The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-04
INVESTIGATION OF LOCAL POOL ROOMS BROUGHT ID CLOSE Decision of Commission to Be Reached After Study
 of Testimony LIVELY REPARTEE
 ADDS TO INTEREST Should Get Evidence and Prosecute Pool Room Men if Law Is Vio-
 lated, Says Commis-
 siOner Truss

Those pool room operators of Birming- ham who have been bad and very bad according toAthe classification of Commissioner of Public Safety ArHe Bar Der, may rest now. if their frame of mind over past occurrences within their knowl- edge will allow them repose. for the in- vestigation of their alleged violations of the municipal pool law is over All that remains is for the commission to get to- gether and make up a verdict, which in this case will be list of those who have been allowed license for another quarter.
 The hearing or investigation, informal though It was, seems to have been pretty thorough, and great deal more is known Tn B1rmingham's official family about pool. billiards, Kelly pool, bootleggers. gambling on pool and few other things that are said to be an unpreventable side line around the average pool room, minds of wisdom
 COMMISSION LEARNS MUCH
 For instance, it is not every man who wears gum coat who is a "slicker.'' You do not have to swim the briny deep, eat stray men around ship docks or feed on innocent children in bathing, to be a shark nor does a pool room operator expect to find the nucleus of his profits accruing from Sunday school pupils It IS also new Knowledge at the city hall offices of the commissioners that the tes- timony of some of the ''old heads" is to the effect that pool rooms have inn proved in the city since the elimination of domino tables, and that pool room, with all of the frills and ruffles cut out the best regulation and environment patronized by the low-brow or the high foreheads the spick- -and-span tea hound or the wool shirt apprentice-it's a pool room just the same, and you cant get away from it entirely
 Thursdays s proceedings developed a lit- tie punch, some of the old-time pep and vlgor of former commission meetings-say a year ago or IS months since-and the blame for the distribution of the cay enne" will have to be hung on Commits sioners Hornady and Truss, aided and abetted by Frank $. White, Jr., counsel for one of the pool room operators Mr. Barber came in on the collapse of the ginger display with a question that has not as yet been answered. He asked MT. Truss where was the Garden of Eden, and it might be said that it was unfair when pool rooms were on the call endar-at least the contrast bordered on the extreme.
 COVERS WIDE RANGE
 A range of argument that has lasted for two whole days, golng from the set tings and surroundings of q negro pool room to the Garden of Eden, proved too much for President Ward He had to go just before the grand fir.a.s, when Commissioner Barber called off the dogs and told the stenographer to strike camp until he had typed the sentiments pro and con that had permeated the office of the chief magistrate of Birmingham for these two days when the commission was accused of having spotted Brming- ham pool rooms about eight operators and attempted to beat out the rest of the bunch.
 The session yesterday morning took the of officers summoned by MT. Barber to testify as to the merits of the Palace pool room, and most of the tes- timony was damaging Following this evidence the case of P. J. Antognolia, who operates negro pool room on
 
 $. White, Jr., represented Antognolia, and after the testimony of officers was heard two witnesses were introduced by MT. White to prove the character of the place. Joe Savage was the witness on the stand when MT. White objected to MT. Bar bers manner of handling the witness. The attorney said he thought the com missioner of public safety was brow beating" the witness, and that it was MT. Barber denied such in tent. stating that he was only endeavor- ing to get direct answer to a ques- ton, whereupon MT. Hornady, address ng himself to President Ward said;
 BROWBEATING CHARGED
 Mir. President, think MT, Barber's attitude is that of bulldozing and brow beating, and think it should be- stopped
 MT. Ward took no official notice of the matter, however.
 Commissioner Truss objected to the stating that he could see no good to come. from harassing the pool room men, by getting them before the commission and going through such a trade and then going behind closed doors to punish some of them, picking the ones that they would punish
 If they have been violating the law, then they should be arrested and prose- cuted Because some violate the law Is no reason why we should close up pool rooms. When bad street Is reported to me. I do not move all the people off th.t street--I go and fix the st t."
 Mir. Barber explained the practt sim-
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