Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-06-19
''BLUE SUNDAY
IN ALEXANDRIA.
Police Court This Morning
Dismisses Accused in
Squads
ONLY TWO ARE FINED
Dock Embraced Street Cleaners, Re.
movers Of Night Soil, Florists Fur,
nishing Flowers for Funerals Etc

The Police Court room and the
approaches thereto were densely
packed his morning with parties
cited to appear to answer the charg-
es of conducting business on Sunday
together with witnesses. The bulk
of the crowd, however, were specta-
tors. most of whom were doubtless
disappointed, as the proceedings
were tame and nothing serious nor
ridiculous occurred to repay the cur
iosity which caused the audience to
gather. The cases were called In
squads. Newspaper men, and agents,
and milk dealers, ice manufacturers,
manager of the acid plant, telegraph
and telephones companies, bread
bakeries, keepers of lunch houses,
agents of railroads, and steamboats,,
jitney busses, operators Of laundries,
etc., were dismissed, the court ruling
that their occupations were necees-
sary. Baseball players, where no
entrance fees were charged, were al
so dismissed.
Two proprietors of ice cream sal
oons,J. Reece Cation and Mrs. Burda,
who acknowledged that they kept their
places of business open while aware
of the law, were fined $5 each. The
woman paid the fine, but the man
took an appeal TO- the Corporation
Court. '~ 9 81"
Of course, the parties who were
dismissed will not be interfered with
again, as their occupations were de-
clared essential in this day and gen.
GRAFTON.
1t is matter of pride among al!
law-observing people Of the city that
SO few persons attempted to defy
the law, there having been a general
closing down of business after mid
night Saturday.
There was one case in which crti.
zen was charged with allowing his
automobile to go out in charge of a
chauffeur, the machine having been
operated by a domestic in the EN-.
ploy of the owner who was perform
ing some family service. He was dis
missed, of course.
The enforcement of the Sunday
laws is attempted about once in a
decade. Normal conditions will pre-
vail after the proceedings of today
Despite an honest effort on the
part of the people Of Alexandria
generally to live up to the Sunday
law which was enforced for the first
line in dozen years Yesterday the
police summoned scores of people
to appear in police court this morn:
ing for alleged violations Of the law
In many cases no attempt was made
to secure evidence of the violation Of
the law, the mere fact that the places
of business were open being sufficient
for the police to summons the pro
prietors to court. No inquiry wa:
made as to the nature of the bushes:
that was being conducted, or wheth
er or not it was necessary in accord
ance with the provisions Of the law
1t was evidently the intention of thu
police 70 make their enforcement
proceedings so drastic as to bring
ridicule upon the whole subject ant
thus work in hand with the people
who declare they will have the Law
repealed by enforcing it.
Among the first people who wer'
notified to appear in court this morn
ing were the three representative
of the Washington newspapers VIII
were summoned when they appeared
at police headquarters early yester
day morning to find out what ha,
happened during the night. Their
was no evidence to show that the,
were working, but the mere inquir
les if there was anything doing wa
enough for the police and thei
names were entered on the blotters
Previous to this dozen or so milk
men, ice dealers and news dealers ha
been told to be on hand this morning
It was not until ten o'clock that tx
police really became active, and tt