The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-24
ALL SALOONS TO
CLOSE ON MONDAY
Judge Witt, Mayor Richardson
and Chief Werner Issue
Orders to That Effect.
LIQUOR DEALERS SATISFIED
Most Of Them Were Anxious to
Do That Voluntarily-Big
Parade Tonight.

Under a decision reached yesterday
in a conference, in which Judge S. b.
Witt. of the Hastings Court: Mayor
d. G. Richardson and Chief of Polic-
Louis Werner took part, all the saloons
of the city will be closed on Monday
which. so far as secular conditions OBJ
tain. will be observed as Christmas
Day.
Though such secular observance on
the part of saloonkeepers may be con-
sidered as the result of request
rather than an order. Section 2S4i y OF
the Code of Virginia seems pretty well
to cover the situation. in that it says
after naming the legal holidays, that
."the Monday next following shall be
a public holiday with the same effect
as If the days above named, respec-
lively (namlng Christmas Day as ono
of the holidays referred to) had fallen
on, the said Monday
VIII Not De Questioned.
Different Interpretation of this sec
ton of the Code might be made If
fight We're made by saloonkeepers 10
have their bars open on Monday, bur
the ruling of yesterday seems to have
afforded general satisfaction among
the majority of the saloonkeepers. and
1t will not be questioned.
The matter had been under consid-
Grafton several days. Liquor dealers
had constantly called UP Chief Werner.
or visited his office. to be informed az
to what they must do and most of
them appeared to be willing to observe
Monday as holiday. The matter was
yesterday taken under serious advise
ment; the law was looked up, and,
under the section named, the situation
appeared to be fully covered. Saloon
a Il nh.
ing law or no law. have, therefore. the
satisfaction of knowing that all COM
petitors. especially those who had de-
sired to have their places remain open
Will be forced to close.
Several saloons already bore signs
that they would be closed on Monday,
and others were waiting to hear what
the decision wSuld be.
Ready for Zig Parade.
The usual Christmas Eve parade on
Broad Street will he held tonight,
for it is the one night in the year,
come now to be sort of hallowed GUS
tom when all Richmond turns out for
a general celebration, in which class
distinction is forgotten, in which the
poor man is us good as his more veal
thy brother and in which the ancient
dictum that it should be a season of
peace and a time of good will towards
all men obtains.
But in order that there may be no
riotousness in the celebration and that
no one, if it can possibly be avoided,
shall be injured in the crush and jam.
Major Werner will have Broad Street
lined with officers, uniformed and in
plain clothes. Every man in the de-
partment will be on duty tonight,
and every block on the lighted
y, "a fn. 10 III
tralled
Police Issue Warning.
The following order was yesterday.
promulgated by Major Werner:
"AilOw no fire nor explosion of fire.
works In front of or near any church,
hospital, or near houses where persons
arc i'll, nor where fires or fireworks are
dangerous to life or property.
"EnfOrcc laws as to minors CARRYING
firearms toy pistols. Allow no men
nor boys to form lines to break into
or through the crowd OF pedestrians
ON the sidewalk, and break up all
crowds Of men or boys who may offer
insult TO women by word or action.
All r0wdyisn must be stopped"
Major Werner said yesterday after
noon that any one violating this order
will be promptly arrested, and he cs-
pecially desires 1t to be known that
the carrying of any sort of nrearm
will result in immediate arrest and
thorough prosecution.
There will be 10 effort by the police
to stop the big parade SO long as 1t
is orderly and good-natured, but the
officers are ordered to take an active
hand where there is the least sign of
extreme boisterousness or incipient
disorder.