The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-02-08

Sunday AmwseaAsNts In New York.
MAYOR rrxAAFFs roLrcS sQcAD VISIT rnH osHnAN
THEATRES AND 0AkDnNe-nUsiC DANCING AND
srN0NG-THBATRICAL PKaFoRxAECsS -0IRoUs
RIDIk0-RAFFLIEa, SHOOTING AND BlLLIARDs-
NO ATfkAPT MADE TO CLOSE THE EST ABLIsHhHfTS
TIM NOISY DEMONSTRATIONS ALONE TO 81 srOP-
fED-THx srADr THEATRE LICENSE 10 Bn nSvoK
BD-cOhPR1BEEsIvK IDEAS OF SACRED ceNcsRrS-
FREE DRINKS f0R THE MAYORS SQUAD AND THEIR
FRIkkDs, ETC., ETC.
For 81 weeks has been publicly rumored that ths
Mayors police squad accordance with the directions Of
hn Honor would make attempt 10 close the lager bier
saloons and other places or resort for amusement In
the Bower and other streets the eastern side Of the
city, habituaiy open Sunday. Numerous complaints
had been made 10 tse Mayor stated that he in
tended 70 put atop the whole system The direction of
this contemplated onslaught entrusted Mr. Sergeant
Birney, the oicous individual ~ho undertook few days
since to dictate TO OF the HERALD reporters the proper
method Of conducting that journal MIR. Birney
secret o. his proposed movements, that by P. NJ
with three assistants, and representatives from all the
morning Journals forming very imposing body-.ho
expedIiicu started nrss place. visiIei WAS Llnd.
mu'.s N 40 " sIaIn .re-, where lager bier flowed
copousiy and theatrical performances being
Quoted amid lively music. The proprietor not hed to
stop the performances and the music which be promised
70 do. hollematree baggers, No. 10 North William
matte Hail. No. 1917 Bowery,y were similarly visit
ed and Ike notices given 70 the propretors, all Of
whom promised 70 accece to the request and q d SO
rs long as the squad was presen;-O cectain extent
After th left however, IN most Instances the perform
went before. The next place visited the
Voks Garden the Bowcry OF the largest establish
ments in tho city OF the kind The place has been
already fully described il the HERALD though siace
that time the scrobatic performances have been
suspended. The admission fee is twelve cents for
which ucSe given emitting the bearer to five
cent drink The remaining cents is supposed 10
be compensated for by the sa red concert" This
siss Of q SELECTION of musc by fine brass band and
lasting from 10 IL O'Clock The sacred" selections last
night were from "Norma," "Rober, lie Disble," "Lacre
tia BOrga, waitzes, gallops &c pieces which. hereto
lore have Lot been general al cnurches
The audience however, did not mlni!est any dsapfoin
meDt and Sergeant Brney could not Of interfere
with the ''saei concert" The her con
sist Of Grnsipg lager, shooting, billiards, raing sad
grand exhibition of Plastic views Of Europe, Asia, Africa
and AiD"rica No attempt made stop these
performances Sergeant Brney notified the proprietor
that all but the must; aud drinking uust be stopped.
Whether By bs request or d not Learn, but the
entire putop was introduced as ho friends, and pro
vded it'll lager al tbitum free gratis for nothing The
Mayors squad inhibited freely, as II they were
not unused 10 the beverage, aud grew quite
familiar with the worthy proprietor, who stated
that he kept the most orderiy house n the
city. He had never known a disturbance III the place
His rule TO prevent the neress Of any rowdes and
he considered his customers the most able quiet
anu orderly of our ctzeus Sergeant Brney acluesced
acknowledged the responsibility German citizens,
sand the Mayor Gid not mean TO interfere With their quiet
amusenens but only desired to stop all noisy dcmonstra
After getting the drinks. Mr. Brney aud his squad
left, and went INTO the Stadt theatre, next door, SIR.
Brney found the proprietor and stood at the door
He had previously stated that if the theatrical perform
aLces being conducted he should close the place.
The bills OF the Stadt theatre that the
ings amusement would consist OF "sacred coucer.,"
which, 10y the way seems TO he wing INTO favor among
the German sunday amusements This, no Tever be
readily accounted for by tho comprehensive meaning Of
the term, which quite as fully exempiifed in the
Stadt theatre ia the other places defamation, dra
matte selections operate singing, &C seemed to be
included In the tenn. No attempt made 70 cioso
the place, ard after listening To much of the
perfoI Nance pleased them Mr. Brney and his squad
lett, personally pleased with the enter taamen but
nouncbg that the Mayor would revoke the license of the
theatre 10 the mOrnIng.
The next place visited WAS the "Odeon"a few doors
above in the Bowery, where lager bier drinking, bit
lizards and small theatrical the order
Of the evening" under the nomen Of ''sacred concerts"
The party remained hero but few minutes, an left
without making shy commune alton 10 the proprietor
The Seagrist Bowery visited, and here
the of the acr, c,ncertv WAS
even more fully exemplhed-ridlng, vauting leaping,
dancing posurpg and the ordinary performances Of the
circus beng included in the term. Sergeant Birney's
magic star passed the crowd in pocemen the precise
sacred performance then the OF operation bong
q wooden sboe dance. The music nlght, by stretch OF
the Imagination be SUPPOSED 70 be "Od Hundred play ed
In rather a lively manner, while the audience gave a
chorus similar to the Shakers "Fi, w. ~" No attempt
maze TO interfere with these sacred cerc monies.
Sergeant brney stating that this the managers last
nightbo had had hard Time Of 1t, wanted to pay his
hands of, was going to hsve the city, gave innocent
amusement 10 his patrons and did not disturb the quiet
OF the city, and therefore the Mayor aid no, wish 10 n
terfere with them 70 night An ntermisson OF ten mi
nutes occurred, OF which the squad took Advantage t,
leave Of the representatives of the press lie
said The Mayor did not wish to make splurge about tho
thing; the Mayor had any number OF complaints coming
to him about these places aod be must aSc notice
Of 1t: he did not intend interfere with the lager bier
drinking because the Germans large and in1uen
tia class Of citizens and would not do; he only
meant 10 stop the noisy demonstrations and in fact the
squad had too much other important business on hand
connected with police duty and could not attend much 10
this matter now.
What particular good has been done by this expedition
did not seem apparent to those accompanying 1t. One
were
respectfully attended the churches, and much
mere pleasant another "thst the drinking OF
lager and concert singing dancing and theatrical per
formances, were quite as much religion with the au
dence as the sacrament wine the fashionable church
chors tho shakers exercises, the Catholic ceremonies
with their respective Disciples another, that
the Mayors squad need not expect 90 much than
the whole police force towards compelling observance
Of the sabbath and that the moet certain way OF eecng
anything In that direction, such object In view,
would be 10 orders TO the several police csptains'
All, however seemed ~ agree that whatever may have
been the object Of this expedition the operations OF the
several establishments not much II at ALL utcrfered
with by Mayor Tenants police squad and It's Sergeant