Introduction
Bruten’s Cafe at 773 Central Avenue was operated by Louis Bruten. The bar was caught up in the Camden police Sunday sales drive of August 1935, when Detectives Frank Wilmont and Joseph Schultz raided the establishment and arrested Bruten along with several patrons. The building was demolished in the 1950s.
Photos
773 Central Avenue, 1951.
Sunday Raids on 2 Saloons Trap Owners
Camden Courier-Post —
Nine Drinkers Nabbed as Witnesses as Police Continue War
Three Women Arrested in North Camden Place
Continuing their drive against alleged violators of the Sunday closing ordinance, police yesterday raided two cafes and arrested the proprietors and nine patrons.
The drive was widened Saturday at the direction of Chief of Police Arthur Colsey to include investigation that minors were being sold alcoholic beverages in saloons and taprooms here.
In Sunday raids a week ago three saloon owners were arrested. Two were fined and one of them obtained a continuance of his hearing on the charges.
The first raid yesterday was made by Police Lieut. George Frost and Detective Marshall Thompson on a saloon at 939 North Third street.
Clem Bridgeman, 36, was arrested as the owner, while Mrs. Mary Frank, 64, who lives in an apartment over the taproom, was named by him as his partner. She was released in $10 bail, with bail for Bridgeman set at $500 for a hearing in police court today.
Frost said he found six customers sitting at tables in the saloon with drinks in front of them.
The customers were held in $10 bail each as material witnesses. They said they were Miss Monica Aument, 23, of 1493 Kenwood avenue; an unidentified woman, who, Frost said, was too intoxicated to talk; Albert Moyer, 53, of 419 Erie street; Charles Luers, 30, of 10 York street; Charles Sevcik, 45, of 225 Milton street; Ernest Ridge, 42, of 619 Cedar street, and Archibald Knox, 25, of 97 North street.
In the second place, at 773 Central avenue, Detectives Frank Wilmont and Joseph Schultz arrested the licensee, Louis Bruten, 58, colored, of that address; Eugene Clark, 43, of 907 Ferry avenue, and William Clark, 41, and Davis Ray, 34, both of New York City. Bruten was released in $500 bail and the patrons in $10 for hearings today.
In Camden Police Court Saturday the hearing of John Lynch, 32, former Camden policeman and proprietor of a saloon at 201 Cooper street, was continued by Judge Lewis Liberman until Wednesday on application of City Prosecutor John H. Reiners.
Lynch is charged with violating Section 422 of the city ordinance in allowing disorderly persons to congregate on his premises and is at liberty in $500 bail.
Cafe Owner Fined for Sunday Sales
Camden Courier-Post —
South Camden Saloonkeeper Granted Continuance of Hearing After Raid
A North Camden saloonkeeper was fined $50 with the alternative of serving 50 days in Camden County jail yesterday by Police Judge Lewis Liberman as police continued the drive against Sunday sales.
The saloonkeeper is Clement Bridgeman, 36, of 939 North Third street.
Louis Bruten, 58, colored, who operates a saloon at 773 Central avenue, was arrested for illegal Sunday sales of alcoholic beverages. He was granted a continuance yesterday by Judge Liberman until September 3. Bruten told the court he wanted to obtain the services of an attorney.
Meanwhile Camden police under orders of Chief Arthur Colsey were continuing their investigation opened last Saturday into reports that minors were being sold liquor in various sections of the city. It was reported proprietors of a number of liquor establishments would be ordered to appear before Chief Colsey today for questioning. The probe resulted from facts uncovered by Patrolman John V. Wilkie with the arrest of a runaway Maple Shade girl last week.
It was reported the State Department of Alcohol Beverage Control had detailed several investigators to Camden to conduct a separate inquiry into the matter of selling liquor to minors. At Newark, Deputy Commissioner Garrett in charge of law enforcement said he knew nothing of the report.
Bridgeman entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of violating Section 5 of the Camden city ordinance covering the sale of liquor on Sunday.
Lieutenant Frost presented as evidence 13 glasses, all of which contained beer, which he said were seized when he and Thompson followed a customer into Bridgeman’s establishment Sunday afternoon.
Five men and two women were in the place, Lieutenant Frost testified, three of the men standing up against the bar and two men and the women along with Bridgeman were seated in the backroom.
Bridgeman protested he sold no beer, giving away to all who were in his place because they were friends of his. Mrs. Mary Frank, 64, who resides in an apartment above the saloon and said she was a half-owner of the establishment, was also arrested by the raiders.
Seven of the eight persons arrested in addition to Bridgeman, appeared in police court yesterday. They were charged with disorderly conduct and being material witnesses. The missing person, Ernest Ridge, 42, of 619 Cedar street, forfeited $10 security which he posted.
The others who were discharged with 30-day suspended sentences included: Mrs. Frank, Miss Monica Aument, 23, of 1493 Kenwood avenue; Mrs. Marie Fisher, 41, of 1031 Segal street; Albert Moyer, 53, of 419 Erie street; Charles Luers, 30, of 10 York street; Charles Sevcik, 45, of 225 Milton street and Archibald Knox, 25, of 97 North street.
In finding Bridgeman guilty, Judge Liberman declared the saloonkeeper had no authority to sell or even give beer away to his friends in a taproom on Sunday.