Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-18
Where the Law Is Vague.

sixteen.
Evidently the police of the sixth pre-
cinct find it too hard to make out cases
against the plain selling of liquors to mi
nors. One lawyer will say that girl of
eighteen Is no longer minor. Another
will show that the law points out that
twenty-one is the age to watch out for.
So the way the police of the sixth pre-
cinct see their duty is TO make reports
OF any fights that occur in these places.
Should there be n brawl which the pro-
prietor tries to hide from the eyes of the
bluecoats-uoe be to him. That is one
thing policeman will not wink at.
If the neighbors complain that the mu-
sic hall Is nothing more or less than a
dive or a rendezvous for loose women,
then the proprietor will get a quiet tip
to put on the soft pedal The fact that
girls go in and out, free to come and go,
and sure that no wise waiter will ask
them how old they are, seems to make
no difference.
Police Can Close Up Places.
can be made by the police Is shown by
the fact that in Capt. Byrnes' precinct
there have been wiped out two places
where women congregated, where
young girls went alone and were sold
drinks, where they picked up young
fellows who did what they could to
send them farther along dawn the line
which In bright and gay at one end
and ashen gray and misera bile at the
other.
These resorts were closed up tighter
than wax. All because the police got
their dander up and swOre that they'd
put them out of business.
The proprietors unfortunately for their
own business, would not give the police
all the information they wanted. Every
now and then fight would occur, beer
-,
weapon would be used to hammer in the
head of some unfortunate wight that did
not know better than to get into an ar
gument in such place, and some one
would yell police
And when the police came there would
be calm, serene scene, unruf1ed by any
thing except the ramping. raging, rag
time artist at the piano. The proprietor
refused to aid the police.
So, when the time came to get new
license the police gathered mp the evil
dence, which seemed easy enough TO
get at that time. So overwhelming was
1T that the excise board had nothing
else to do but to shut up those places.
there was. according to the recollection of
the policemen interested, mention of sales
of liquors to minors.
But the question: "Why cant yoI
get evidence that will put q stop to
the present violations of the laws" II
not answered rs fully rs the questions
In the evidence I'm the hearings con-
Quoted I'm the Instances just mentioned.
Police Hint Is Needed.
In another case a word to q wise pro-
prietor was sufficient to put an end to a
scheme to get around the Sunday law.
The proprietor in this instance ran a
hotel which had few guests on week
days and an enormous number on Sum
days He would serve a meal for Is
cents, and that meal seemed to allow him
to sell enough Intoxicating liquor to any
body, men and young women, to wash
down forty fifty meals of the size
placed before the thirsty ones by the
waiter.
1t got to be we'll known that any one
who wanted to pay 10 cents for the privi-
lege of drinking on Sunday could do SO at
this hotel. 1t was a great place on Sun
day evenings for the young girls who
But the police captain advised the
proprietor, that 1t might be better 10
cut out that Sunday business. And the
proprietor did 1t.
What about the places still running?
Hollinberger Has a Plan.
81 would not have the consciences Of
some OF the fellows who run these
music halls for anything 1 can think
Of" is what Capt. Hollinberger of the
first precinct thinks of proprietors Of
drinking places who persistently sell
intoxicants TO young girls.
Il have tried my level best TO stop it.
In some cases / have. But 1t is one of
the most difficult tasks to get the right
kind Of evidence
Il have told my men. time and time
again, to bring In any one who violates
this law about selling liquor to minors.
IT is hard TO prove PERSONS age, how
ever.
1T am dead set against the music hail
idea, anyhow. ! believe that q bar
room should be rum as n barro0m, and
that q dining room should be run as .
dinlng room. When the two are com .
bined, when they add music and other
attractions, then the danger to young
girls begins.
"A young fellow meets a girl downtown
somewhere and asks her to step into one
of these places and have something TO
eat or drink, or perhaps both. It's the
music and the singing and the general
rough house that attract these young
sters. They think they're doing the
sporty thing to stay there and drink.
Furthermore. I'm positive. as every
one else is. that many girl starts wrong
in these places and ends badly.
Difficulties of Prosecution.
LAS an example of the difficulties in
the way of prosecution, let me remind
you of the case of two young girls who
were brought into the station house
here early one morning, both as drunk
as they could be. We had 1t on the two
young fellows with the girls, and the,
forfeited large collateral.
But We couldn't prove that they had
been sold am liquor in one of these music
halls. The best we could do was &c
show that the who'll party went into q
Chinese restaurant, some time after mid.
night, and that n that place one OF IN
men gave the girls whisky from flask
he had in his pocket.
How yer, I've got an eye on the Chi
nese restaurants. There has been a praC
tee in some of them to furnish liquor Il
the people who come in to get a bow
of chop suey by an arrangem ant with 6
neiehboring saloon.
There are cases pending right now
in the Police Court where p. opr e.
tors of Chinese restaurants ara char et
with running unlicensed bars. l think we
can stop that sort of thing all right.
Will Quit if Others Do.
i've talked to the proprietors Of these
music halls, telling them I am dead Sc
against the whole music hall idea wher
it is run in connection with barroom