Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-08
OPPOSED BY POLICE
APPLICATION FOR LIQUOR IL
CENsE AT COLUMBIA HOTEL.

Thomas B. LeCuyer. proprietor Of the
Columbia Hotel, 1413 Pennsylvania avenue
northwest, appeared before the excise
board at the District building yesterday
requesting that his liquor license be re-
newed. His license was held up by the
board during the hearing of the liquor
cases at the beginning of the present license
year pending further investigation. the
police of the FIRST precinct having
brought numerous charges against the con-
duct of the place and the character Of the
persons who frequent it and asking that
the license be rejected. In the meantime
the bar has been operating without license
pending the outcome of the hearing.
Lieut.. James Hartley. Sergts. Lee and
Lehman and Privates Martin Brown and
Springman appeared at the hearing and
offered testimony to the effect that they
consider the Columbia Hotel the worst
drinking place in that neighborhood, and in
constant need of surveillance; that it is
frequented by gamblers, handbook men
and women of unsavory regulations: that
it sells liquor after hours and also on
Sunday.
Lieut.. Hartley read from the records of
the police 'blotter' several cases where he
had seen men and women in private rooms
and on one occasion after midnight he en-
tered the place with Private Brown and
saw five men in a back room being served
with drinks and a man and woman In
private room on the second floor being sim
ilarly served He stated that when the
men caught sight of the police they scat
tered in all directions.
Alleges Improper Conduct.
Sergeant Lee testified to standing in the
rear of the hotel and seeing improper"
conduct going on in the private drinking
rooms on the second floor. He said on one
occasion he entered the place "after hours
and among the persons being served was
a girl seventeen years old. Her male COM
panion, however, purchased the drinks. but
the girl was placed under arrest, as she
was wanted upon a charge of larceny. He
furnished the girls name and stated that
she told him she often drank at the Co
lumbia.
Private Springman said he went to the
establishment on a Sunday afternoon last
December and without any difficulty or
signing any hotel register he was given
was served with all the drinks he carSd
for. Sergeant Lehman testified that the
place has bad name among the police
and that it is popular place for card
gamblers and handbook men. When asked
If he had ever arrested any handbook men
he said no, but he came nea- it once.
1T isn't SO easy as one would suppose he
said.
1t was also furnished in the evidence
against the place that several months ago
Mr.. LeCuyer was arrested upon charge
Of Violating the Sunday liquor law and
E. Shoemaker, attorney for the Anti-Saloon
League also protested against the issu-
ance of the license
Mr.. LeCuyer in his statement to the
board said he had endeavored to make his
place respectable and conform with. the
laws, and he thought he had done so, and
ascribed the cause of the fight against him
by the police to the fact that they have
antagonized him since he opened the place
in 1898. He was represented by Mr.. Sulli-
van.
Chairman Trimble of the board concluded
the hearing by announcing that the case
would be taken under Amusement and a
decision announced later.
Controversy Over Another License.
The application of William Meehan for a
retail liquor license at 4O2 I'd street north
east was also the subject Of hearing
before the excise board of the District yes
terday. Mr.. Meehan has had whole
sale liquor license for his place of business
for number of years and on account of
the union station moving into that neigh
borhood he Is anxious to have a retail
license.
There was a protest against his appli-
cation by members of the Anti-Saloon
League and some residents and property
owners In the vicinity of the place. A
number of women residents, who attended
the hearing and who had secured sigma
lures of persons in the neighborhood to
license made vigorous denial when Mr..
Kane, attorney for the applicant, intimated
that some of the signatures were those of
minors.
The board did not arrive at a decision
yesterday.