New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-11
PARK ROW WET SUNDAYS
No Dearth of Gases, AIdermaniC
Committee Hears.

Park Row Is by no means the hardest
place in the city to get a drink on Sum
day. according TO testimony given yes
terday at the hearing on police cond lions
before the adermanic committee. Short
bars with long drinks on the other side
Of a temporary partition constitute
special Sunday arrangement for the man
with seventh day thirst. At least that
II the situation in that part of the city.
as strongly intimated by Emory r. Buck
ncr counsel to the committee. IN his ex-
animation OF Captain Edward J. Bourkc,
OF the Oak street station. In whose official
domain the Park Row GASES are included.
Not that the captain admitted that such
viola tons OF the excise law existed In his
precinct. but he seemed 10 lend color 10
Mr. Buckner's insinuaton in describing
his duties, as he saw them, az n police
captain. II the captain looked into ss-
loon window on SUNDAY and saw the bar
room empty as far back as the wall. or
the barrier, or the partition, or whatever
Il might be, and if there were no disor-
derry persons in front OF the place. he
said he was satisfied that there was no
violation Of the law. That was an far AS
his duty of investigation went a police
captain, he said.
did you ever notice that the bars on
Park Row were shorter On Sunday than
on week days." asked Mr.. Buckncr.
IL have nothing 10 do with the length
OF the bar" replied Captain Bourke.
Didn't you ever see bar with tenn
porary partition. with mirrors. erected
specially for Sunday" asked Mr.. Buck
ner.
IF I saw bar with barrier which
met my gaze at the end. and IL looked
like a wall. leaving fair sized barroom
in front Of IT, with no people in the room.
i should consider that clear bar, az far
as my duty of inspection went" the Wit
| ness explained.
The witness was puzzled by Mr.. Buck
ner's reference TO beer OH draft" and
! to "beer-cocks.' He said he did not know
what the lawyer meant. He admitted that
he had sometimes taken glass OF beer
even In saloon, but would not go into
Park Row saloon for anything less than
riot. II occurred TO the witness that
"beer-cocks," to which counsel alluded
might be the brass faucets from which
| the beer was drawn. lie had never no
tlced lust where the brass faucets" were
located on the bar, whether In the middle
| or near the end. and had never taken par
ticular notice on Sunday whether the
faucets could be seen.
Mr.. Buckner suggested that the captain
give his definition Of a bar.
"A bar, / suppose he said, lis wood
made into the form Of a counter so peo-
pie can lean against IT,"
| Captain Bourke came out fatfooted in
| favor OF Mayor Gaynor's idea Of main
tanning outward decency and order" in
regard to the enforcement OF the excise
| law, as well as Of the law against gam
bling and disorderly houses. He thought
| q person should be allowed TO get drink
on Sunday In an orderly way, the same
az on week days. His eighteen years ex-
perience In the department had taught
him, he said, that the restrictions placed
upon the uniformed force In getting evil
dence against such places. leaving IL to
| the inspectors plainclothes men OF spe-
| cial squads was the only sensible way to
enforce the law.
CAPTAIN Bourke surprised Mr.. Buckner
| and the committee when he said that he
from citizens the captains private letters
and not official documents, and that the
captain was the sole Judge as to whether
such letters on their face warranted an
Investigation or should be destroyed. He
had destroyed letters OF complaint from
citizens which he considered "unfounded
! and incoherent." he said. He cited as an
example OF such letter one he received
recently asking him what he did with
the graft from the pushcart peders along
Park Row"
The captain said that the letter evil
IDENTIFY was prompted by an article on
graft in relation to the pushcart pedlers
which appeared recently in an afternoon
newspaper and was not founded on fact
Captain NJ. J. Tooie. formerly In charge
OF the Oak street station for five years.
now at Bridge A station. in Brooklyn, de-
scribed' his method of enforcing the law
against gambling and disorderiy houses.
II was similar to that of Captain Bourke.