Police were ordered to start enforcing the newly unearthed law immediately. Chaos descended on Boston. The public was outraged, hotel owners were outraged, and liquor distributors were outraged. Almost immediately, everyone who had an interest in the sale of booze began organizing in order to appeal to the state legislature to alter the statute on the very first day it was back in session. Accordingly, a bill to amend what had become popularly known as the “Semicolon Law” came before the Massachusetts senate in April 1901.
