Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-21
WILL PUT ON THE LID
Police to Enforce Liquor Law
in Hotels Sunday.
,EvASIONS TO BE PUNISHED
Drinks May Be Sold Only to Bona
Eide Guests"
NOTICES SENT -PROPRIETORS
Judge Pugh Has Held That the
"Good Faith" of Persons Purport-
ing to Be Guests Controls.

mo more fake hotels Is the edict OF
the police. Heretofore most Of the prose
buttons for violations Of the liquor law
on Sundays have been against the pro-
pristors OF the smaller hotels. the places
where furnishing . sandwich Is the only
excuse necessary for the sale of all the
intoxiconts the patron warts-"Raines
law hotels. they arc called in New York
At q number OF hotels The practice has
been to serve drinks with sandwiches or
cheap meals, first requiring the patrons
to register The proprietors of such
assigning their patrons to rooms, al
though in some Instances that is done.
Notices served on hotel proprietors in
the business section Of the city Indicate
that the lid is to be put on the liquor
business next Sunday. Such notices were
served in the sixth precinct by Capt.
Byrnes. hotel proprietors in the first pre-
cinct having been served with such
notice several weeks ago. The strict en-
forcen1ent of the law will drive some Of
the users Of liquid refreshments to pat
ronixe the bottled goods dealers Saturday
night or cause them to seek thirst
ouenching places out of the city Sun
day.
It b believed that q strictsr enforcement
Of the law will increase speakeasies for
the purpose of supplying the Sunday de-
mand. but proprietors of such places are
liable to be caught and severely handled.
Judge Pugh on Record.
Prosecutions Of violators Of the liquor
law will have to be tried before Judge
Pugh, who Is presiding over the District
branch Of the Police Court, and he has al
ready gone on record as to what Is re-
uuired Of hotel proprietors. 1t Is admit
ted that the law gives proprietors of no.
tells the right to serve liquor to bona f1de
guests Sundays and after hours, and the
troublesome question with the court and
policemen has been what constitutes
"bona fide guest" As far back as 1902.
when the present judge was assistant COR
poration counsel, the police and hotel pro-
prietors were in a Quandary a. to what
rights the latter had in respect to Sunday
sales, and Mr.. Pugh gave his interpreta-
ton Of the law for the guidance OF the
police. his views being expressed shortly
after the Court Of Appeals decided the
Lehman case.
bona fide guest was given as follows:
ut Is the bona fldes that must control.
A person may register and be q guest and
purchase liquor In his room or at his
meals, but II he is not q bona fide guest
the mere registration. the service with q
sandwich. or even a full meal, would not
entitle him to secure liquor In his room or
at his meals.
There is difference between a bona fide
guest and q guest who complies with all the
requirements Of the law. thereby placing
himself Intentionally within its provisions,
to entitle q hotel keeper to dispense liquor
to him in his room or at his meals, but IL
that intention and his acts in registering
are done simply to place himself in the
position tho law contemplates. he is not
a bona fide guest. and the hotel keeper
sells to him at his peril and in clear vio-
lation Of the law
Judge Kimbaus ruling in the Lehman
case was that, IF man is a bona fide
meals, or, II he desires, he can have it
served in his rooms.
The law does not allow a man to go
into hotel and order q few crackers and
some cheese, or sandwich for the pur-
pose of getting a drink, or writing his
liquor SERVED In his room. but he must be
bona fide registered guest. 1t must be
done in good faith And in passing upon
this ruling Of Judge Kimball the Court of
Appeals says plainly that the court did
not err in holding that there must be ac-
tual bona fides or good faith in the trans
actions -
Court Of Appeals Ruling:
In a more recent case the opinion of
the Court Of Appeals, read by Justice
Van Orsdel. was: I'VE are of the opinion
that the mere bringing of the register
from the hotel Office into the cafe and the
signing of 1t by the witnesses were not
sufficient to make them bona-fide regis
tered guests of the hotel
This Is not new device conceived by