The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-21
oopperhead sensibilities Shocked.

The argus yesterday morning contained
the following paragraph:
Quite acommotion was created at one of
, our public places of amusement night or
two since by the entrance of black man and
white woman IN company. Matters assum-
ing the appearance of disturbance, the OBJ
noxious couple left the hall.
We happen to know that the above six lines,
besides a contemptibly mean spirit, contain
at least four false statements. In the first
place there was no commotion. Second, it
was not a black man and white woman, as
the Argus uses the word "white" Third there
was no appearance of disturbance. Fourth,
"the obnoxious couple" did not leave the hall.
We were an eyewitness of all that tram
spired, but did not propose to allude to i. till
the excellent company now playing at the hall
(Deering HALL had closed their dramatic sea-
son, and should not have done so but for the
false version Of the affair quoted above. 1t
took place on Monday evening We entered
the hall half an hour before the curtain rose,
and took seat in the parquette about seven
or eight seats from the front, next the aisle
separating from the orchestra chairs. When
we went in there were very few persons in the
hall-ess than twenty-five be ow, we should
think -and of these, then seated, in the third
seat directly in front of us, was the .couple"
referred to above; young colored man, quite
black, well dressed, and in all respects orderly
and of good department. BY his side was a
young lady, rather lastly dressed, very good
looking, and though she had wavy hair, slight
ly marked African features, and an evident
shading of African blood, she was quite as
white as many other ladies present that even
ing in whose veins no disreputable (p) blood
has had the impertinence to circulate.
Sometime after the curtain rose-at least
fifteen or twenty minutes-we noticed on the
seat Immediately before us fidgety, uneasy,
nervous person, who seemed disturbed at
something, and who left his seat and went
back, and out of the inside door. Almost i'm
mediately after one of the men connected with
the Theatre came in, walked down the aisle
to the colored man, and in voice to be heard
any where within dozen feet, told him he
belonged In the galle,yl We could not dis
tinguish all that passed between them indeed
we could not hear word said by the "obnox-
ious" individual, his back being toward us,
but we saw him offer bank bill to the gentle
man as though to pay any extra charge for his
privilege in the parqutte, but it was refused,
the order for him to leave and 90 into the
gallery was peremptory, and apparently with
much reluctance he arose, took up his over
coat, which he had thrown of, and walked
out with Che person who required his removal.
A gentleman before Us turned about and said,
In low voice, shafts a ID shame '
q We felt that it was an outrage and an insult,
and took the responsibility of going immedi-
ately back to the door-keeper to inquire if any
complaint had been made, that such proceed
ing should take place. He said the man had
gallery ticket We asked how it happened,
then, that he had been allowed to occupy his
seat for nearly an hour, and that his money
was refused when he offered to pay an addi-
tional charge. He see ned unable tc give any
explanation, and we returned to our seat, re-
marking to him first that such things did not
godo,sn in Portland, where good behavior is
sufficient passport to our best lecture halls
on payment of the required fee, and that we
should oentilate the ,ohole proceeding In the
Press The neat morningl
We have only to add that in less than three
minutes after we returned to our seat, the
"obaoaious iadioiduap returned to his seat,
and when weleft anhour later he was still there
undisturbed The restless individual above re-,
ferred to returned to his seat, became more un
easy than ever, gave us, we thought, some very
evil gapces, got up and went out Perhaps
he had nothing to do with the affair; perhaps
we did him injustice in our imagination, but
we could not avoid the suspicion that he was
the Copperhead who felt called upon to guard
the portals of that very select place against
the contamination of colored blood.
1t is proper to remark that in the seat be-
fore the obnoxious couples were four white
bloods, two of either sex. and so. unruly was
one of the white ladies { p thata police officer
spoke to her several times, and eventually
threatened to eject her from the hall for her
disorderly conduct-bat she was not ordered
into the gallery!