Sowles v. Martens

142 N.W. 442, 160 Iowa 580
CourtSupreme Court of Iowa
DecidedJuly 2, 1913
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 142 N.W. 442 (Sowles v. Martens) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Iowa primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sowles v. Martens, 142 N.W. 442, 160 Iowa 580 (iowa 1913).

Opinion

Gaynor, J.

This is an action to enjoin the defendants from maintaining a liquor nuisance, and it is alleged that, prior to the commencement of this action, and at the time this action was commenced, they kept a place on lot 3 in block 3, in the city of Charter Oak, in which they kept for sale and sold intoxicating liquors in violation of law.' Proper pleadings having been presented, involving all the issues necessary for a proper determination of the case, it was admitted upon the trial that the defendants had complied with all the requirements of the Mulct Law to entitle them to carry on the business of selling intoxicating liquors, but it was claimed that they had not conducted the business as required by the Mulct Law (Code Supp. 1907, section 2448) in three particulars: First, that the place occupied by .them as a saloon was not on a public business street; second, that the bar was not [582]*582in plain view of the street; third, that sales were made in said place, by the defendants to minors. Upon these issues, the cause was tried to the court and the court found in favor of the plaintiff, and granted a permanent injunction against both defendants, enjoining and restraining them from carrying on the business aforesaid in said building. From the decree so entered, the defendants appeal.

The law governing the rights of the parties upon the issues tendered is well settled in this state at this time. The undisputed evidence shows that the defendants were conducting a place in which intoxicating liquors were sold and kept for sale. That is, that they were running a public saloon at said place and selling intoxicating liquors in the usual manner in which that business is carried on, at the time, and prior to the time, this action was commenced.

We will consider the propositions in the reverse order in which they are mentioned above.

First. Does the evidence show that the defendants were selling to minors?

1. Intoxicating liquors : sale to minors: evidence. One McManamy, testifying for the plaintiff, said that he was a minor, twenty years of age; that, during the summer of 1912 he had been frequently in the saloon. Had drank there; the first time with a bunch of men. He is not certain as to the number of times he was there, but thinks three or four times, and each time got beer. He does not know, but thinks he did not buy it; that it was given to him; that he was treated; that he was in there with different fellows at different times; once with his uncle. He bought beer and gave it to him in the saloon. He said that some one asked him how old he was, and he said he was twenty-one. He lied about it. He was not twenty-one. He was in there after that, but did not remember that any one asked him his age. The time he went in with his uncle, his uncle asked for beer, and the bartender handed it out, and his uncle paid for it.

One Hans Flagmen testified: “I was in defendant’s sa[583]*583loon about the 26th day of September, 1912. I was in there lots of times. More than a dozen. I got liquor when I was there. Got beer and whisky. Paid for it. Never bought any of defendant personally. Bought it of the bartender. I was not twenty-one years of age. I was there several times before I was twen+y-one and got liquor. I was twenty-one on the 1st day of November, 1912.”

The statute (Code Supp. 1907, section 2448, subd. 10) governing the right of parties operating a saloon' has this inhibition upon parties who othei’wise would have a right to operate, and a violation of this inhibition removes all protection which a compliance with the preliminary provisions would afford: “No minor, drunkard or intoxicated person, shall be allowed in the room, and no sales of intoxicating liquors shall be made to any minor, drunkard or intoxicated person, or knowingly to any person who has taken an^- of the so-called ‘cures for drunkenness.’ ”

In the case of State of Iowa v. Thompson, reported in 74 Iowa, 119, it was held: “The defendant, . . . when on trial for the unlawful sales of intoxicating liquors to inebriates or minors, cannot excuse himself on the ground of his ignorance of the fact that the persons to whom he sold were minors. . . . He was bound to know whether they were persons to whom he could lawfully sell.”

In Jamison v. Burton, 43 Iowa, 282, it was asid: “As there is a general inhibition upon the sale of Intoxicating liquors, followed by a permission to sell under certain circumstances to persons not minors, it would seem to follow logically that a sale to a minor is a violation of the statute, and that the person selling must at his peril know that the person to whom he sells is authorized to buy (citing State v. Hartfiel, 24 Wis. 60).” In the Wisconsin case, it appears that the purchaser was six feet one inch in height, and that the defendant, before letting him have the liquor, inquired whether he was of age, and received an affirmative answer. [584]*584See, also, Fielding v. La Grange, et al., 104 Iowa, 530, in which, the same doctrine was held.

It would appear that there was no error on the part of the court in holding that in this respect the defendants had not complied with the requirements of the law under which they sought protection from its penalty, and the injunction was therefore 'rightly granted.

The next question presented is, Was the bar in plain view of the street?

2. Same: location of bar: evidence. The statute provides that the bar where liquors are furnished shall be in plain view from the street, unobstructed by screens, blinds, painted windows, or any other device. It appears: That this saloon faced to the east upon a public street. That the entrance was in the east. That there was a window on the north and a window.on the south side of the door. The size and height of these windows is not shown. That the bar where the liquors were sold was at the north side of the building, and the east end of the bar was about six feet from the east side of the building. That between the bar and the east wall of the building there were cigar cases. The height of these cigar cases is not shown, nor their exact location. There is testimony that, by going up to the south window and looking in, you could, from that point, see a portion of the bar; that from the north window on the east end of the building you could also see a portion of the bar; that from neither window could you see the entire bar.

Witnesses testified that they had tried to see in the window, and to see who was there along the bar; that you could not “tell a man” from either of these windows, unless you got your face right up to the window. One witness says, “You couldn’t see the bar from the outside, and see who was in there, because the window was too high. I have tried to see the bar from the outside on the street, but couldn’t.”

There is a conflict in the evidence as to whether or not this’ bar could be seen from the public street. The law re[585]*585quires that it be in plain view from the street. If it is in plain view, there ought to be no honest difference of opinion as to whether or not the bar could be seen from the public street. These witnesses were before the court. He had an opportunity to see and hear them, and is in a better position to judge of the truthfulness of their statements than we are, with only the cold print before us.

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Related

State v. Dahnke
57 N.W.2d 553 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1953)
Des Moines Brewing Co. v. Polk County
183 Iowa 984 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1918)
Herschler v. Staley
178 Iowa 275 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1916)

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Bluebook (online)
142 N.W. 442, 160 Iowa 580, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sowles-v-martens-iowa-1913.