Evening star., 1915-02-25

themselves in efforts to procure IL
censes, to which Gen. Smith answered
who were they?" asked Senator
Sheppard.
81 do not recollect any," replied the
witness
The requests came by letter and by
verbal Communications. he said. He
could not recall the names and had moi
| preserved the letters.
Gen. Smith was questioned very close
ly about the relations of Attorne!
| Sheehy. who was former member oi
the excise board. Gen. Smith said he
was regarded as a manly and coura-
geoeus official and was given permission
to practice before the board after he
| resigned. Senator Sheppard as.ed hin
| If he had read Justice Stafford's opinion
criticising the payment of large fees ts
| attorneys practicing before the board
| Gen. Smith said he had not read the de
| cision.
Not Inclined to Question Attorney.
Senator Sheppard asked him IL he
agreed with Justice Stafford that fee
of $4,000 for the procuring of the
license was contrary to good morals
and public policy. Gen. Smith replied
he did not think it would be his bust
ness to ask lawyer how much fee ht
was receiving
occurred to him that in charging a fe'
of $4,000 he might have based II OF
his supposed influence with the boaru
and If it might not be considered al
tmputation on the reputation OF th'
board to have a lawyer charge such {
fee.
Witness replied that the board did
not consider it to he its duty to in
quire into such matters. and that the,
were all foreign to the functions oi
the excise board.
"As a matter of fact" asked Senator
Sheppard. lis there any special neces-
tsity for the employment of lawyer
before the board?"
| The witness replied that there was
no necessity whatever for the employ
ment of lawyers and that the board
could get along better without lawyers
Gen Smith said, according to the re
ports made in the daily papers. evidenc
had been produced before the commit
tee unfavorable to the board, an
which would seem to make the boar
| appear as culprit. The board had no
been invited to be present. and in hi
own behalf and in behalf of his col
leagues he wanted the opportunity t
reply to the statements made.
Senator Sheppard assured him tina
he and the board would be given ever!
opportunity to answer.
| LAS these accusations, said Gen
Smith, amount to so much in my life
or what remains of 1t. and to my col
leagues, want an opportunity to show
that the business of the board has beei
conducted along honest lines in an en-
deavor to carry out the law and serv'
the public"
Senator Sheppard assured him tha
he could answer at once or at an.
future time, and he could have acces
to the records of the hearing and b.
given every facility to reply.
Lieut.. Cats of the Metropolital
police and Detective Mason L. How es
who have been working on the so
called vice squad, testified to the con
ditions which have existed in three o
four hotels and saloons and OF tn
character of the people who frequen
them.
They testified that some Of thes'
places are Just about as bad as the,
could be: that they are frequented b!
women of questionable character ant
women whose character Is well known
to the police. They told Of raids made
upon them when inmates were taker
away for violation of law.
They said that these places have Ii
censes to sell liquor and that the tes
timony regarding them had been lait
before the excise board. Detective
Howes said that one of the places hat
become worse since the granting o.
the liquor license