The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-08-21

y snouIu not treat the matter s.
- from a legal standpoint, but +
= from the mere standpoint Of =
= right and wrong. =
That the late II. Burt Moore, sup
posed proprietor of the saloon at
207 South Front street, was not the
actual proprietor at all, but merely
a representative for the Theodore
Hamm Brewing company, was
strongly limited by Mayor A. G.
Meyer at the meeting of the city
council this morning.
The discussion came up as the
result Of the presentation OF a petit
tion by Attorney s. b. Wilson on
behalf Of the brewing company, ask.
ing that a refund be made to the
heirs OF Mr.. Moore, In proportion
to the amount Of unused time on the
saloon license. for which he had
paid the city $1,000. Mr.. Wilson, ex-
planned that the brewing company
had advanced to Mr.. Moore the
81. 200 with which to pay for the H.
cense and had taken his notes for Il.
One condition Of the contract was
that the money should be used for
the payment of the license fee and
for nothing else. Another was that
In case any refund was made by the
city OF any part of the license fee,
the refunded money should be paid
over to the Brewing company to be
applied In payment OF the notes.
Signing OF Notes.
The notes were signed by Mr..
Moore and p. c.. Lorenz. There was
also another local citizen who sign.
ed the notes. He, Mr.. Lorenz and
the estate of Mr.. Moore would be
liable for the notes IL the city did
not refund the money so that they
could be paid. Mr.. Wilson remarked
that the law provided that the coun-
/, Gil might refund the license money
in such cases, but II was not obliga-
tory. The matter rested entirely I'm
the discretion of the council. Mr..
Wilson cited a case wherein the
supreme court had stated that II
was morally right In such an event
to refund the money, though the
law left the matter at the discretion
of the council.
| Mr.. lorenz Is Interested.
Attorney Walter A. Plymat, ap-
pearing on behalf OF Mr.. Lorenz,
stated that his client was the most
interested party in the whole mat
ter. III there was no refund the
brewing company would come back
on him as the guarantor Of the
notes and make him pay. The burden
would fall on Mr.. Lorenz. II there
should be a refund the city would
be out nothing, as another license
could be issued at once for a saloon
in that same place, and the city
would get $1,000 for 1t. This council,
the attorney said, once showed it's
confidence in Mr.. Lorenz by a I'M
animous vote. The council should
not cause Mr.. Lorenz to lose be.
tween eight and nine hundred dol.
lars.
Did Not Look Good to Mayor.
There is one thing about this
that does not look good to me-"
said the mayor. "This young man
did not seem to have any money
at all. A mortgage on all that he had
was given to Mrs. Lorenz, from
whose husband he bought the sa-
loon. II. looks to me as IL the whole
thing was a fraud. I do not believe
that II was a straight sale"
you would not convict a man on
such a suspicion. would you. mayor
asked Mr.. Wilson. q
The petition was placed on hle.
Mr.. Wilson wanted to know IL the
council was going to take any ac-
ton on the matter. The mayor said
IL would be considered.
5ohnert Made Application.
An application was presented on
behalf Of John B. Bohnert. asking
for a license 10 run a saloon at the
same place as the Moore saloon vas
located. 207 South Front street. The
application was accompanied with a
bond in the sum OF $4,000 with the
Fidelity and Deposit company of
Maryland as surety.
Mr.. Bohnert addressed the conn
ell. stating that he intended to buy
out the stock that was left by Mr..
Moore and foreclosed by Mrs. Lor.
enz to satisfy the mortgage she
held.
Mayor Wanted to Be Shown.
The mayor asked Mr.. Bohnert to
show what proof he had that the
purchase he proposed to make al
to be a real bona fde purchase.
Mr.. Bohnert said he could show