The New York herald., 1874-09-10
CANCAN.

OxA4vOh
Captain Williams Descent Upon the
Metropolitan Mabine-Examinati alton
Before Judge Morgan and Dismissal
OF the Complaint.
When, few evenings since, Captain Williams,
OF the Eighth precinct, and posse Of his men
made descent on the Metropolitan Theatre, ON
Broadway, look prisoners the proprietor, the
musicians, the dancers and the stage carpenter.
marched them to the station house and locked
most OF them up ior the night he probably thought
that he had put an enectual estopple on the
artistic evoutions OF the cdncan at the terpsi.
chOrean carav ansary. The details of the arrest
and subsequent disposition OF the prisoners at the
JEFFERSON Market Police Court, where they were
taken for examination, were given in full at the
time in the HERALD. Meantime the performances
have been given nightly as usual Mr. Samuel
Shapter, the proprietor, awaiting fuller investl-
CATION upon the specifications embodied In the
complaint OF Captain williams. This examination
took place at two O'Clock p M. yesterday, before
Judge Morgan, at the TOmbs. There was quite
crowd In attendance, expecting that the fair bal
let troupe would be present In all their abbrevi-
ated hnery; but not ballet girl or
semblance OF one was to be seen, and
the result was speedy thinning out of the
spectators. However. Mr.. Shapter was there
oAu ~ Woo Noptdlu WIllAduASy tHC CuSIOuIdu VI
morals in the Eighth precinct ana so, too,
looking alter the legal rights OF the accused thes
plan manager, were his counsel. william F. Howe
and Samuel G. Courtney, while Mr.. Dana, OF the
District Attorneys ONCE, was on hand and as
sumed the responsible duties Of public prosecutor
After some predatory sparring between counsel
as to allowing Captain Williams to elaborate his
complaint through questioning by Mr.. Dana 1t was
decided to submit Captain Williams at once to the
thumbscrews OF cross-eXamnation on the COM
plant already made. Having removed his
kid gloves Captain Williams walked up to
the witness stand with an air of sef.con-
1dence, listened semi-dstlessy to .he recital of
the oath, kissed the Bible daintlly and proceeded
to tell what he knew Of the immoralities OF the
cGncan. He said, in the first place, that numer-
Gus complaints had been made against the
theatre but he could not specify the name OF a
single person. He then SAID he had received in
structions to make the descent, but it turned
out that no such instructions were given
to any OF the Police COMMISSIONS but
tina that the nearest approach TO- It was
his navng neara peri Wag
broken up. Finally the Eighth precinct blotter
was produced containing record OF the names
arrest or twenty-seven persons, including the
proprietor, the treasurer seven Italian musicians,
the stage carpenter and nineteen ballet girls
He confessed that he had no warrant Tor the ar
rest Of the musicians and yet Tor all that he
arrested them, marched them through the streets
as prisoners and took them to the station house
where he subsequently,, upon maglsteral author
ity Of his own assumption, discharged them.
QUESTION OF LAW
Mr.. Howe. %" w 'N ' - A'A A'N'0
"Oh, this is Captain Williams law, then, is it,"
''No, sir, It's New York State law"
ayes, there is,n said Captain williams denantly.
"See the insolence OF this lelow,' said counsel
sharply looking at the Judge. "He could bully The
Board Of Education, but submit he must behave
himself IN court"
w,v ,. rr.,.o TpID, .D, So SO D DID 1s.n.
the amusing episodes OF the examination.
"What was the stage carpenter doings" queried
-: .:ae ieowas was doing nothing"
.A And yet you , arrested him'"
"Well, wnat for II he was doing nothing9"
"Why ne was behind the scenesn
'And ior this you arrested nims"
"ADd you took him through the public streets as
prisoner"
And you locked him up in the station house all
nightP"
al did.n
"And the next morning you preferred charge
OF dlsordery ,,, conduct against hims"
"As AsS a,a.s shs police magistrate discharged n'mT
WHAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE.
rnsng Inc case Mr. OF & 5ne earpenter as above
Williams had for exceeded his authority in his
arrests and rendered himself liable to indict-
ment. After characterizng him as an illirerate
and despotic police captain and giving his reputa
ton as That or tine brute Of the police lorce" he
was asked to explain the nature OF the warrants
on which the arrests were made.
IL considered all who took part in the perform
ance as dis0rderly and immoral" brusqucly an
swered the Captain
"why didn't you arrest all who were looking
onY"
81 had the will to do It," said the witness
promptly.
.The public will not fail to appreciate your good
intentions, sr,n SAID counsel.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS AS AN AESTHETIC ARTIST.
To give IN full Captain Williams views OF the
concan, from his aesthetic standpoint. would oc-
cupy too much space. He undertook to illustrate
the pirOuetting, nut made rather q failure Of this.
The gst OF 1t when simmercu down was that the
girls, for What he could tell to the contrary, wore
poses the ''BlacK Crook" little intensified.
There was nothing occurring bringing the place
within the statutory definition OF dsorderly
house. He had never been to full dress bali,
and knew nothing OF the costumes prescribed by
fashion,. He had never seen "Pygmalion." at
Wallack's Lizzie Weston as 'Oberon,n or Powers
"Greek Slave,n or "Eve at the Fountain"
THE FURTHER TESTIMONY.
Several officers Of the Eighth precinct were cx.
anned, and in turn give their views OF the can
can, which accorded very harmoniously with those
OF their Captain. Some citizens were also called
on the part OF the prosecution, but the rigid cross
examinations to which they were subjected mar
A motion was next made to dismiss the COM
plaint, which was argued at some length. On the
one hand 1t was contended that the calcGn was
decidedly immoral and on the other IL was insisted
to be an exhibition OF refined art. Judge Morgan
decIued tnat there nothing upon which to
hold Mr.. Shapter and ordered the dismissal OF
the complaint And the cdncan still lives.
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