Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-27
SALOON MAN PROVES ALIBI
Charles H. stillers Beats Charge Of
Violating Closing Law.
SHOWS HE WAS NOT IN SALOON
r.i-sn1oon League Loses It's First
Case in Eight O'cIock Crusade
miller and O'Brisn Get
Third PostpOnement.

Proving that he was absent from his
place Of business on the night Of Novem-
Der 2. election night, when he was &C
cused by Harry A. stone OF the Anti-Sa-
loon league Of having violated the s o'clock
closing law by selling lntoxicants, Charles
II. stillers, who runs a saloon at 4A South
Thirteenth street, was discharged in police
court.
stllers offered evidence to show that on
the date in question, he had spent the even
ing at South Omaha that his place Of
business was not open and that he did
not sell in]toxicants as alleged in the COM
plant.
The case was the first Of the several
started by Secretary Stone OF the Anti
Saloon league.
The prosecution contended that G. A, G.
Given and II. T. Brass had bought beer
and whiskey in a room on the second floor
OF the Stillers place on election night, al
though beer, only. was named in the COM
plant, and that It was Stillers who served
and received payment for the drinks. OF
this latter fact both witnesses produced
on behalf Of the prosecution we're positive.
The defense introduced testimony dl-
rectly contrary and disproving the peo-
pies witnesses, showing that stillers had
spent the evening in South Omaha with a
friend.
Judge Crawford concluded the prosecu-
ton had failed to establish a violation and
stlllers was dismissed.
other Case Put over.
The case against william, Miller, charged
with a similar offense and set for Friday,
$500. 800 -.-- .-aaI N.-a. --tt1 -.
cases OF Thomas J. O'Brien, proprietor of
the Henshaw hotel, and Rome Miller, pro-
prietor Of the Rome hotel. both charged
with violating the 8 o'clock closing law,
were postponed for the third time until
Wednesday morning.
only two witnesses testified in, behalf OF
the prosecution in the stllers case. Giveen
testified that he, in company with Hart T.
Brass Of South Omaha, had visited tbs
Stillers place at about $3.50 on the night Of
November 2 and that in a room on the
second floor Of the building had bought
beer and whisky. The beer they me
while the whisky, the witness stated, they
had taken away for evidence. Brass, ac-
cording to Given, had paid for the liquor,
giving p cents for the bottle Of beer and
a like amount for the flask of whisky.
II. T. Brass, a member Of the executive
board Of the Anti-Saloon league, living at
G22 North Twenty-fourth street, South
Omaha, gave testimony in corroboratlon of
that given by Glveen with reference to the
buying of the liquor. Asked as to the date
Brass said he was not positive II was the
night of November 2. only knowing the
date named on the flask of whlskey, which,
he said. Given had written thereon less
than ten minutes after II had been bought.
Judge Rules Out the Evidence.
The prosecution attempted to Introduce
evidence to show that liquor had been
bought on the second floor of the stillers'
place on other occasions, but after a
spirited argument between Elmer E..
Thomas, counsel for the A~nti-saloon
league, and James Kelkenny. who repre-
scented Stillers, the evidence was declared
not admissible, and the prosecution was
enjoined to keep the evidence within the
complaint as specifying the violating on
the second day of November.
Stillers, called In his own behalf, denied
being In his place of business or on the
second floor Of the building the night Of
November 2 between the hours Of s and IL
o'clock, and was equally. as positive that
Giveen and Brass had not bought LIQUOR
there that night, because Of the fact he
had spent that evening with a friend in
South Omaha. Pressed for an explanation
Stillers said he had left Omaha about 1880
in the evening for South Omaha and spent
several hours at the home Of a friend. Earl
J. Blessing, 1855 North Twelfth street, leav-
ing for home at about IL o'clock or shortly
after. He said he alone had a key to his
saloon or building and that neither his
bartender nor porter could secure entrance