Hendersonville Restaurants Closed After Police Found Whiskey, 1911

"292 Bottles of Booze Found in the City Blind Tigers," from the French Broad Hustler, Thursday, April 6, 1911

 

The above was the result of a raid made last Monday afternoon by Chief Maxwell and Police Garren on the Dixie Café situated on Main Street and on the Central Café situated on 3rd Avenue. This is not the first time that the Dixie has been found guilty of doing the blind tiger act and the place has anything but a very savory reputation, according to reports that we have often heard of that took place in this café. So far as we know this is the first time that the Central has been pulled for selling whiskey, but the fact that whiskey was found in the place puts it on a par with the other joint. Such places are a stench and an abomination to all decent and law abiding citizens, and the people that conduct such places are anything but desirable citizens.

Willie Black, Chas Bryant and others of Asheville must show cause why their license for selling near-beer and conducting a restaurant in Hendersonville should not be revoked by the city council, at a meeting of the council next Monday morning at 10 o'clock.

This was the decision rendered at a special session of the aldermen Wednesday here in the city hall. This meeting was held for the purpose of hearing the complaint of Messrs Black and Bryant, but the defendants were absent and sent a petition asking that the town authorities retract their steps in closing the doors of the restaurants after a raid made several days awo when it was alleged that a large quantity of liquor was found on the premises. The petition stated that if the town council would not push the case that the said Black would conduct his place of business in this town in a clean manner allowing the police to make a daily inspection, etc.

The aldermen voted that Black must appear before them and show cause why his license should not be revoked. There was a large delegation of leading citizens of the town at the trial Wednesday and who expect to watch the proceedings closely.