The Jersey City news., 1906-07-23
EXCISE ARRESTS
MADE YESTERDAY
Herman Floerke, Proprietor
of the Pennsylvania House
Among the Victims
PLACE RAIDED BY TINE CHIEF
POLICE KEPT BUsY-BLooDY
ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THEM
AND A NUMBER OF POLES IN
RAIDING A HEN ER 5 Q y
STREET SALOON.

STREET SALOON.
Notwithstanding Chief of Police Alur-
phys expressed determination to rlgidly
enforce the Sunday closing phaze OF the
new excise law, a number of saloonkeep-
ers Yesterday attempted to establish
speak easies' and number OF them
were arrested Several had improvlsed
bars on the floors directly over their sa-
looms. The later were located on the
floors directly over their saloons In tall
tenement houses They relied upon the
inability of the police to distinguish be
tween the knowing" customer and regu-
lar tenant in passing in or out of the hall
ways and had ''look-outs, who tipped
them off in time to allow the proprietor
and customers to escape. But the ponce
found the improvised bars and contiscat-
ed the liquors and glasses found thereon,
and these are held in evidence against
the saloonkeeper who violated the law.
There were enough liquors confscated
yesterday to stock a small saloon.
Proprietor Herman Floerke, of the
Pennsylvania House, whose license was
refused by the Excise Board and two OF
his bartenders were arrested at two
o'clock yesterday morning. Chief Muir
ply happened to be in the vicinity and
noticed that an unusual number of Gus
TONERS were going in and out. Mr..
Floerke had been served with a forma.
notice at O'Clock Saturday afternoon
that his excise license had been refused,
and he put up signs Soft drinks only
Summoning detectives Van Horn and
Pearson he entered the saloon and found
a number of customers being served with
drinks, some of them from stems The
Chief ordered a beer and was served by
one of the bartenders, who did not know
the Chief, who was in civilian attire,
August Crate, the other bartender, spill
ed the beer eGts in order not to allow the
Chief to get his evidence. Then some
thing happened TO August There are
two stories as TO whether it was the
Chiefs fist or one of those of the two
deteetive-sergeants that he ran up
against when an attempt was made IL
get behind the bar Anyhow, it was a
savage uppercut and August was caught
from falling. The Chief worked the beer
pump and secured the evidence he was
in search of. There was seampering
of customers from the cafe. Mr. Floerkt
was arrested for selling liquor without a
license and the two bartenders were alst
arrested. 1t was the intention of the
Chief to parole the bartenders, but wheI
at police headquarters they insisted IN
declaring, while their statements were
being taken down in writing that tn,
stems and glasses found by the polio,
contained only soft drinks. This made
the Chief mad, as he had already tasteo
the beer, and he ordered that they, too
be held in bail for $500 each for appear
ance in court Mr. Floefke furnised thu
necessary bonds for their release
The most exciting raid was made
about nine o'clock last night on Polish
saloon in Henderson street. The pro
prietor and a number of alleged custo
mers were found sitting around can of
beer in kitchen in the rear of the prem
ises on the first floor of which the sa-
loon is located. They could not be seen
from the street. but the number of GUS
toners seen entering and departing from
the hallway aroused the suspicious of the
police. Detectives Van Horn and Pres
colt summoned several police reserves
and all hands passed through the hall
-.
through window they saw the "cus
toners being served from a can of Deer
When the detective-sergeants and the
blue-coats were seen to enter the kitchen
door the light Of an oil lamp which dim
ly lighted the kitchen was put out and
the police were attacked by some, while
five other occupants of the kitchen
scrambled through windows and made
their escape. In the dark the policemen
had to repel attacks by using their clubs
and in dragging the men through the
hallway they We're even more savagely
attackd and were obliged to use their
clubs. In the darkness they could hard
ly tell whether they were clubbing each
other. One of the prisoners emerged
with his head and body covered with
blood. There was intense excitement in
the neighborhood The patrol wagon was
already in waiting and fully five hundred
people had gathered upon the scene. De
tective-sergeant Prescotts clothes were
spotted with blood and several of the
policemen suffered minor injuries.
Peter Slowinski, the proprietor of the
saloon, which is known as No. 343 Hen
derson street, fought in the dark like a
manaic He was badly beaten. During
the scuffle Peter Martmoski sayagely bi
Patrolman James Sullivan's finger. He
had two prisoners in charge but lost his
helmet and stick, but succeeded in drag
ging his two fighting prisoners to the
street and thence to the patrol wagon
Patrolman MeGllrk was also injured in
the scuffle.
Mr.. Floarke's case along with the
others in the First and Second Precincts
We're laid over in the First Criminal
Court this morning.
There was the usual exodus of thirsty
Jerseymen to New York The great ma
jority of these reached no furthr thar
the big hotels opposite the various rail-
road terminals, and these got the fon's
share Of the $4,000 to $4,000 which, il
is estimated. is being driven out Of the
northern portion of New Jersey every
Sunday under The new law.