Los Angeles herald., 1908-09-23
RAID
CALIFORNIA
CLUB BUFFET
PROSECUTOR SEIZES LIQUOR
AS EVIDENCE
JONATHAN AND ATHLETIC HAS,
TlLY CLOSE BARS
WooIwine FuIfiIIs His Expressed De-
termination to Make an Example
of Exclusive Organizations
Unless Law Is obeyed

NOR violation of the city ordinance
X providing that social organiza-
a tions must take out a license IL
intoxicating liquors are sold on tho
premises, the California club one OF
the most exclusive in the west was
raided yesterday by City Prosecutor
Thomas l.. Woolwine and squad or
police; the liquor was confscated and
carted away to be used as evidence.
Not wishing to risk similar raids,
the Jonathan club and the Los An
geles Athletic club closed their buftetS
during the afternoon and probably Will
not reopen them until the case has
been passed on by the higher courts.
"The California club is being raided'
the cry startled even the Sedate cltl-
| zens yesterday afternoon and sent d
| hurrying mass of humanity toward the
big club house at Fifth and Hill streets.
1t was true.
| The sacred precincts of the exclusive
organization had been entered py
Aliens Big policemen tramped rough
| shod over the costly rugs as though
| they were raiding common saloon'
and, led by the prosecuting attorney,
demanded that the door OF the ouf1et
be opened, threatening to break 1t
down unless compliance came at once
Costly Liquors Seized
|
hurry Liquors of ancient and costly
| brand were carried into the street,
loaded on wagons and hauled away.
| Valuable glass and other service We're
| taken to be used as evidence In the
| forthcoming trials and even Steward
| Reynolds was arrested as an ordl-
nary violator of the law.
1t was a remarkable scene Tor
habitues of the club.
| In the midst of all the uproar stood
Prosecutor Woolwine, perhaps a trifie
pale, but determined, directing the Of
ficers in the work Of removing the
bottled evidence.
With Mr. Woolwine were Assistant
Prosecuting Attorney Guy w. Eddie,
Lieutenant Dixon, Sergeant Adams,
Patrolmen Cook, Cline and Busse in
plain clothes, and Uniformed PATROL
men Jones, Marden and Dixon.
Leaving the police station about 30
the party, with number Of new spaper
men and photographers, entered the
acious double door entrance and
hastened along the thick carpeted haH-
way to ths billiard room in the -e'5
of the place and to the door ieading
into the buffet. Attorney Woolwine
stepped forward, grasped the knob
and attempted to enter. The door did
not bulge, and then 1t was discovered
that it was locked. He knocked on
the panel and asked to be let in. No
heed was given his request, and he
raped again and waited few sec
onds; still no response. open the
door or we Will break it in shouted
the attorney. But the door budged
not an inch. A number of club MEM
bers were playing pool and billiards,
and the intrusion seemed to have but
little effect on their interest in the
game
An attendant who accompanied the
| raiders to the door of the bar be-
came greatly excited and rushed madly
back and forth in an endeavor to To-
cate the steward or manager of the
club He declared he did not have
the keys to the room which the Of
Il ficers We're desirous of entering, and
after a little delay the place was, fin
ally opened, but not before number
Of the raiders had chased over almost
the entire cellar, climbed several
flights of stairs and became tangled
up in the passageways and were about
exhausted following one of the at
tendants, who said he was trying to
find the l-cy to the barroom.
u In the meantime the officers became
impatient at the unwarranted delay.
and after rapping loudly on the closed
door Lieutenant Dixon demanded that
the place be opened. 81 am an officer
of the law, and if you do not open that
door | will be compelled to break 1t
in" The door was opened before it
became necessary to resort to strenu-
Gus methods.
Lieutenant Dixon, armed with a
search warrant and a warrant for the
arrest of the directors of the organi-
zation proceeded to take possession
of the liquor, glasses and other para
phernalia.
Seizes Paraphernalia
Because of the fact that the door
leading into the buffet was closed ana
that the members took but little inter
est in the proceedings when the party
first entered the place, it is evident
that the raid was expected and that IL
created no surprise or amazenenS
when the officers entered the sacred
precincts of one of the most exclusive
clubs in the west The attendants,
however, were astounded. and after
, the first shock of surprise was over
they stood idly by and looked on.
The uniformed and precise servants
could scarcely believe that their place
: was being raided by police and looked
at each other in astonishment.
After entering the barroom another
delay was occasioned by the bartender.
w. J. Hervey, who was so frightened
and excited that he was on the verge
of Mysteries He told the officers he did
rot want anything molested until the
, manager or steward made his ap-
| pearance. Inc men Klnuly cOnSenteu
to wait until that person came. After
waiting a short time, the bartender
was told to make some effort to locate
his superior, as the officers, while de-
string to extend every courtesy pos
sible, thought it an imposition to be
kept waiting an unreasonable length
of time.
Two officers took an inventory Of
the articles while others called them
out and placed the bottles, containing
: all kinds of liquors, glasses and other
bar fixtures on the floor in front OF
the bar. The club members had by
this time began to evince some interest
In the proceedings and quilted the
pool tables, and. cues in hand, stood
around while the treasured stock was
being confscated.
Joseph Reynolds. steward of the club.
made his appearance just about the
time the officers We're beginning to
make a list of the liquors and place
them to one side. He appeared tius-
| (Confiuuen pnma FrvoN