Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-08-13
A LIVELY DANCE.
II Is Interrupted by several Fist
Fights.

II rs Interrupted Dy several klsI
Fights.
Among the delinquents who occupied
seats in the dock of the Police Court yes
terday afternoon was formidable-look
ing individual named Lee Wright. He
was charged with battery, on complaint
Of a slight-built man named E. G. Lin
wood. When the case was called fol
trial by Police Judge Stanton, Mrs. Lin.
wood, the omplainant's wife, was called
upon TO testify to the nature of the oAense,
the defendant having entered his plea Of
guilty as charged. She stated, in re-
markably we'll chosen language, that she
was the President of an organization
known as the Union Literary Society,
and that the headquarters of this high
toned society were at Champagne Hall,
q large room in the vicinity of the San
Fernando-street depot.
In her official capacity Mrs. Linwood
gave weekly dances at this hall, to which
ladies were admitted free of charge, but
gentlemen were taxed in the sum of fifty
cents each. None but persons of unques-
tionable responsibility were admitted.
On Saturday night last one of these
dances was held, Mrs. Linwood superin-
tending the arrangements in the hall,
while her husband was engaged outside
in driving people to and from the dance
in bus. A certain Mr.. Welsh had been
engaged for the occasion as floor man
ager, and among the guests was Lee
Wright, the defendant.
Just as Wright was in the act of leading
lady to the floor to dance, Welsh stepped
up and said, FIFTY cents, please !"
Wright, instead of paying, retorted,
"You're little too previous, )" and walked
on with his partner, Welsh following him
up. A second demand for fifty cents was
made, and as the money was not forth
coming, Welsh said that if Wright was
looking for fight he could be accommo-
dated outside. Wright replied that he
generally took his fights as they came,
and knocked Welsh out with blow
between the eyes.
Several of the ladies, including Mrs.
Welch, jumped upon the pugilistic
Wright; scene ensued. At this
juncture Mr.. Linwood appeared and
stepped up to Wright, but was laid out
senseless by blow on the jugular vein.
He was carried out and attended to by
his wife. During the enactment of this
little scene the dancers, who numbered
about seventy-fve, still continued their
evolutions, and no attention was paid to
the fighters, according to Mrs. Linwood's
statement.
William Crum, the mashing fireman,
who figured so prominently few weeks
ago in domestic scandal, corroborated
the details of the Welsh scene, but did
not see Linwood struck. He was en-
ployed as violinist to furnish music for
the dancers.
The defendant, Wright, who conducted
his own case, stated in his defense that
there was always something back of
these rows. Linwood had insulted his
wife at the door, and that had made him
mad. Then, again, Linwood had threat
ened to "fx" him, and had rushed at
him with his hands up, 30 that he just
struck him in self defense. As for the
Union Literary Society, it had been dead
for years, and Mrs. Linwood's dances
were open to any body, as they were just
a scheme to make money. If Welsh
"hadnt made the crack about going out
side to fight, he would never have hit
anybody"
The complainant and his wife denied
these statements when recalled in re-
buttal and the Court thereupon fined the
defendant $25, adding that if it had not
been for the conflicting testimony about
the dancers continuing during the fight,
he would have made the fine 500.