The Washington times., 1915-02-24
SAYS EXCISE BOARD
IGNORED NEW LAW
Anti.SaIoon League Leaders
Tell Senate investigator Of
Alleged Violations.
Continued from First Page. }

@ OF a conversation he had with Thad B.
s. nv Wson said ho ssrgrn.
John J. Madden. saloon keeper. who
sought a transfer Of license.
IN a sopxersation @ Sargent Ie M bad with IT.
was straight, but now he considered 1t
crooked. Sargent told me that Madden.
while represented by Joseph Sheehy,
had procured a transfer. and that Mad
do this thing. sargent told me that
Madden told him he had to buy the Ex-
else Board
Shokemaker Takes Stand.
At the outset Of his testimony Mr..
Shoemaker said he had been attorney
for the Anti-Saloon League for twenty
years, during which he was in constant
touch with the Excise Board. He said
A. II. Sell. NJ. ]. Cain. r. L. Montague.
and Joseph Sheehy represented most
applicants for licenses.
He said that Sheehy had, In corversa-
W.T. With nim. .I,r,e protested ssainst the lieens-
and oftered to resist 1t for the Anti
oheehy represented one Mccarthy. who
was granted a transfer Of license from
Reviewing the case of Columbus vs.
Sheehy, wherein Columbus sought one
naif Of the retainer.s fee IN the Nc
said Mr.: sheehy received $500 OF an
agreed 5000 fee. THE case was thrown
out Of court Mr.. Shoemaker said.
fees in liquor cases were contrary to
The witness explained the leagues in
terest In resisting the granting of a
noptkeast. nor He said that to to list street of
protssts against the transfer procured
by Mr.: Fitzstmmons had been bought
Board permitted the transfer.
Relating the evidence given by Thomas S
Wood. q former employe Of the Ebbitt
against : renewal Of The Ebbitt bar
license. Mr.. Shoemaker said young girls
were served liquors In the Ebbitt din
"Mr. Wood" he said. told the board
that he had carried seventeen-year-
old girl bodily out Of the hotel and
placed her In AN automobile. The girl
was too drunk to walk. Wood told the
board.
He said the practice was to remove
intoxicated women through a rear alley
to carriages, and he said it was uselesJ
to report scenes in the Ebbitt dining
room to his superiors.''
the seet Gf Mr. .aa Wo1as shs
morning after the hearing the presiden.
Of the board declared "it was OF NO
weight whatever" to which Mr.. Baker
said amen, amen."
knew anything about collections" for
q member of the Excise Board, Mr.
shoemaker said the matter Of large
fees TO attorneys appearing before the
l,oard had been discussed and that Mr.
Bride. Of the board, said he would be
constrained to vote against an appli.
cant whose attorney was paid an eX.
orbitant fee.
Terms Members Indifferent.
Senator Jones asked If the other mem.
hers were indifferent" and the witness
replied in the affirmative.
Pressed on the matter of collections. -
Mr.. Shoemaker said Mr.. Bride once said
columbus and Bakers son are actins
as collectors for Mr.. Baker" He ex-
planned that the Columbus referred to
WAS an attorney. He could not enlisht.
en- the committee further on the matter
of collections.
Prefacing his testimony about meas.
urements taken by the league, Mr.. Shoe.
maker said he, served several years as a
surveyor and z steel tape was used. He
then detailed the leagues measurements
made between saloons and houses OF
religious worship setting forth eightcci
establishments he claimed were illegal
Is granted licenses.
Five wholesale dealers were said BY
licenses within 400 feet Of churches.
In putting into the record sixty-one
saloons said to be on non-busincss
streets, or in residence sections ICON
trary to the evident intent and pur,
pose of the law" Mr.. Shoemaker sait
in many inStances the residence sec
,ion totaled greater than IS per cent
In touching on the northeast and south
east sections. Mr.. Shoemaker said tha
territory was 99-l00 residential, and tha
the Excise Board disregarded the peti
ton OF numerous citizens to make Eas
Washington dry.
He said that he knew Of no petition
from East Washington or Anacostis
citizens urging saloons in their sec
lions. He could not recall any alleged
violations of the board in grantine
licenses to places within 1000 feet of the
Marine Barracks or the War College.
looms within 800 feet Of inhabited alley:
nut Into the record, Mr.. Shoemaker saiC
any of the licenses could have been re
fused by one member alone objectinE
lis inhabited by a low class of colorct
people. and eight or ten saloons arr
granted within 800 feet of the alley. |
is an alley that has had a bad police
reputation Wiley',s alley northeast il
another. and Shows court another.
Asked why prosecutions were not be
gun against saloons alleged to be Gn
lawfully operated. MIR. Shoemaker sale
that the league was ready to cooperate
with the Corporation Counsel to assis
n prosecuting cases. IF undertaken by
the league" he said, lit would be costly
We felt it would be better to have thu
Prosecuting Attorney in sympathy will
nur move. and in addition the Distric
n"rne"s have great deal OF work
present"
broadly speaking. the Excise Boart
argely exercises its discretion on thu
side of the liquor interests" Andrew
Wilson. president Of the Anti-Salool
league told the committee when eX
amined late yesterday afternoon. Mr.
Wilson said the board "in some de
-ree did not follow the law in draw
,nG up rules and regulations concern
ng the operation Of saloons in th
District"
Closed Under Protest.
In enumerating what he ASSERTED
we're violations of the law by tn
excise Board. Mr.. Wilson said:
Louise Gordon operated a saloon A
iO7 . street northwest in violation o
Jaw and without a license from Marc
ID 1914. to June p. 1914. The place wa
closed upon protest, but since renewa
Cf the license has been granted and to
Jay 1t is operated on a non bushes