Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-08-28

For fhe first time III several years.
the lid was down IN Pine Bluff Sun
! day. On top OF il conplaceatly sat
! Chief Of Police \. ! Stewart and
| tie entire police department of the
! city. Not drop of Intoxicating liquors
WAS sold during the day and not a
| Single violation of the Sunday closing
| Jaw was recorded in police court as
i a sequel to the new regulation.
For some time past. reports have
been reaching police headquarters TO
the effect that the Sunday law was
being violated by the saloons Chief
Stewart had no desire to take any
| nasty steps in the matter, and bided
his time, awaiting further particulars
and better proofs than those in his
possession Fer it Is a well known
fact that it is an easier matter to
rlallt charges than ii is to substan-
tate them.
A short time ago the chief took the
first step toward a cleaner city and
. tighter town by issuing orders thai
the wine rooms should be closed
They were closed. not, however. until
after several attempts We're made to
violate the law Finally the violators
We're brought to terms by the firm
stand taken by the chief and the back
ing he found in the person eff Police
| Judge Toney Having closed these
| joints, the chief turned his attention
| to the saloons which were violating
! the Sunday closing law EARLY Sun
DAY morning. Chief Stewart. not wish
| ing to take undue advantage in the
matter gave notice through City De
tective Ed Cheek to all the saloons in
the city that they must positively OBJ
serve the Sunday closing law hereaf-
not saloon in Pine Bluff was open
| Sunday Although a clcse watch was
| Kept over the saloons, not a violation
! G.: the ordinance was reported Monday
morning. when police court C nvened.
The effect of the new ra"1la' ion was
| plainly visible on the str@ets Sunday.
| Throughout the entire saloon district
OF the city. habitues Of these resorts
could be seen lettering on th" outside
or endeavOring to gain admittance in
to the bars closed by the chiefs or
ders 1t was no use: there was abso-
lutely nothing doing" True. for a
time there were some of the saloon
| men who were inclined to treat the
matter as "bluff." and sought to
evade the chiefs orders; but they
were quickly brought to a realization
OF the fact that, at last the city had
an officer who was determined to
make a clean sweep and have clean
city. Late Sunday afternoon it is re-
ported that one saloon man attempted
to disobey the orders of Chief Stew
art. doubtless believeing that it was
all bluff. 1t was City Detective Ed
Cheek who was watching the place,
and soon brought the proprietor to
terms. Owing to the fact that the sa-
looms have been known to be violating
the Sunday closing law for some time
past, though the police department
has been without sufficient evidence
to convict, the chief gave orders that
the saloon men should be given fair
warning, in order that no undue ad-
vantage should be taken Of anyone.
For this reason. perhaps, there were
no cases on the police docket Monday
morning. But ample proof was given
the offenders that the police depart
! ment meant business Sunday, and
hereafter there will doubtless be
! something doing if any attempts are
made to violate the law.
Chief Stewart Interviewed.
A reporter for the Graphic sought
Chief Stewart for an interview early
Monday morning, and the chief said:
"Yes; we have pit the lid down on
the saloons, and intend to keep it
! down. The only explanation we have
! to make is that we are simply trying
to enforce the law. True, there have
been rumors that the Sunday closing
, ordinace has been violated in the past,
but we have never succeeded in ac-
cumulating evidence enough to justify
us in making any decisive move in the
matter. Now that we have taken de-
cisive action, however, we intend to
keep closer tab over the saloons, and
will enforce the Sunday closing law
! regardless of friends or foes. 1t Is
our purpose to have clean law-abid-
ing city. The people have demanded
ill., 1 have been placed in charge OF the