Evening star., 1915-02-26
jeremiah O'Comor Says Sa-
Ioonkeepers Are Not Get
ting Square Deal.
PROTESTS At HEARING
BY SENATE Committee
Inquiry Regarding Excise Board
Enlivened by Colloquy-Testimony
Of Policemen and Others.

Declaring that he did not think the
saloon men were getting a fair deal.
jeremiah O'Connor, who conducts a
saloon at lis Az street, protested
again and again to the Senate commit
tee investigating the charges against
the District excise board during the
hearing today, because he was not al
lowed to cross-examine a witness.
Il don't think that You are giving
me a square DEAL said OConnor when
the committee refused to croSs-ex-
anime or make a statement in regard
to Private James I. Newkirk of the
sixth police precinct.
The saloon men are not getting
fair treatment continued O'Connor
as he retreated from the witness chair.
He continued to make similar remarks,
Senator Jones of Washington then
moved that the sergeant t-at-arms OF
the Senate be requested to send police
was preserved, and O'Connor quieted
down.
Po1iceman's Testimony.
The testimony to which he took OBJ
lection was given by the policeman
about OConnor's place of business
Newkirk told the committee that the
place was a Chinese joint" a pig
foot restaurant" and that it was op-
Grated as a bar up to l o'clock in the
morning, but that men and women
We're coming and going from 1t all
night.
The class Of persons using the place,
the witness said, was bad. He admit
ted that so far as he knew no protests
had been made by the police against
the renewal Of the license of O'Connor
last fall. He said the police made re-
ports only when called on to do so by
the board.
O'connor asked permission to aues-
ton the witness.
you'll have to put your questions
in writing and pass them to the chair
man Of the committee, according to
the rules of the committee" said Sem
|ator Sheppard.
O'Connor protested that 1t would take
too long to do that.
We'll, come over here by me and tell
me the questions you want me to ask.
said Senator Sheppard, the chairman.
Prompted by OConnor, Senator Shep-
pard asked il Newkirk had made any
arrests in the last two years in OCon-
nc,,s .Ss J! place: ss..,.r., ~. v,,re.. n,
added that he had been ordered by his
superiors to keep out OF the place and
other similar places unless he was
forced to go there.
stin prompted by Oconnor. Senator
Sheppard asked if Newkirk had been
transferred from his beat.
Says o'Connor Preferred Charges.
"Mr. O'Connor went to headquarters
and charged that 1 had borrowed
money from a barkeeper named Shea.
The charge was all cleared up. sena-
tor. 1 borrowed money only when a
death occurred in my family, and it
has. been paid. don't owe anybody a
cent"
did you arrest the superintendent
Of the Gospel Mission?" asked Senator
Sheppard for OConnor.
Yes" answered the witness.
"Mr. Chairman. object" came from
Matthew E. O'Brien. That case is stiil
pending in court, and I do not think
that it should be tried here" Mr..
OBrien explained that he was attor-
ney for the defendant in the case.
Senator Jones objected to further
questions being asked the witness
about personal matters which had
nothing to do with the operation OF
the saloon in question.
O'Connor was put on the stand. He
testified that he had operated his place
of business in an orderly manner, and
declared that he had never been arrest
ed or brought into court.
Did any one protest against the re-
newal OF your license?" asked Senator
Sheppard.
The witness admitted that the su-
perintendent of the Gospel Mission had
protested but said that he always pro-
tested against all such matters.
That's ALL said the chairman. Then
OConnor voiced his protests against
what he called an unfair deal
The first witness on the stand today
was Capt. Henry Schneider of the sew
Venth police precinct.