Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-30
SALOONS WIPED OUT
Liquor Licenses RefusedAlex-
andria County Applicants.
VICTORY FOR PEOPLE
JUDGE NICOL'S COMMENT ON THE
STATE LAW.
Strong Sentiment Against Bar Room
Sustained Speakeasies TO Be
Vigorously Prosecuted.
Special Dispatch to TIE Star.

ALEXANDRIA, Va, April 20.
Judge Nicol has refused every
application for a liquor license in
Alexandria county. He gave as a
reason that the county did not have
police protection as he construed
the Mann law. There were eleven
applications and all were rejected.
After an all-day session of the court, at
which the liquor men were represented by
Attorneys Machen and Moncure and op-
posed by the state Anti-Saloon League and
numerous remonstrants, represented by
Attorney Frany Lyon, Judge Nicol re-
jected all of the eleven applications for Ii
censes upon the ground that Alexandria
county is not provided with police protec-
tion by the state.
Judge Nicol stated that it had been his
custom to grant all liquor licenses where
the people of the community did not take
sufficient interest in the matter to enter
their protest, the case last year.
He said he might properly reject all liquor
licenses in Alexandria county upon the evil
dence presented to the court showing that
it was not 10 the material interest OF the
county TO have such licenses, but he would
enter an order rejecting all licenses upon
the ground before stated.
Effect of the Order.
The effect of this order is to put out of
business eleven saloons and to suppress
all liquor selling at Rossyn on Sunday. 1t
means the loss of about 100000 to the
liquor men of Alexandria county, and is a
staggering blow 10 the disorderly element,
which has been a power in Alexandria
county politics.
1t stated by the court that under
the Mann liquor law no licenses could be
granted in communities where the state did
not furnish police protection independently
of the county government, and that Alex
andria county is clearly unprovded with
such protection.
Prominent citizens Of the county declare
that this decision will do a great deal for
the material interest of the county. and is
second in Importance only TO the closing of
ST. Asaphs. The saloons that are put out
of the business are located at the Chain
bridge, al Arlington, near Fort Myer, at
Rosslyn ard in the neighborhood of Jack
City. This means. they say, the aboli-
ton of the Rosslyn which has been the
sore spot not only of the northern section
of Virginia that is contiguous to Washing
ton, but to the District itself, and will sub
stitute, they hope, a ROSslyn of which the
people may be proud.
The friends of the liquor men predict that
speakeasies will take the place of the sa-
looms, but it is learned from the county Of
fcias that the law will be strictly en-
forced against such offenders.
Law to Be Strictly Enforced.
The proceedings. they say, will not take
The form of farcical trials, where the Of
tenders are simply fined and turned loose
to carry on their trade with renewed en-
ergy; but all the strength of the law will
be brought against them and not only Will
they be required to pay the highest fines,
but IN each and every case Jail sentence
will be imposed.
all the officers and their wives at Fort
Myer and by about a hundred soldiers
against the licensing OF saloons along the
military road, and practically all the brick
companies in the jefferson district pre-
sented petitions of protest against granting
any licenses in that locality. 1t was proved
that two of the applicants for liquor Ii
censes had a majority of the qualified vot-
ers on their petitions, but the majority rep
resented less than per cent of the prop
erty interests In the respective maglsterlal
districts.
The credit for the successful prosecution
of the cause of the citizens against the sa-
loon keepers is given almost wholly to At
torney Frank Lyon, who represented the
interests of the people in court today and
presented their completely that
there was little for Judge Nicol to do but
refuse to approve the applications for IL
censes. Mr.. Lyon was fortified with a Pc
titon signed by hundreds of the citizens of
the county representing all the magiSterial
districts.
The fight he has been waging against the
saloon element is one of the bitterest in the
history of the county, and he received the |
heartiest congratulations from the citizens
who have been behind him for the excellent |
has