Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-30
SALOON TRANSFER
FRAUD CHARGED
Action of Court Denounced
at Church Service-1000
Cry "Shame!"
WILL NOT GIVE UP FIGHT
Signatures to Liquor Mans Peti-
tion Improperly Obtained,
Adamson Asserts

Open charges that fraud was used In an
attempt to Influence the License Court, n
strenuous protest against the granting Of
the saloon license at Sxtieth street and
Lansdowne avenue, together with a severe
nrraignment OF Judges Davis and Barratt,
were features Of the union Thanksgiving
service held in the Cooper Memorial Metho-
dist Church. sxty-third street and Girard
avenue, today
Representatives OF six Philadelphia
churches numbering moro than 1000 roared
out their assent when the Rev. DIR, G,
Edgar Adamson who presided, termed the
granting Of the license transfer blight on
the courts Of Philadelphia.
In a forceful sermon, Doctor Adamson
described Pennsylvania as the hotbed Of
the liquor forces of the country, intlmated
that the License Court lacked self-respect,
and stated openly that fraudulent methods
had been used in an attempt to influence
botA Judges.
l'he names on the petition In favor of the
saloon had been gathered all over the city.
including the Tenderloln, he said, and 1000
Of tho 1000 names were impositions,
II was the first meating of the remon-
strants since the license transfer to SIxtieth
street and Lansdowne avenue was granted
last night 70 Michael J. Burke, saloon
keeper, of 2t00 Callowhlil street, by Judges
Barratt and Davis
ADOPT RESOLUTION
Plans for an appeal of the issue to
higher court were made, and the following
resolution proposed by A. A. Scott was
unanimously adopted
Whereas, Tho License Court of the
County OF Philadelphia has seen ut to
grant this transfer despite tho judgment of
the taxpayers and home-makers in the
nAighborhood of Slxtieth street and Lans-
downe avenue and
whereas, Tho list presented to said
court in favor of the saloon shows that
persons on said supplement live in all parts
of tho city; be 1t
Resolved, That residents of this portion
Of the Thirty-fourth Ward here assembled
IN Thanksgiving service, do enter n stren-
uous protest against the action of tho
court. and such Justice.
BE 1t resolved, That we will lend our
support to an appeal to n higher court"
PREACHER AssAILs STATE
Doctor Adamson, in his sermon, after
saying that New Jersey, Pennsylvania and
Nevada have displayed little interest in
prohibition launched at once into his at
tack on the saloon invasion at Haddington.
Pennsylvania Is the blackest State of the
lot" he said 1T Is a black day. indeed
when we go before the court on the assur-
ance OF q member of the court that petit
tIon against saloon will be listened TO-
and on this petition we have $500 names
against the granting OF the license and still
the license stands. 1t is black day. in
deed ~
the cry taken up from nearly 1000 throats.
Most of the names on the petition in
Favor Of the established of this saloon
came not only from all over the ward but
from all parts of the city," Doctor Adam
aon continued. ''They were gathered from
avery lace except from where the saloon
was to be situated. At last 1000 of the
5000 names were an imposition on the
court, which should have angered the
Judges.
'aTo ba frank, II looked like saloon
petition for another location with the title
page torn Off and the names thus sub
stituted for the petition for Sixtleth street |
and LanHdowne avenue.
In case of such a petition as this. 1t |
seems to me that a self-respecting court
would have called the lawyer before the
court and have asked him lf he had eN-
aInined II before making the presentation.
There should be chance for the disbar-
ment OF any lawyer presenting such petit
tion. The names were gathered from all
over the city-on Woodland avenue, around
Hlxtieth and Market streets, in the Tender
loin, in Kensington and along the water
front. The attempt to put aside this re-
Taonstrance ls a blight on the courts of
Philadelphia"
The churches represented at the meeting
were the Mary A. Simpson Methodist
Church. the Patterson Memorial Presby-
terian Church. the Addison Henry Presby-
terian Church. the Second Italian Presby-
ferian Church, the Calvin Presbyterian
Church and the Weston Memorial Baptist
Church.
EIGHT YEARS OF BATTLE
The fight against the granting of a
license at the Sixtieth street corner has
lasted eight years, Petitions of protest have
haen signed by thousands OF residents door
bell campaigns have been waged and the
proposed license transfer has been stormed
against from West Philadelphia pulpits,
The transfer was granted some time ago
by Judges Barratt and Davis. II aroused
such furore among the residents that the
two Judges decided TO hold rehoaring OF
the case, which was done,
Announcement was made last night that |
Judges eBarratt and Davis had decided
again In favor OF granting the transfer.
The night has ended thus with victory for |
the liquor forces.
Judge Barratt wrote the opinion handed |
down yesterday. In commenting on the de- |
clslon, Judge Davis said: Both Judge |
Barratt and went out to West Philadel- |
phia 10 get hrst-hand information concern |
ing the neighborhood.
we had been led 10 believe that II was |
an exclusive residential nelghborhood. but |
our visit changed our opinion. We found |
many stores there and the neighborhood is |
developing into yeritable little business |