Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1883 — A Masked Bar in Maryland. [ARTICLE]

A Masked Bar in Maryland.

Charleetown News. In the hearing of one of the whisky cases last Wednesday a singular contrivance for evading the local option law was brought to light. Three witnesses testified that at Hall’s Hotel, in the old bar, a corner is penned off, having a fronting of tin or sheet iron; that they have rapped upon this tin screen and called for whisky or lager, and immediately a drawer was pushed out containing the article; they drank, dropped in their money and the drawer disappeared without any one being seen. In defense, Mr. Hall stated that the room in which this masked bar was kept was not under his control; that he rented it sometime in May last to a man named McGuire, and received a stipulated sum therefor. The Court, however, failed to appreciate Mr. Hall’s defense. Judge Wickes said his explanation was not satisfactory; his little arrangement was a mere evasion, and as this was the second time the gentleman had been befoee the Court on the charge of violating the law, he imposed a fine of SIOO and costs in each of the three cases against him —footing up a sum of about S4OO.