Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-09-16
VICE CHARGES
FALSE, SHERIFF /
TELLS GOVERNOR
Chief of Police Cor
bitt Declares Evils
Do Not Exist.
MIDNIGHT TOUR OF CITY !
FAILS TO REVEAL "CRIME"
Samuel Wilson, of Anti-SaIoon
League, Says Officials Are J,
Wrong. /


Anti-Saloon League are false was de-
clared today by Sheriff Monahan in
a letter to Governor Wilson, in
which he referred to a communication
from the governor specifying the all
| legations
simultaneously Chief of Police Corr
bitt announced that midnight tour
of the city failed to reveal violations
of the excise laws.
81 heard that the Governor had
written to me yesderay,t' said Chief
Corbitt, and I Immediately got into
my automobile and made tour OF
the city. | paid special attention to
! the places / knew the Anti Saloon
| League had told the Governor about.
! and | found not a single violation 3f
| the law. No saloons were open, all
of them We're obeying the law re-
! garding the removal of screens on
| Sunday, and there's not a disorderly
house in Newark today. unless 1t has
| sprung up over night
Sheriff Monahan's comment on the
Governors communication took the
| form of a return letter, in which he
stamps the charges of the Anti
Saloon League as unwarranted and
! in essence false.
| When the reply of Sheriff Monahan
and the statement given out by Chief
! Corbitt were told to Samuel Wilson,
! superintendent of the Anti-Saloon
League, he said:
Far from being exaggerated. my
charges were very moderate. To usa
an expression, the sheriff Is talking
through his hat l have in my safe
the statements of. several witnesses
pertaining to matters that cannot be
made public through the press, but
IL the people were to see these states
mepts they would readily belive all
tn statemnts that | have made,
"As to Chief Corbitt's tour, don't you
think that these places could have
| been tipped off in advance and closed
up shop in expectation of his visit?
! Governor Wilson in his letter
states that he regrets that he has not
the power to act. / disagree with him
thre As governor of the State he Is
commander in -chlef of the State
militia, and he can call upon them, II
needs be- OF course I'm not saying
| that such a course is necessary, but
| want to show that 1t is possible for
| the governor 10 act III l1lS lIldtttI.
Former Governor Fort at one time
threatened to take this action in At
! lantic City, and Mr.. Wilson could do
the same
| The Governors letter to Mayor
Haussing. who is now in Canada on
| the excursion of the Gottfried Krue-
| ger Association, was delivered at his
home, 44O High street, last night
He does not deny that they con-
tained small amount of truth, but
declares that the copdtions described
! by the leagues agents were 'tempo-
rary and not continuous He also
takes occasion to discredit Samuel
Wilson, agent of the Anti-Saloon
League, who investigated conditions
in this city, telling of Wilson's work
lin Hudson county and saying that his
statements should be received with
caution"
The sheriff's letter is as follows
sheriff Monahnn's Letter.
Hon. Woodrow Wilson. Governor,
Trenton, n. j.
"Sir-I am in receipt this day OF
your favor dated the 7th instant. with
accompanying papers relative to al
legations of disregard of law in the
city of Newark with the connivance
or countenance of the police ami
other civil authorities; also calling
my attention to chapter 173 of the
statute laws of 1901 You say that
you would not feel justified in taking
the course you have had you not
learned that my attention had ALL
ready been called to these things,
and that absolutely no action what
ever concerning them had been
taken
II venture, most respectfully but
most earnestly, to protest against
this statement and its implications
which you make on ex-parte evidence,
! without consulting me to ascertain
whether or not they are founded on
fact. feel that l am warranted In
expressing some resentment that you.
in your high official station, should
so quickly and so readily lend your
Endorsement to an accusation of such
character against the people of this
county and me as an official thereof,
Says lie Had Investigated.
| "As a matter of fact, the charges
are unwarranted and in essence false
Both before and after my attention
2 WAS QIdNH lO illtul SpiliC Hlthth6 dt7o
was engaged in investigating tha
conditions in the city of Newark and
/ the county of Essex generally. This
. investigation led me TO the belief.
which | entertain now. that the
charges made were much exagger-
ated: that where there was a sub-
stratum of truth in them they re-
lated to temporary and not contin-
uous conditions, and that the authors
tiles of the city of Newark were act
i've and vigilant in the preservation
of public decency.
1.-THE charges are chiefly brought by
the agent of an organization tnd
avowed purpose of which, unlesS
am much mistaken, Is the extirp3tion
of the liquor traffic in the United
states He was active in Jersey City
, some time ago, and whether or not
the statements which he made in the
, campaign waged in that city were in
} substance true could be ascertained
from gentlemen who are rather
closely associated with you in official
: position and otherwise.
| without in any way impQsnk.e