The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-24
''NOT DOWN IN THE BILLS"
Hish Old T'ime in VSilmIaHtou-A ~ DIsa pp Inted
Audience NI0b a Band OF Female MInstreIs-
Performers Hustled and Money stolen.

Hish Old Time in " WiIminHtou-A disappointed
Audience DIob a Band OF Female aIinstreIs-
Performer. Hustled and Money stolen.
The Wilmington (Del) Commercial of last
evening has the following
The Excelsior Female Minstrels, from Duprez
& Benedict's Opera House, liz Philadelphia, we're
announced to give concert in the Institute
Hall last evening, and a large audience were
assempled to hear them. The performance not
beginning promptly, the crowd began to mani
fest impatience, which rapidly grew with each
minutes delay.
At about twenty minutes after 8, the agent of
the company came on the stage and addressed
the audience He said they were ready to begin
their performance, but had been disappointed in
their orchestra, which had disappointed them by
getting drunk. This would render it absolutely
Impossible for them to 90 on with their per-
foTmaDce, but If the audience would remain
quietly in their seats agents would pass through
the ajsles and give tickets to the audience good
for the next evening.
At this some one In the audience raised O
shout of money not tickets, which was taken
up with wells of 'give us our money" echoed
from all parts of the hall.
Amidst the uproar the man on the stage kept
on speaking, but it was absolutely impossible to
understand a word he eaid, and in minute or
so he bowed and retired from the stage to one
of the dressing rooms adjoining. This was the
signal for yell and rusb, aud great crowd
was soon hammeriDg at the door of the dressing
room. In a few minutes it gave way, and the
mob rushed in and speedily hustled him out on
IDe sJdSt. II IoW Inluubcs hiJer LHt OGucT uT6sb-
irg-room was broken into. The female mem
bers of the troupe were there ready dressed in
flesh colored ''tights." and other theatrical garb.
We believe the mob did not offer violence to
the girls, but they we're much frightened, and
begged several gentlemen to help them away to
q place OF safety. Those called on promptly
responded, and the girls were hurried down TO
the hotel without molestatiOn. The mob stack
to the agent, however, who was crushed and
squeezed badly. In few minutes there was
another rush, this time on the ticket office. The
door crushed open and all the small box
would hold crowded in. Officer Olmstead hastily
gathered up a lot of money off of the floor, and
one or two others did likewise, and subsequently
carried it to the police Office, but many gathered
all they could get and pocketed it. One boy was
seen ly ing on the floor at the ticket Office cram
ming "shinplasters" into his mouth.
The officers meanwhile, arrested two of the
| performers and hurried them down to the hall
| to protect them from the mob, and the crowd
| followed.
The money picked up in the ticket Office was
| turned over to Chief of Police Dougherty. a
numl er of the more orderly portion of the audi
| ence then gathered In the police Office, aud a
discussion ensued as to the proper disposition To
be made of the captured money.
| 1t was finally decided to pay jackson, the bill
| poster, his BILL and to divide the remainder be-
! tween the Cbildrens Home and the Catholic
| Orphans Asylum l
Meanwhile a number of the audience had
| entered suit against the performers to recover
| the price of their tickets, fifty cents each. AS
| these suits would have led to the arrest of the
| performers, the Chief of Police paid the amount
claimed and costs, aud thea hurried the per-
formers off 10 Philadelphia.