St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-08-08

son and Jerry Egan. Stanley An
derson, the other member Of the
committee, was reported III.
At the opening Of the hearing
Wyatt Pierro, operator Of the
Dreamland Cafe, Mr.. and Mrs.
William Cassius and Anthony and
Florence Cassius were called be-
fore the committee where Chair
man Kauth tried for over an hour
to break Pierro'S story that he was
owner Of the Dreamland and to
link Anthony Cassius, operator Of
the Cassius Club Cafe, 207 Third
Ave. s., with a financial interest In
the Dreamland Cafe which he sold
TO Pierro in March.
Kauth was aided and assisted by
police license detail officers Holt
and Pfeifer who had made a sus-
tanned investigation. Also on hand
was assistant city attorney Palmer
Rasmussen and another member Of
the star. A special assistant APP
peared to be Fred Gates, music
store proprietor, who sat behind
Rasmussen coaching him.
The going was hot and heavy as
the officers told how they went to
the Milwaukee station where Pierro
works as a red cap and took him TO
jail for questioning. Pierro said at
the hearing he refused TO talk I'M
less they allowed him to see his
counsel, Tom Daugherty.
The whole proceedings were APP
parently directed towards proving
that PierrO was not the actual
owner Of the Dreamland and that
Anthony Cassius was stiIl q part
owner.
Raymond Cannon, attorney for
Anthony Cassius, made a statement
at the opening Of the Pierro-Wil-
liam Cassius matter denying that
his client had any connection what
sOever with the Dreamland Cafe
and submitted bill Of sale. As the
hearing proceeded Alderman Egan
questioned the methods employed
by the police in holding Pierro for
"a hours.
Later Egan and George johnson
asked Kauth what he was trying
to prove. Finally after long ques-
tioning Of William Cassius, Mrs.
Betty Cassius and Anthony Cas-
sius, Egan again demurred and said
he didn't think the Wyatt Pierro
matter had anything to do with the
application Of Anthony Cassius.
Chairman Kauth reluctantly
agreed TO lay aside the Pierro-
Dreamland Cafe matter for three
weeks.
During the testimony it was re-
vealed that the Dreamland adver-
tisement in the SPOKESMAN had
carried the name Of William and
Betty Cassius as proprietors for
four weeks. William Cassius told
the hearing he did not authorize
the copy which was inserted in
June which carried his name and
that Of his wife.
A SPOKESMAN staff member
told the hearing that the paper
had a contract signed by William
Cassius, manager" 1t was all
confused mess to spectators but
out Of II came no evidence that
A. B. Cassius had any interest in
the Dreamland.
Speaking in behalf Of the Cas-
sius liquor license application was
Cannon and William Seabron. Can
non presented a petition Of 81 in
dependent business men in the dis
trict within one and a half blocks)
Of the Cassius establishment who
favored his obtaining the license.
This refuted the claim Of Alder
man Edwin Hendricks that no one
wanted the liquor licensed place
in the neighborhoOd.
Cassius was questioned by Kauth
as to his political party affiliations.
He denied the rumor he was a
Communist. Alderman Walter Robb
asked him IL he had attended a
Communist party convention in
San Francisco. He said he had at