The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-23
EMPIRE OF FEES PARTITIONED BY
 LIQUOR AGENTS
Prosecutor ComIey in DWy With Prosecutor Greenstein Gets Territory Where
 Pickings Are Lean
But Produc~e Red Light District and Fifty More Drink ing Places Fall to Merritt Corporation to Be Prose cuted in Steeplechase Suits-Steeplechase Men in Court Have Case Continued

Attorney Arthur H. Comley, Jr..
 who has been liquor prosecuting agent
 for little more than a month, outlined
 to the Farmer today his scheme Of
 prosecuting alleged violations of the
 liquor law at Steeplechase Island. His
 plan is quite out of the course of pro-
 cedure that has hitherto been follow
 ed by liquor prosecuting agents. He aims to strike death blow at the liquor license for Steeplechase Island
 in event of a repetition of the alleged
 violation.
 It has been the custom until now,
 when a corporation operated a liquor
 dispensing establishment. and violated
 the law, to take into custody person
 in charge of the enterprise. In this case however, the liquor prosecutor expects to proceed against the Stee-
 pdechase Island Amusement Company, not the individual manager or proprie-
 tor of the bar, and this step has been planned with a view to having a con- viction, if obtained, lodged against the record of the license. A second con- sviction for the same offence means for- feiture of the license, without any re- funding of license money already paid in
 When an announcement was made that Attorney Comley had in hand the complaints of the Bridgeport Pastors Association against Steeplechase Is- land, for the alleged sale of intoxicants on Sunday. persons in official circles believed that they had been placed with the wrong officer.
 Bridgeport has two liquor prosecut- ing agents. Until July 1 they were Attorneys Albert J. Merritt and Henry Greenete1n. These officials are ap-s pointed by the county commissioners. Under the law, they receive s10 as their fee for the prosecution of each individual case If a saloon is raid- ed, and a dozen men are caught, along with the proprietor, the prosecutor re- ceives a fee of S10 for each freQuenter as we'll as $10 for the proprietor. A few months ago Prosecutor Greenstein re- ceived a check for $530 from the city court following series of raids on a Sunday in which 5 men were ar reste1
 When, on July 15, the county com- missioners announced the appointment of ComIey to succeed Greeinstein, and of Merritt to succeed himself, it was expected that Merritt would continue to handle the territory he formerly covered, and that Comley would step into Greens.ein's shoes. But this was not to be.
 Tho office of liquor prosecutor is not so valuable for the fees that it actual 1y brings to it's holder, but for the outside business that the office at tracts.
 Thus it is that the so-called "red light district, in the center of the city, where there is often a commun- ity Of interests between the liquor dealers and others who are likely at all times to have trouble with the
  the liquor prosecutor.
 If a law breaker who is friendly with saloon interests, and who there fore would seek to curry favor with the liquor prosecutor, gets into trou- 'ble of any sOrs, he often goes to the liquor prosecutor, pays him well for his services, and doubtless receives the worth of his rneney
 But East Bridgeport is not so pro- life of this scrt of business as the west side. For several years the Pe- Quonnock river formed the division line fo1 the .wo prosecutors. Merritt used to handle all prosecutions east of the river, and Greenstein was the west | side prosecutor.
 Some months ago, however, Merritt | discovered on checking up with Dog and Liquor Agent Wagner that there l were something like g saloons more 1 in the territory allotted to Greenstein. | He and Greenstein got together, and Greerstein agreed to another partition 1 of the city. This time Merritt kept | everything east of the river, and north | of a line running along Congress and | PeQuonnock streets. That made the | saloons about equally divided between | the two. But Greenstein still held the | best cash Lroducers, the fred light" saloons
 Ii became known today when Prose cutor Comley announced that he would | handle the Steeplechase proposition, that Merritt has taken over Green stein's territory Not only that, but | he has not given to Comley all that Merritt used to cover.
 The river is henceforth to be the | dividing line. and Merritt, besides talk ing over the "red light district, so- called, has all that section of the north end, west of the river, that Greenstein to waive to him.
 This arrangement was made last Friday, and approved by the county commissioners As a matter of fact, there is nothing but custom to pre- vent the prosecutors from acting at will wherever they like, not only in the city, but throughout the county. There have been frequent instances Of the issuance of warrants for liquor prosecutions by prosecutors of towns other than those in which the viola tions occurred But in Bridgeport custom has led the prosecutors always ta observe the boundary lines they set li up among themselves and the commis- 
 Now that Prosecutor Comley has decided to prosecute Steeplechase Is!- and. he is giving the matter much thought. He will not be ready to act for day or two. yet, but he has his plan of action pretty we'll formulated
 He said he didn't propose to bring into court any employe' Or manager for the company, but the corporation itself.
 He proposes to issue a complaint. then hav0 a summons issued for the