New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-25
THE PASSION PLAY STOPPED.
sALMI MORSE ARRESTED.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS AND A DETACHMENT OF polio
rrIr

Salml MOrse's application for an injunction re-
strainng the police authorities from interfering with
dress rehearsal of the Passion Play last night was
denied yesterday by Justice Dohohue, who held
that the Court could not restrain the police from en-
| forcing the law as they understand it, unless the
| law had been judicIaly construed in way differ
ent from the construction put upon it by the police,
If the police made a mistake in their con-
structiOn of a law, he said, and did
| any act which they had no authority to
| do, the person aggreved would have no difficulty
in obtaining redress in the appropriate form or ac-
| ton. The way to test Mr.. NOrse's right to give
full dress rehearsal OF tho Passion Play was not by
an application for an injunction to restrain the
| police from stopping It.
The house in West Twenty. .third-st. which has
been arranged and altered for the production of the
| play was we'll filed with people at o'clock last
| night In one of the last lows OF seats on the
! ground floor was a detachment OF pOlicemen-all
with their hats on. Inspector Thorne stood up
against tho wall at the back. Outside,
crowd of loungers was gathered. Many
persons who had no otters of invitation applied for
admission, but were vigorously refused. Those
with invitations. who passed the doorkceper,
glanced curiously at the policeman standing in the
vcstitulc, and looked second time, when
| they caught gmpscs of the policemens
| hats; blue coats and brass buttons
on entering the auditorium These things put
everybody on The tIOtoc of expectation. The ushers
| aud everybody e'se who hld or supposed to
| have any official connection with the building were
| Piled with questions At twenty minutes past 3 the
! red curtain which had confronted the
assembly was slowly raised and displayed the
! painted drop beneath. This represented for the
most part angels and flowers After some very soft
music had been given by the orchestra, the
! drop curtain went up and disclosed the
! first scene Of the Passion Play -" The
! Presentation in the Temple" In the centre stood
| the High Priest dressed IN white, with a golden
| ephod glraning on his br ast On his right were
assembled the LeyItes, anu the yariouslg costumed
! MulI iludr crow ded at his left. be set scene
! was the Temple AMI the principal elements OF the
| building visible were immense spiral pillars whose
inicrmnablc succession was carried away by paint
| ing nto the far persp ctiyc. When tins was all dis
clos, 4 20 the audience and the hrst notes OF the
| opening chorus hai rceu sung the audience settled
back IN thcr seats with the idea that the perform
! ancr would 20 on.
! The singing however. had no sooner fairly started
| than Captain Williams. who had been noticed by
attentive obscTv"rS IN the gallery to be az tho rear
/ OF the stage quickly made his way through the
crowd on the stage and disappeared in the wings NJ
/ the right. The next moment a short rOund-taced
| man, with cape OycrcOat, suddenly aD-
! peared At tho foorhghts and advanced 70
! the centre Of tn stage. lie waved his hands
ho the chorus and 10 the leader % the orchestra
and the performance was stopped When quiet was
secGrc,t he aruounc d that there was II < ntleman
! PIE cut VINO would be abe 10 tell better than he
could what tuc matter was. ms proved 10 n w.
+. Howe. who at this moment made his way through
the crowd of priests, IcYItes aud CItlZcus of
Jerusalem that crowded the Temple scene. He
! cared a silk hat in his hand and wore
! vuluminOus ovcrcoat heavily trimmed with fur.
! Before Inc began 10 speak, Captain Williams with
| >Almi Morse ana A. II. Ilummel. appear behind
hin. Tho audience waited eagerly Tor the next de-
| vel pmcnt. Mr. Howe stated IN elect that the
! performance was stopped m aud that Mr;
| Nfor,s had been arrested. THIS was received
| with Misses Mr. Howe said !hat the would
Ice ore a Police Magistrate and would be reduced 10
a series Of aitdayIts. lie characterized the pro-
Gee .lnr. a. an outrage, and added tuat clcrgymen
! might ~ well be condemned for heerodoN opinions
! before tine sermons containing the opinions were
delivered. ~ that Mr.. Morse should be prosecuted
a.d prrsccuied for the Passion Play before II was
! produced. these remarks were received throughout
! With bursts of applause.
The speaker proceeding TO speak Of the pre-
scutatIon oi the play in san Francisco when he was
/ Interrupted by a voice 40 the gallery. An oil man
rose and i'm a tone OF great excitement asked 10 be
/ L, .rd 1t is = harlcs K. Thornr' said some
/ down stairs. mi, aunouncemcnt was tXciediy r..
| ,fcr,ted by Mr. Howe. ana Mr.. Ihorne was invited
/ down to the stage. lie made his way
do,vu stairs n wooden adder was dropped from the
.ta.e 10 the ioor of the theatre and the old gentle
/ man clambcrcd into general observation. lie
reached the centre Of The stage, and the lawyers,
! MI Morse, the httle round man with the oYcrcoat
! and t'aptaiu " IllIm, drew back and were partly
/ I,.. ia fine chorus. NJ. lhOrnc, speech was very
| LrIef He was greeted and followed throughout
! with applause. lie said tnat he had sat through
two performances III san Fanclscn, aud he had
stpu
| he pretended To hold Christian sentiments When
he had retired there were loud crieS Tor Mr. Morse,
| and IA. came forward. lie spoke in low voice. de-
clared that he WAS an outlaw, and referred To tho
fact thai he tried e. reproduce jerusalem exactly
! on the stage he said he Was refused license be-
! cousr he could not offer prlze night or variety
| performance. lne Gun tam was about to be rung
! down when Mr Howe agaln came forward
! and sad that tncro was no law
against the singing of the llallclu all chorus and
/ ne prop scd that 1t should bc gwen. The chorus
/ was accordingly gwen aud the red curtain agdin
/ dr.ceuded The audience quickly dispersed.
A little crowd accompanied Mr.. Morse to the
police station, where ne went WIN captain
/ bouosman lie was stopped III the street by silly
| women who insisted on shaking bands VITA hun.
/ At the police station ne gave ms age
M ilty-lour, his birthplace as Eng
land ana his occupation rs that ot literary man.
! lie added that he had been married. CAPTAIN Will
nlns ad That b. had been arrested Tor violation oi
the th-ntrcal act 900 hali was asked ana iur-
| nI.hcd and Nh. Morse was directed 10 appear at
Jefferson Market Police Court TINS morning at ~
soon after the decision Of Judge Donohue
rendered. there WAS fled with itegl5tcr Docharty,
lease by -almi Morse to ConyerS l.. Graves oi the
/ theatre. The lea includes al tht scenery hNiureS
/ AM, other properties contained IN the structure.
The instrument is dated February &3,
and states hat II is for five years from date at the
yearly rent of 500. TO bo pald IA advance ea1h
Monday during the term, TIE first payment 10 be
made ON Nav I. 10 Is prOb1blc that the sum men
/ tiourd +, intended a. a weekly rent, ihough the
language conveys the impression th1t T1oO shiIi Dc
paid ally for the lease.
II D.. especially provided Tor that Ile pIehliScS
snail ONLY be used for thea real purposes, ana a
| conditional clause contained IN the documShI pre-
vents tie lessee from performing any pay, uIdha
or spectacle tie production OF when Is not COLI
snted to by Salmi Morse
.,,.