Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-03
Bennett M|SLED,
OFFICIALS ASSERT
Continued From First Page.)

brewery interests less than q year, 1t was
made to appear that he had handled many
cases during that time. while
as a matter of fact the cases cited extend
ed over a period Of several years, al
though care was taken not to give any
cases which were unsuccessfuliy handled
by the attorney.
This board desires to present the fact
that ninety-five per cent OF excise mat
tiers are handled without hearing. being
simply renewals, and that practically
no new liquor licenses are now granted.
Most of the hearings are In relation 10
transfers. either where one party Buys
out another or where the saloon IS
changed from one location to another In
these hearings four members OF the
board are present and 1t requires the con-
sent Of three Of these members to grant
the license. At none of these hearings
have the board ever considered that the
license was in any way controifed by
brewery company, but the only consid-
Grafton has been the fitness of the APP
plicant. the desirability of the location
and the requirements Of the law as to
signers. etc.
Never Influenced as Intimated.
THE board has mover in any instance
been influenced in its decisions by the
friendship intimated by Mr.. Bennett. and
1t can be shown by the records that the
attorney referred to has not been any
more successful in his cases than other
attorneys who make a practice OF ap-
pearing before the board.
THE implication that the board has
been biased or favored any person or
attorney from reasons Of friendship, or
that there has been any pressure or
undue influence on the members individ-
ually OF collectively that has influenced
their judgment during the last three
years in the granting of liquor licenses,
is wholly without any foundation in fact"
The statement Is signed by VIM. p.
Richards. chairman eX officio; A. Nc
kenzie, S. I. kalbfus, atthew Trimble,
excise board.
Investigating the Records.
Along with the general statement that
is being made up for the information OF
the excise board and the pubic. special
investigation into the records was started
this morning to show what relation NJ. ].
kesne had to the specific saloon cases
mentioned by Representative Bennett yes
teriay.
Mr.. Bennett said then that such things
could not happen in his own city, New
York. without causing the removal of the
excise commissioner within twenty-four
hours. +.
'.Horstmann has dug up all the cases
that NJ. J. Keane ever had" Mr.. Ri, h
ards said today. HE seems t. grow
rabid at the sound Of the name OF Keane.
For instance. he has picked out the
saloon of a man named Keane and lets
think it will be found that Keane had
vastly more unsuccessful appea. ances
before this board than successful ones.
Mr.. Keane has certified that he became
attorney for the Abner-Drury people in
January. 1910, and yet some OF these
cases mentioned run back six years. That
is why we are getting out the whole
record-to see in how many cases Mr..
Keane has been unsuccessful.
Explanation Of One Case.
The assessor has received q letter from
NJ. ]. Colbert in explanation Of the men,
ton Of the case Of E. j. Quinn. wherein
Mr.. Bennett charged that no one could get
a license until NJ. J. Keane was intro
duced in the case. The letter gives
history of Mr.. Quinn's desire to sell his
place to David O'Connell, formerly Of
Staunton, Va The excise board refused
to transfer the. license to Mr.. O'Connell.
holding that he was not q resident Of the
District. Mr.. Colbert had prepared the
papers for the sale, and stipulated that
the sale should include a transfer of Ii
cense. Mr.. Colbert says he did not rep
resent the saloon owner at the hearing
before the excise board, but as soon as
the license transfer was rejected he APP
piled for q rehearing on entirely new
great .ength and finally Mr.. Colbert won
out in his contention that Mr.. O'Con-
nell was resident Of the District.
The letter says:
AT that hearing every member Of the
board, l think, made the statement that
If the facts then presented to them had
been presented in the first instance the
application would have been granted"
AS to Mr.. Keane's connection. the let
ter states:
I'm this case I suggested the employ
ment Of Michael J. Keane by reason Of
his greater familiarity with the practice
before the excise board, just as Mr..
Keane has associated me with him in
other branches of the law.
The letter closes:
These are the facts that actually oc-
Cured in this case, and any statement
TO the contrary is either a conscious or
unconscious perversion Of the facts"
Denial by Michael ]. Keane.
Michael ]. Keane. when seen by Star
reported today. was emphatic in his de-
nal that he had ever exerted any In
fuence with the excise board to induce
the granting of a liquor license other
than that warranted by the law and the
facts in the case. He said the chattel
trusts mentioned were Tree IioiH AH'paO
pri.ty Of any kind, and that the real es-
tate transactions were absolutely free
from faint and can and will be fully and
explained to NJ. Bennett. il
he wishes it, as they already have been
explained to the District co .nmlsslo!ers
.'Representative Bennets charges" said
Mr. Keane, have been peddled around
the city by Mr.. Horstman for the last
four months. He has SHOWN them To
every lawyer who would give him
hearing and even taken them to the
All with whom he talked
told him he had advanced no facts to
support the conclusion he wished to draw
from the transactions to which he re-
ferred.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Dis
trict Commissioners invited him TO sub
nit for investigation the facts upon
which he based mis- suspicious. he famed
to do SO. but took advantage of the re-
cent tilt between the Commissioners and
Mr.. Bennett to give publicity TO the mat