Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 August 1909 — To Clamp Lid On at Michigan City. [ARTICLE]

To Clamp Lid On at Michigan City.

Laporte, Ind., August 11.—The saloon keepers of Michigan City got a rude awakening yesterday when Constables John and Harry Walker,of this city, left for Michigan City with fiftyfour warrants against twenty-seven saloon keepers for allowing persons other than members of their families in their places of business last Sunday and for selling liquor last Sunday, contrary to law. This is the first move to put a “lid” on Michigan City, which has been wide open on Sundays, as a result oi which thousands of excursionists have been attracted to the city every Sunday from the surrounding cities. The open defiance of the law culminated last Sunday, when twenty thousand excursionists invaded the city and the saloons were wide open and did a land office business. Someof them even employed “barkers” to haul in the people. Since the “lid” was placed on Laporte, three months ago, from five hundred to a thousand thirsty Laporte people have gone to Michigan City each Sunday to get their drinks, and this has caused much hard feeling here among the saloon keepers, who have contended that it is not fair for the saloons of Michigan City to be allowed to do business when the saloons of Laporte, which is in the same county, have been forced to close at night at 11 o’clock, and to remain shut all day Sunday and on holidays. With the serving of the warrants yesterday, the Michigan City saloon keepers also learned that a law and order league was organized several weeks ago, and that detectives employed by the league obtained the evidence Sunday which resulted In yesterday’s arrests. This evidence was placed before Prosecuter Smith, in this city, Monday, and yesterday, morning Justice Grover, of Center township, issued the fifty-four warrants. The twenty-seven saloon keepers named in the warrants must come to Laporte to appear in court. Prosecutor Smith said yesterday that Michigan City would have the lid clamped down hereafter on Sundays and every infraction of the law would result in arrests being made, and to add to the troubles of the saloon keepers, they would be brought to Laporte for their trials instead of appearing before a Michigan City court. The prosecutor also stated that each saloon keeper of the twenty-sev-en in the first grist who pleads guilty and promises to live up to the law will be let off on one charge, the other being dismissed, but every saloon keeper who employs a lawyer and fights the case, will have additional charges filed against him in the Laporte circuit court.