Evening journal., 1913-12-15
PRESIDENTST TO
EXPLAIN CLUB
LIQUOR SALES
Must Produce Records Before
City Solicitor Hastings
This Afternoon
LIGHT FINES ON
THOSE WHO CONFESS

The president Of every club in the
city which holds government license to
sell Intoxicating liquors to their mem
bers has been summoned 10 appear be-
fore City Solicitor Daniel D. Hastings
i'm his Office at 2.3O o'clock this after
noon, and each has been directed TO
bring with him the records Of the partic-
ular club of which he Is the hend, to-
qcther with the membership list. The
summonscs We're served by tue police on
Saturday afternoon and evening.
On July l of this year thirty three
clubs. social and political, in this city,
secured from the Office of the internal
revenue collector in the federal build
ing, license lnder which the govern
mcnt permits them 60 sell Intoxicating
liquors. These were purchased after
City Judge Churchmpn had announced
his decision holding that clubs had no
legal right to sell liquor even TO their
members.
The summonscs on Saturday were
served ON the presidents of each of these
thirty clubs. and the reason foi
the hearing viii be 10 ascertain for what
reason these government licenses wori
purchased.
II is tho intention OF the City Soil.
citor to get to the bottom OF the affair
Mr.. Hastings this morning refused q
discuss the matter.
The club men are Jared over re-
port that the City Solicitor has in hin
possession much information which hal
been submitted to him by private detec
tives who have been working on the case
S. well az the police department.
The report states that should the
presidents tell the truth when they
are questioned as to the disposal OF
liquor by the club. and the City So.
licitor Is convinced they are telling
the truth, the case against each clul
,win be brought into court and II vii
DE required 10 pay fine and the mat
ter will end. should, however, tn
presidents evade the questions and re
fuse to give SUFFICIENT Information
then the City Solicitor will procee
! 70 get what information he can fro
iother sources and will then take a.
/ Z on against the club from top
I bottom" It Is said.
In other words, Sir. Hastings v
v aiYe the officers OF the club a chan
r. II furnish information and then 4
TIE clubs, and If they don't do 20
e will undertake 20 get the inform
= ton outside and viii prosecute {
o ciicers as well as the members OF {
r club. He win. it is understood. !
4 qnire particularly as 10 what they a
doing with government licenses
} they arc not selling liquor
: II Is. pointed out that while the tai
/ ing ont Of a government license doe
not necessarily mean prima facie ev
dence IN the case. yet II Il can be sui
stantiated by other evidence, such a
liquor on the premises, etc, It can b
accepted as prima facie evidence
convict The law on this point read
as follows:
"The fact that the party accuse
PAYS taxes to the United States as
liquor dealer or vender, may. at tn
discretion OF the Court, be given /
evidence as prima facie proof TO cor
lvict." Thus while the law doe
not necessarily imply that the takin
lout of government license is pos
tive prima facie evidence, yet It pei
| mits il to be accepted as such at tn
discretion of the Court.
It Is understood that among oth'
evidence to be submitted, will be liqu'
! bills Of the clubs. The clubs whe
the government licenaes are known
I have been purchased, have been Vi
/ tied several timess by the police, al
I, in many of the places the officers ma
= been invited TO make a personal 1
. vestigation and see for themselv'
4 that on the surface, at least, the
= was no evidence Of any violation
q the law. In connection with this,
/ is reported that there Is a club
it Continued on Second Page.