Enforce The Law

The undersigned. having been appointed a committee by the anti Saloon League for the pürpoae of presenting the following petition to your Honor, would respectfully represent as follows: Your comiiuttee having been informed by said League that in onr city there have been frequent and constant violations of the provisions of the general liqnor law of this State, being Act Xo. 313 of the Laws of 1SS7 as amended by Act No. (.t3 of the Laws of 1895. and aiso being Section 2283 C 4 of 3 Howell's Annotated Statutes of Michigan, and especially that there were repeated violations of Section 13 of said Act forbidding the sale of intoxicating liquors to minors, and also ot' Section 17 of said Act requiring all saloons ti be closed on -Mindays. on election days and legal hohünys. anrt on eacn weeK aay mgni from and after the liour of nine o'clock unül seven o'clock of the morning of the succeeding day. etc. Your committee instituted the neces sary inquines and have ascertained that these provisions of this Statute have been constantly and openly violated in our city as is "elearly shown by the annexed afiidavits. Your petitionërs would also respectfullycall your Honor's attention to Sec tioii 4(i of the Charter of our city which in part reads as follows: "lt shall be his (the niayor's) duty to exercise supervisión over the several departments of the city government and to see that thé laws relating to the city and the ordinances and regulations of the Common Council are enforeed." Your committee further respectfully represent that they iiaTC prepared this petition and the alüdavits attached to the same for the purpose of showing your rionor that the laws of the State were being constantly and openly violated, because tliey believed that your Pi onor as a citizen "of our city and its chief executive oiïicer had the best interests and welfare of the city at heart, and would be desirous of performing your duties as required by the City Charter and diligenily enforce the laws of the State enacted for the general welfare. Your petitionërs would further respectfully represent to your Honor that tliey have presented this petition because they believe it is a much better policy to have the laws enforced by the constituted anthorities who are elected and appointed for that purpose by the people of oux city, rather than by the action of individual citizens. and "they hope that the otticers of the city will perform this very necessary duty and obvíate the necessity of proseciitions ror tnac purpose carnea on oy ïnaiviaual citizens independent of the constituted authorities, and they therefore pray that yonr Honor will enforce the provisioos of this Statute. Dated, February 18th, 1897. W. S. Perky, Wm. X. Bbown, J. T. SüNDERLAND, V. M. SPALDING, W. VI. Beman, X. W. UlIEEVER. State of Michigan, ' County of Washtenaw. ) Willard A. Wheeler, being sworn, says that he was twenty years of age on October th. 1896, that he has always resided in the city of Aun Albor, Michigan, and now resides at Xo. 13 South lngalls street in said city. That he is married, liis family consists of a wife and one child, bya former liusband, about four years old. Deponent further says that on Monday, February 8th, 1897, he purchased whiskey and wine at the following named saloons in said city of Ann Ar or, viz.: At Reimold's on West Washington street, at Michael F. Scliaible, Xo. Iti South Main street, at Emil Goiz. Mo. 6 East Ann street, ;tt William and Jacob (i winner's, Jio. 4 Detroit street, at Hugh F. Sliields', No. 18 Fuller street. That deponent became very much intoxicated by drinking these liquors and was so despondent on that account that he took a large dose of chloroform so that his life was endanjgered, and liis lifrt was saved only by the earnest efïorts of Doctors simón N. Yulzy and C. K. Lahui3, who were called to treat deponent. W. A. Wiiuklek. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 16th day of February, A. L., 1897. NuAlI W. ÜHBEVEK, Notary Public Washtenuw County, Michigan. State of Michigan, ( County ok Washtenaw. J)r. C. K. Lahuis, beint? duly swqrn, says that he is a practicing pnysiciaii. resides in the city of Aun Arbor, Michigan, and has resided in said city four and a half years, that he is a gradúate from the Medical Department of the University of Michigan, that he is now acting as assistant to J)r. Martin of the Medical Department of the l'niversity of Michigan, and makns the following statement in regard to W. A. Wheeler who resides at N'o. 13 tjouth Ingalls street in said city of Aun árbor: I was called over there to sae Mr. W. A. Wheeler the eveuing of February 8th. and found Dr. Yutzy and two medical students attending" him and Mr. Wheeler coming out from irader the influeuce of chloroform. They informed me that whon they caine there they had fonnd him with a towel over his face saturated with chloroform, that a bottle was by his side labeled '-Chloroform," that he was unconscious at the time, and from what they teil me that his respirations had stopped. That they kept up artificial respirations for som'e time to resuscitate him, and when 1 c mie there he was breithing ratlier heavily, but comin? out nicely froni the effects of chloroform. From the information I received Irom Dr. Yutzy and the two medical students who were attending him, it is my opinión that he would ttot have recovered without the aid of these physicians. I ain also of opinión that he would have died from the effects of chloroform if he had not had medical assistance. I arrived at Mr. Wheeler's house about eight o'clock in the eveningand remained until after twelve, aad I observed that his breath sme t very strong of liquor, and that i theie was a strong odor of chloroform on the towel he had on his face. Mrs. Wheeler, his wife, informed me that hu was intoxicated when he came home. Sometitne ago, I do not remember just the time. 1 was called in to treat Mrs. Whealer'S sister for a badly bruised eye, which liad been hurt by Mr. Ier while he was in a state of intoxieition. The eye wks swollen badly so that the lady could not open it at" the time and was inHamed f or about a week. Mrs. Wheeler and her sister both ini'ormed me that Mr. Wheeler came home very much under the influsnce of liquor, and that he became angry about sorae small matter and struck at Mrs.Wheeler, and the sister stepped in between them and.received the f orce of the blow on her eye as above stated. I am informed by his wife, Mrs. Wheeler, that when Mr. Wheeler is intoxicated he is very uglv and unmanageable in his home. C. K. Lahuis. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 15th day of February, A. D., 1897. Noaii W. Cheevek, Xotary Public for said County. ïhere is also attached to the petition affidavits by Perry F. Trowbridge. Prof. V. M. Spalding, Hev. .T. T. Sunderiand, Irving H. Edwards and Irving M. Goodwin, showing that a large number of the saloons in Ann Aruor viólate the provisions of the State law in regard to the hour of opening and closing saloons.