Norwich bulletin., 1909-12-24

The hearing on the remonstrances the six Taftvine saloons within 200 feet of the Wequonnoc school and Sa- cred Heart church, postponed from
 Monday opened at $50 o'clock on Thursday morning in the county com- missioners' office in the city hall with about 25 present. The hearing of tes- timony occupied little over an hour and half and the session ended short ly before noon, the commissioners re- serving their decision
 Attorney w. A. Briscoe appearing for the Ponemah company and the re- monstrants, stated that although all of the six applicants were within 200 feet of the school and some within the same distance of the church, there was no contention in the cases of Pe- ter Fournier, Gus Paradis and John J. Desjarlais that they did not conduct their places properly The allegation is that they are within 200 feet of the school or church, and that there are too many licenses in the district of Taftville for the popula- tion. If the number of licenses is re- duced by eliminating any of the six, the objection will remain that these three are within 9 prohibitory dis tance of the school or. church. Li- censes could be granted, said Attorney Briscoe, on condition that if within a year they remove to some other places
 Attorney J. J. Desmond, counsel for the saloon keepers, was willing to admit that the places kept by Messrs. Paradis, Desjarlais and Fournier were within 200 feet from the school. The other saloons, kept by Arthur k. Watts. Patrick O'Keefe and Charles Mercier and Co., are objected to on other grounds, said Attorney Desmond, and witnesses were heard only in re- gard to these three.
 Testimony Heard Collectively.
 It was decided to hear the testi- mony regarding the three saloons col lectively and Arthur E. Watts was sworn in by Commissioner Williams as the first witness for the defense. Ques- toned by Attorney Desmond, MT. Watts stated that he had kept a li- censed saloon in Taftville for two years and four or five months. The place was in the Murphy building on Merchants avenue, a business street, within 200 feet of the school and sep arated from it by one building. A sa- loon had been kept in the place be- fore and since the building burned some years ago and was rebuilt. There was no objection to the saloon, so far as MT. Watts knew, before the present time.
 To Attorney Briscoe he described the saloons location. He has had no dis turbance outside of the ordinary line of the liquor business, and to the ques- ton of what such a disturbance was like, MT. Watts left it to Attorney Briscoe's imagination. When asked regarding disturbance Sunday night at his place, MT. Watts at first refused to answer, but on advice of counsel said there was a little unpleasantness caused by family troubles, near his place. It was not caused by liquor.
 As to drunkenness in the streets, at first he refused to answer. but finally replied he shouldn't think so.
 Knew of No Complaints.
 Charles Mercier, the next witness, two months in the Emerson block, from the school The distance of the saloon from the school is 50 feet, and the application for a license stated 1t was over 200 feet but this was ascrib- ed to a clerical error. The saloon had I been in the place seven years to his knowledge. To Attorney Briscoe he could not tell how many intoxicated men there are in the streets, as he stays inside weekdays and is away from home Sundays. Knew of no con- plaints about people lettering around the place. If a man had several drinks said he would sell him no more. but could not tell the limit of drinks.