Evening star., 1950-02-19
.Probers Stir Up
Stormy Future
For Bottle Clubs
Crockdown Forecast
As Prosecutor Gets
House Transcript
BY Miriam Gutenberg
and J. Theodore Crown

hours clubs was forecast last night
after House crime probers spent
the day delving into their opera
tions.
Rough going for the bottle
clubs was indicated by these de-
velopments
l. Assistant United States At
torney John w. Fihelly asked the
House District subcommittee in
vestigating crime to furnish his
office with transcript of yester-
days testimony.
He explained he wanted the
transcript so United States At
torney George Morris Fay could
determine if the charters of the
after-hours clubs had been abused
or misused. The request for the
transcript was promptly granted.
2. Corporation Counsel Vernon
E. West said if people could be-
come members of after-hours
clubs simply by walking in and
paying a membership fee, the
clubs were public places. He
pointed out drinking in public
places without beverage licenses is
against the law.
Mr.. West also reported he is
working on legislation to REQUIRE
licensing of after-hours clubs.
Police Want to Act.
3. Police made no secret of the
fact they would like to 60 after
the bottle clubs. 1t. Roy Blick.
head OF the vice squad, said he
had been trying for IA months to
get a decision out of the United
States Attorneys office on the
legal satus of after hours clubs.
Police Chief Robert J. Barrett
complained it sometimes costs DO
lice $500 to get a single conviction
OF illegal sale of Whiskey at an
atter-hours club. Undercover men.
he explained. repeatedly have to
pay membership fee costing as
high as s25, buy and bring in sew
eral bottles and consume them
before they can ask for a drink
to be sold them.
4. Subcommittee sources indi-
Gated the crime investigators will
frame a set of stern recommended
tlons to curb the bottle clubs.
The law enforcement officers
interested observers at the SUBJ
committees day long hearing
called particular attention to thu
admissions of some of the op-
orators that they were running
the after-hours clubs to make a
living.
Civil Proceedings Possible.
The clubs, it was pointed ont
are incorporated under a section
OF the District code for non-proflt
enterprises. This section pro-
Vides that three or more citizens
can incorporate for benevolent.
charitable, educational, literary.
musical, scientific, religious or
missionary purposes or promotion
of the arts
1t also provides that in case of
misuse or abuse of the corporate
powers or the charter, the charter
can be cancelled in civil proceed
ings filed by the United State,
Attorney.
One of the witnesses, Albert
Glickfeld, president of the Gold
Key Club, in the 600 block of E
street NV, said his club was nom
profit but made it plain that tn.
club regularly pays income tax.
Most of the after-hours club
operators looked blank when Spe-
clal Counsel Hyman I. Fischbach
asked them what scientific ed,,.
catlonal or missionary purposes
their clubs served. All~said quite
definitely that no religious serv-
ices were held on the premises.
"Uplift" Provision Cited.
Asked about missionary work
Mr.. Glickf1eld said he considered
1t missionary work to give hand
outs to people who needed money
Dominic Ferrone. president of
the Stage Crafters Club, in thu
400 block of Third street NV.
answered on the score of beneyo-
lent activities that if a club mem
Der were in need, the membership
would take up collection for him
he said that had never happened
because the club never had .
member in want.
The attention of Bernard Gold.
stein, operator of the PLAYERS
Guild in the 900 block of Fifth
street NV, was called to tn.
[ { Continued