The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-30
B. II. S, PUPILS
VISITED HOTEL
OF PROF. ATLAS
Witness Testified That She
Heard Screams of Girls
in Rear Rooms.
INTOXICATED WOMEN
ARE FREQUENT SIGHT
Sensational Statements Are
Made At Hearing Before
Commissioners.


Hysterica1 screams of girls in rear
tions that boys and girls from the
High school frequented the hosteIry
were mentioned this afternoon when
the county commissioners held q hear
ing on the rem onstrance against Prof.
James Atlas application for a liquor
license. In his own behalf Atlas in
troduced business men in the neigh
borhood who testified that the hotel
was not objectionable.
Laura Ray Of 868 Broad street, was
the most damaging witness against
Atlas. For several years she kept a
rooIning house in Fairfield avenue
next to the hotel. 1t was she who told
of hearing girls screams in the rear
rooms. She recalled the notorious
fight that took place in the hotel
about two years ago and testified on
that occasion she saw IT year old
girl Intoxicated and standing covering
in a doorway next to the hotel. She
also declared at another time she had
seen young man leading an intoxi-
Gated young girl from the hotel. The
girl could hardly walk.
Rev. George M. Brown, pastor of
the First M. E. church, was another
sensational witness. He said he had
heard Of high school boys and girls
frequenting the cabaret. He had been
told that it was the custom for Pro-
fessor Atlas to rent the same room
two or three times night and that
the cabaret was a place where young
people became intoxicated Mr.. Brown
objected to naming the persons who
had told, him about these things but
the commissioners ruled that he
should give the names. He finally
mentioned Janitor FBugbee of the Uni
versa1ist church, Laura Ray and Mrs.
Snowden of Fairfield. When asked
what the reputation of the Hotel Att
| las was, Rev. Mr.. Brown replied that
f It was bad
REV. wiiiiarn w. Rose, pastor of the
IUniversalist church, directly across
the street from the hotel, declared the
.reputation of the hotel was bad. 'sI
understand it is vile place. he said.
The janitor of his church had told
! him of seeing intoxicated persons
/ elected from the hotel and had also
witnessed some spectacular sights in
| the front windows of the hostelry.
/ James F. Cosgrove, a reporter on
| the Evening Post, said he knew the
reputation of the hotel was bad He
admitted having a, dispute with Atlas
some years ago in regard to an article
he had written about Atlas. He offer
i ed to tell what the story was about
but lawyers for Atlas stopped him.
Atlas took the stand in his own be-
half and testified he was conducting
a bona Sfide hotel He said he ran g
first class place and allowed no dis
turbances. The hotel has been estab-
Ished about nine years, he said, and
| the cabaret has been running four
years.
/ The following business men testified
the location was suitable for hotel
and that they knew Of no disturb
ances in the hotel: Peter Dave, E. NJ
/ Jennings, William P. Kirk, Joseph
Daniels and A. w. Smith.
Tt was said that the remonstrants
planned to call Dog and Liquor Agent
John Brown and several other mem
bers of the police department as wit
nesses before the hearing was finished
this afternoon.
Assistant Clerk F. w. Tracy of the
fsuperior court, who is demonstrating
as member of the Universalist
church, asked the commissioners to
deny the application on the ground
that the law gave the commissioners
power to grant license to an estab-
lished hotel of good reputation but did
not provide for the granting of a IL
Genes when there was cabaret In
connection with the hotel. The com
rnissioners decided they would hear
all testimony before giving a decision
on the application.