The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-09
SEVENTH STREET SALOONS
BEFORE COURT TO-DAY
Highland Park People Protest Against
Continuance of bars Mt
Transfer Point.
MANY WITNESSES EXPECTED
No Charges Arc Made Against Chnrac-
ter of Four Present License Holders,
Objection Being to Location Only.

The IiustinGs Court decided yester-
day afternoon to turn lts attention
to-day 10 tho contested liquor license j
on Seventh street, between Broad and
Marshall Streets. and will at 10
o'clock this morning begin the taking
OF evidence on the applications OF the
Miller Liquor Company, Henry a.
Kramer. Baldacci & Gillio, and Pete.
Bonini.
For more than a week the court has
been engaged in hearing Jackson
Ward contests. Seven applications for
renewals i'll the colored district have
been heard. and eight or nine moro
arc still on the docket. Counsel for
the remaining jackson Ward cases
asked Yesterday for continuanccs. and
Judge Richardson placed them at the
foot OF the docket.
The hearing In the Seventh Street
cases to-day will he the first general
probe into conditions surrounding tho
sale of liquor in white district. and
Will attract "a large crowd of inter-
cStcd persons. Liquor dealers gen
orally look upon the Seventh Street
cases ass typical Of saloon conditions
In many other crowded business sec
lions, and the developments Will be
watched closely.
MANY SIGN PETITION
AGAINST NEW LICENSES
The protest against the renewal of
licenses to saloons on Seventh Street,
between Hroad and Marshall Streets,
was lodged by citizens of Highland
Park. who affixed their names in large
nun Der To Il petition fled with Judge
licnardson \ large number of the
protestnnts will be In court to-day to
Iivc evidence
Objection To the saloons on this block
Is based on the claim that their pres =
cncc near one of the most important
TO-
large crowds OF women and children
who wait here for cars. to contact with
more or less disorderly clements that
make the bars their headquarters The
block. IL il charged 10y the protcstants.
is at certain hours of tho dag tlled with
loitcrcrs. barroom hangcrs-on ana other
undesirable persons.
II is objected moreover. that there
are nearly :, dozen saloons within "a
radius of one block from the corner of
Broad and Seventh Strects-a number
which. II iS claimed, is too great The
removal OF the saloons from Seventh
street. the protestants point out, would
cause no Inconvenience to the drinkini.
public. since it could be served with
equal dispatch at the humorous other
saloons OF the immediate vicinity.
NO COMPLAINTS Is MADE
AGAINST HOLDERS or LICENSES
No complaint is made against the
owners OF the liquor establishments
themselves The whole point ut issue
is one OF location. IT affects all of the
four saloons on this block equally The
cases. Ii is believed, will be heard at
one time. since the evidence with re-
terence TO any one will be equally APP
piicablc to tho other. three.
Among the protestants who are urg-
ing the removal of the saloons from,
this block is w. c. Smith. Of Highland
Park. Mr.. Smith last fall, when the
state Fair Association had invited Pres
ident Wilson TO visit the fair. wrote
to the President asking him to stiDu-
late rs condition OF his coming that
the sale Of liquor be prohibited within
the Fair Grounds. The President re-
piled that he would be unable TO al.
tend the fair. ignoring altogether the
liquor issue.
The court spent yesterday afternoon
taking evidence in the case of Patrick
McEneany, who conducts 81 saloon at
1l1i North First Street. The hearing
concluded nj 5.30 O'cloclr