The Sentinel=record., 1914-01-23
JUDGE MOONEY INDICATES THAT HE HAS INDUCED THE AT
 TORNEYS LONG ENOUGH.
LIQUOR SIDE IS MOST HOPEFUL
Petitioners Yesterday Were Given
 Opportunity by Judge Mooney to Present Proof in substantiation
 That the Petitions Were Bona Eide.

That there will be a conclusion If the now long drawn out fight over the question Of whether liquor licenso ! shall be granted in Hot Springs with in this week, and probably this after noon was indicated yesterday by County Judge Mooney just before ad- journing court until S:30 o'clock this morning. when he recalled that the court had now devoted nine days to l this controversy and was going to make the rest of the proceedings brief
 The most important step in the ! proceedings since the petition was put before The court as prima facie evidence a week ago, was taken yes terday when Judge Mooney annomc- ed that he would not inyalidate all the petitions that Notary Public Vale had at-ested to because under his own testimony his work had not been properly done, but that on the other 1 hand he would permit the attorneys for the petitioners to bring the first fifteen citizens who had circulated petitions into his court. so he might determine whether they regarded they had made affidavit 70 the pet tions or not.
 Those who testified were J. w. Hill dreth W. w Gentry Robert Jones, C. I. Horner, Dave .Burgaurpr George R. Watson, Charles Birn- baum, J. w. Farriss John G. Hig- gins, ]. T. Jackson, A. T. Davies H. Felheimer and Dr. W. o. Forbes | They all testified that -hey knew the substance of the oath to which they had subscribed their names, and that their action in signing carried with it to all intents and purposes with them the solemnity of the oath.
 Judge Mooney himself conducted the examination of these men who had circulated the petitions.
 Did you understand fully the con- tents of the affidavit to which your name is affixed on the petition you circulated?" was the most important question propounded to each ny Judge Mooney. and they each testi- fled that they did. There were some who did not remember the words the
 notary sad said at the time of sub scribinZ to the oath, but all of them were fully cognizant that they were subscribing to a printed oath, the contents of which they were familiar with.
 The only question to be answered | by this inquiry stated Judge Moon ey, lis to determine whether by a preponderance of evidence the peti- tions were properly attested" l He added that he had relaxed the strict rules of evidence which should apply and does generally apply in or | der that the petitioners whose names
 were bona fde might not be depriv-
 ed of the right of petition He add
 ed that since his ruling in throwing
 out the Bell petitions there had been
 many who had signed those who were
 white adult inhabitants and quail
 fled in every way to sign and to have their voices heard in the matter, and
 that they were deprived of a voice
 in the matter because of some irregu-
 larity in the proceedings, which the
 court added was not his fault in any
 manner, nor the fault of the attor- neys for the remonstrants, but which he thought was worthy of considera-
 tion.
 Judge Mooney added that during
 all of the proceedings it had been
 his desire to rule on this very impor
 tant question in such a manner as
 would result in a fair expression of
 the people on this subject, and that this he would continue to do.
 The motion to suppress the Bell
 petitions, which had been granted,
 was taken mp then. and it was found that there were 391 names on the Bell petitions, all of which are lost to the general petitions. That re- . duces the number of petitioners 10 about 3,777, which the petitioners he- lieve Is several hundred more than necessary to the success of the work. Judge Mooney ruled -hen, after a F lengthy speech by MT Mcconnell on the subject, that the burden oi