon Men Have Done
Well In Complying
with Law.

Don't you think the saloon men have
tried to keep their promise and have con-
Quoted their places very we'll this year.
John Parish. attorney for the saloon men.
81 think they have"-T. J. Mahoney.
president of the executive committee OF the
Civic Federation.
Thus did Mr.. Mahoney fail to support his
colleague and associate In reform Elmer f.
Thomas, before the Board OF Fire and
Police Commissioners Friday afternoon.
when he was called by Mr.. Thomas as a
witness to Offset the charge made by the
allied attorneys for the saloon keepers that
the Civic Federation and Mr.. Thomas were
acting in bad faith In fling protests against
the granting of liquor licenses, in that the
Civic Federation and the saloon men had
agreed year ago on the manner I'm which
saloons should be conducted, part OF which
agreement was that the Civic Federation
was not to object to the sale of liquor on
Sundays.
Previous to saying he thought the saloon
men had kept their promise the president of
the Civic Federation testified that he had
received a letter from woman who wrote
that over one Of the saloons in her neigh
borhood there was being conducted house
of prostitution. The witness thought one
or the other had moved, he did not know
which, but when Mr.. Thomas attempted to
get into this matter, like all other matters
Of a like nature, the hoard promptly sus-
tanned objections made by the allied at
torneys.
Mahoney Good for saloon Men
The testimony of Mr.. Mahoney was good
evidence for the saloon men. az their at
torneys have not tried to offset the charge
that they have kept open on Sundays. but
have set up the argument that the Civic
Federation had agreed to waive the Sunday
closing, providing the saloons closed at 1890
refused to sell to minors and divorced pros
titution from the saloons. The attorneys
claim their clients have kept the faith and
therefore are entitled to licenses for an
other year.
Whether the Civic Federation agreed to
waive the Sunday closing is still disputed
question. Attorney Parish claimed it did
when he testified, while Friday T. j. Ma
honey in his testimony said no such propo-
sition was made in his presence. and w. T.
Graham. DR.. Somers, c. s. Hayward and
Elmer Thomas each swore the Sunday clos
ing feature had not been waived Mahoney
testified further that while in the confer
ence he had said he would never be salts
fed unless the saloons were compelled TO
Take Issue with Mahoney.
DR.. Somers, Mr. Graham and Mr.. HAY
ward were all positive no such agreement
had been made about the Sunday closing.
while Mr. Graham and Mr.. Hayward. to
whom Mr.. Parish accredited the statement
that this was all,th Civic Federation could
ask and was entitled to in referring to the
agreement, emphs tiealIy denied that they
even considered waving the Sunday clos
ing feature of the Slocumb law. They all
admitted Il was Understood If the saloon
men would follow the law in other partic.
ulars the protssts against them would be
withdrawn and were withdrawn.
lnasmuch as tifese protests conts1ned the
charge that the saloons were selling liuuor
on Sundays and We're withdrawn, the allied !
attorneys will contend that this withdra wal
practically waived the Sunday closing fea- |
ture of the Sloounb law. They introduced a |
number OF the withdrawn protests as evil |
dence to THAT effect. -s
Mr.. Thomas tried 20 get Dr.. Somers to |
tell what he knew about the under side OF |
Omaha, picked up In his professional !
rounds, but the board promptly set down |
upon that kind OF inquisition and Il was !
impossible TO get the information before
the board, though Mr.. Thomas made vigur
Gus argument in favor of his questions.
While trying to impeach the testimony of
Mr.. Parish regarding the Sunday closing
agreement, Mr.. Thomas was not permitted
to read to the witness the statement made
by Mr.. Parish in the form Of a question but
Instead had to state the substance.
The session continued all afternoon. when
the board adjourned until Tuesdav Met, |