The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1909-02-13
EACH Of THE SALOONS
LOSES LICENSE
PRoPRIEToRs CONVICTED
OF SELLING LIQUOR TO
YOUNG PoUKKALA.

Ah PVAl@N SIulA yNpt@ihay hAASlr
noon Charles Nicmi, former proprie
tor Of the Owl Saloon on Astor
street was found guilty OF the charge
Of having sold intoxicants to a minor
and was fined SIS with the alterna-
tive Of IL days in the city Jail At
the same time II. Vahlsing, proprie-
tor Of q saloon near the corner Of
Sixth and Astor, was also found
guilty Of d similar charge and he, too,
was fined SIS with the alternative OF
Y days in Jail Both men paid their
fines and gave notice Of intention 10
appeal
These are the owners Of the
places in which liquor was sold to
Enard Poukkala, the l6.year-old boy
who was arrested on charge OF
drunkenness. Niemi, however, show
ed that he, personally, had nothing
10 do with the matter.
AS corallary to the verdict Of
guilt and the consequent fines the
two saloonkeepers also lose their
licenses, for an ordinance, and
charter amendment also, each pro-
vides that upon such a conviction in
police court the licenses shall be
deemed revoked. The ordinance
plainly appears to be self-executory,
and the conviction of the saloon
keepers on the charges, ipso facto
causes a revocation Of their licenses.
Immediately after court adjourned
yesterday afternoon both Niemi and
Vahlsing announced that they wish
ed to appeal their cases, apparently
in the hope that an appeal would
work a continuation OF the whole
matter, and that the question Of the
revocation Of the licenses would not
be settled until the cases were set
tied in the circuit court, But the
ordinance says in so many words
that the licenses shall stand revoked
upon conviction in ''the police court"
so that it does not appear how an
appeal would stay the revocation Of
the licenses.
The fine Of SIS in each instance
was the minimum one provided for
by the ordinance, and the real blow
lies in the loss Of the licenses. The
saloons will now have to close up
The little police court room was
well filled with witnesses and others
interested in the matter when the
cases we're called yesterday after
noon, though none of the law and |
order league were present.
The case against Charles Niemi
was first called. He testified that
he had contracted to sell his place
the "Owr-to two men, and that he
had absolutely not the slightest per-
sonal knowledge of the transaction
in any way, But as the place was do
ing business in his name under the
license issued to him, naturally il was
that he should be held re-
sponsible for the saloon, His own
testimony showed that the men were
merely his agents and the court evil
IDENTIFY was bound to find him guilty;
and in addition, the ordinances do
not permit any transfer Of a saloon
license. The testimony in this case
shows conclusively that drink had
been sold to the boy in this place.
In Vahlsing's place it was openly
admitted drink had been sold to the
boy. The defense was offered that
Poukkula had told the barkeepeT
that he was % years old, 1t also
came out in the testimony that
young Poukkala's father and elder
brother have been in the habit OF
drinking in the saloons of that
but no one seems to
have asked them the age of young
Enard,
The prosecution was conducted by
City Attorney Abercrombie; the de-
PENDANTS had no lawyers, and the
revocation of their licenses seemed
to have taken them by surprise,
In the case OF Niemi, he seems to
have been the victim Of circum
stances, He sold the "Owl," or rath-
er contracted" to sell it, and turned
the whole business over to two men.
Thus he had nothing to do with the
matter in reality, though as long as
the license stood in this name he ma
turally was held responsible. He was
much exercised over the matter, as
il Is the FIRST time he has ever had
the slightest trouble with his sa-
looms, but his trouble arose because
he contravened the law in letting
other men operate under his name
and license.
A prominent saloonkeeper said
,,astarJo,, that there ore ,ovv Ave ca