The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-03
Excise Commissioners Suddenly
SwoOp Down on Resort and
Start Inquiry.
EVIDENCE OBTAINED BY
SLEUTH BARTENDERS
Prosecutor Declares He Has
Found II Impossible to Get
Juries to Convict.
Especial to the Evening STAR

ATLANTIC CITY, Aug. 3.-Of the 700
saloons in Atlantic City only two OBJ
serve the Sunday closing law, accord
ing to startling testimony given today
by Prosecutor Godenberg, of Atlantic
county, before the State Excise Com
mission, which is in session in the City
Hall
THE law is a dead letter in Atlantic
City. them" inquired Peter Backes, of
the commission.
''Yes, sir; it is" was the frank reply
Nowhere in the State has the Excise
Commission found saloons wide open
day in and day out like they are In
Atlantic City. Even the commissioners
appeared 10 not fully grasp the situa-
tion for while. 1t is believed that the
commission may cause the "lid" to be
clamped down so tight that this resort
will be dry.
What steps do you take to enforce
the law?" MIR. Goldenberg was asked.
Juries Wont Convict.
1--WE have tried repeatedly to uphold
the Bishops law, but Its enforcement
here is impossible. 1 firmly believe. We
have the greatest difficulty in finding a
grand jury to indict q saloon keeper
who keeps open on Sunday, and even If
indictments We're handed down we
would never succeed in getting a jury
that would find verdict of guilty"
DO not the police court judges en-
force sentences?"
"a small fine at best. Sometimes
sentence has been suspended. You
simply can't punish the saloonmen.
Everyone here wants an open Sunday
and nobody will go on a jury and vote
to convict a saloonkeeper who violates
the Sunday closing law
Prosecutor Goldenberg headed a
batch of twenty-five or more officials
who had been subpoenaed by the COM
mission to appear and testify before
them In the City Hall. The prosecutor
Is the personal appointee of Governor
Fort. He was the star witness.
The hearing was attended by a crowd
that packed the rooms to the doors, as
almost everyone in the city had heard
of the methods by which the commits
sion had secured evidence that Sunday
selling was going on in Atlantic City.
Seven detectives, according to Mr.
Backes, have been busy for three
weeks, all acting as bartenSers. In fer
reting out excise conditions in Allan
tic City,. They were in attendance.
Frightened license holders and Off
cials of city and county were largely
in evidence. The effect of the mere an
nouncement that the probe was to be
begun here today was electrical, as
many had believed that the commission
would at least walt until after the cleo
tion.
A line of questioning to be taken up
by the commission is the investigation
of the report that no one can get a
license to sell liquor in Atlantic City
without the approval of the brewers.
Another matter for investigation Is The
control which breweries have over the
saloons of the resort, including the
number whose licenses are paid for by
the breweries.
The sudden inquiry came as bolt
from the blue sky. No inkling of the
determination of the probers to meet
here today was given until Saturday.
when Mayor Fisk, of Plainfield, chair
man OF the commission. and Mr.. Ap
pleby, of Asbury Park, dropped in to
chat with the Mayor. Even then it
was not known that a hearing would
be held today. Late Saturday night 1t
leaked out that hearings would be held
this week, and the entire city was on
the alert.