Evening star., 1955-02-03
Georges
Bottle Club
Bill Readied
County Legislators
Agree to Bolster
Stute Low Provision
By Gene Goodwin
Sfor Stoff Correspondent


Star Stoff Correspondent
ANNAPOLIS, Feb. 3.-Prince
Georges County legislators here
were agreed today on introduc-
ton of a bill aimed at stamping
out after-hours bottle clubs in
their county.
The measure, which probably
will be introduced in the House
tomorrow, would strengthen the
State law under which Prince
Georges States Attorney Blair
H. Smith has raided the Lyre
after hours club at Hillside twice
in four days.
The bill was worked out here
yesterday in a conference be-
tween Prince Georges members
Of the Maryland Legislature. Mr..
Smith and County Sheriff j. Lee
Ball. All were elected last No
vember as Democrats captured
all county offices on a platform
that promised action against
the bottle clubs, which crept
into the county after a district
breakdown in 1858.
An effort by the owners of the
Lyre Club to obtain an injunc-
ton against further raids until
charges resulting from the first
two are disposed of, has been
denied by Circuit Court Judge
Charles c. Marbury. The in
junction had been requested by
Attorney John F. Lillard, jr., on
behalf of Mr.. and Mrs. Vincent
r. Grillo, operators of the club.
Conference Develops Bill.
Out of the conference in the
Office of State Senator H. Win
ship Wheatley, jr., came a bill,
which would ban consumption
of any alcoholic beverage after
2 am. on weekdays and mid
night on Sunday in the following
places:
1. ANY premises open to the
general public"
2. ANY place of public enter
tainment."
8. ANY private club or organ
ization."
4. ANY place at which setups
or other component parts of
mixed alcoholic drinks are served
or sold"
The bill would provide stiff
penalties Of up to $1,000 fine
and/or two years in Jail.
The patron himself also would
be liable for q fine of from $5
to $50.
The bill would apply only to
Prince Georges County and would
carry an emergency provision
making 1t effective as soon as it
is signed by the Governor.
Prince Georges has a local
ordinance banning after-hour
bottle clubs but it has been chal-
lenged in court and local officials
have been enjoined from at
tempting to enforce it. The local
ordinance was passed by the old
Republican Board of County
Commissioners under a legisla-
tive act giving that board au-
thority to pass certain laws.
Discrimination Issue.
Other developments at yester-
days session of the legislature in
cluded:
/. Delegates Carlton r. Sickles
and Lansdale G. Sasscer, jr.,
waged a futile battle to remove
what they believed to be a dis
criminatory provision in a legis-
lative council bill setting up new
adoption procedures for Mary
land. The provision states that
whenever possible" the adop-
tive parents should be of the
same religious beliefs as the
natural parents.
Jewish spokesman have
charged that the clause is un-
fair because there are very few
Jewish babies up for adoption.
Jewish families, they contend,
because of their religious beliefs,
take care Of their own orphaned
and illegitimate children.
11-tO-1O Vote.
Mr.. Sickles and Mr.. Sasscer
proposed, in the House Judiciary
Committee, that the clause be
stricken, but they were defeated
on 11-to-10 vote.
2. The House of Delegates, on
a voice vote. adopted a Prince
Georges County resolution call
Ing on Congress to appropriate
funds for plans and construction
of the JONES Point bridge across
the Potomac River from Alex
andria to Prince Georges Coun-
ty. just south of the District.
The House Judiciary Commit
tee conducted a hearing on the
bill of Delegate Burlington, Dem
ocrat, of Baltimore to substitute
either the gas chamber or the
electric chair for the gallows in
Maryland.
Warden Vernon L. Pepper
sack Of the State penitentiary
recommended the use of the gas
chamber because it would be
publicly more acceptable.
The committee also was told
that gas caused more instan-
taneous death than hanging or
the electric chair and that Mary
land could install a gas cham
Der for $27,584 and include it
in a new prison hospital and
deathhouse soon to be built.