The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-08-06
ATLANTIC WILL.
Sell ON SUNDAY
Officials Acknowledge Bishops
Law Can't Be Enforced.
GRAND JURIES WON'T ACT

Prosecutor, Sheriff, Judge and others
Tell New Jersey State Excise Board
Public Sentiment Demands Open
Bars On Sundays-Useless 70 Prose.
cute. As indictments Cannot 3. Found
Unless the Grand Jury Is Packed.
Are Not Trying to Enforce the
Law.
Atlantic City. y. J.. Aug. I.-Declar.
Ing that the Bishops law is practically
dead letter In Atlantic City and has
| been since its passage. Prospcu or
Clarence GOldenberg the personal ap
pointee of Governor Fort and star wit
ness before the state excise commits.
sion. calmly informed the commission.
crs that he and all the other city and
county officials together are not able
to enforce the law; that no grand jury
can be drawn to get an Indictment for
selling liquor on Sunday. and that "it
is like fighting windmills" to try 10
| close Sunday saloons against present
public sentiment.
The hearing was probably the most
/ sensational yet held by the commits.
sion. Prosecutor Goldcnhorg. sheriff
/ Johnson. County Judge Higbee and Re.
cordcr Hays made no attempt 20 dodge
| the question. but one and all agreed
mat. under present conditions. any at.
tempt at enforcement OF he law
against Sunday selling Is absolutely
] ffgGftala saf
powerless
Prosecutor Goldonberg said. In sub
| stance: At the present time / believe
| IL Is practically impossible To enforce
! The Bishop law I'm Atlantic City.
/ have never found it necessary 90 bring
up cases before the grand jury. be
/ cause enough liquor cases have been
brought boy individuals
In thu past eighteen months sixty
arrests have been made for SUNDAY
/ liquor selling.
Not one indictment has been found
IN that time. and I don't believe any
such cases can be Indicted unless the
grand jury is packed for the purpose
Nine out of every ten voters are
against any halt IN Sunday selling. and
! dout believe We could get any thir
teen men In an honestly drawn grand
jury who would vote TO indlct."
lie declared also that he believed
tho local Republican machine Is sim.
ply following public sentiment in cx.
tending what has been charged as
protection" for liquor sellers.
Judge Higbee followed with similar
i er n Ia
serve that he believed himself power
less to close saloons under present
public sentiment.
Sheriff Kirby also admitted that he
had received no formal notice" and
that he was mot hunting trouble" by
| trying 20 close mp Sunday saloons
Mayor Stoy. Recorder Hyes and Ii
cense Board Chairman Bacharach also
made frank statements to the effect
that no present effort Is being made Ia
enforce the Bishops law.
Councilman Isaac Bacharach. head
OF the city license board and one of
the Eading business men Of tho city.
acknowledge directly that the local
license conditions are not up 20 the
standard which he and other officials
elected under the reform wave of two
years ago then fourd them.
Chief Of Police Woodruff was grilled
/ for twenty minutes. and stood his
ground that while he knew Of the open
Sunday. he was chiefly engaged in
keeping order not in trying to enforce
laws when no result had ever been at
tanned when the cases were taken into
eourt"
Chief Woodruff gave IL as his opin
! ion that present licenses could be bet
! tered. bnt ,-rt9"ed that arrests foT
drunkenness are falling OF in number
and admitted his inability to enforce
the law.
Members OF the commission asked
why the chief had not put police In
front of the saloons on Sunday. and
was met with the reply that there
are not enough men on the force TO &c
| around"