The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-05-05
ALMOST A SMALL RIOT.
An Unprecedented Rush for
Opera House Tickets.
PEOPLE IN LINE YESTERDAY
Ten Hours before tho Registering
was Dcgun-A Fight Or Two, nj
Arrest and lots of Excite.
mcnt-Spcculat0rs In.

Never was such an excited rush for
seats In atheatre known in Wheeling, rs
ihat which bad It's first beginnings about
9 p. III. yesterday. II was announced
last week that Mt midnight Sunday the
Opera House box Office would open, and
all desiring to buy seats for Booth md
Modjeska's performance Of Merchant
OF Venice" at that house on Wednesday
evening, might there register and re.
ceive numbers. The sale is 10 open at
G. A. Houses music store ut S o'clock
this morning. The numbers will be
called, and those who registered last
night will respond and buy what
tickets they want, not exceeding ten
each.
At . o'clock yesterday afternoon n
colored man took up his stand In front Of
the Opera House main entrance. AT 3,
another had joined him; by i there
were eight or ten, and by six Il score Of
men, mostly colored, waited their turns.
BY seven tho sidewalk was crowded,
and half IN hour later the crowd en-.
croached on the street. There was n
good deal OF quarrelingn and pushing, and
ut least n tght-not serious, because
the Jam was too tight for execution.
The police cleared the way repeatedly,
but rs soon as Officer Moran, on
duty OH that beat, walked n rod, the
boys were back as thick aud close as ever.
The rush was for tho most part good
humored. A majority in the crowd
were hired to wait and secure good
piaces. Several lists were circulated
and vouched for as official, but these did
not 20. H0
There was only one arrest heard Of.
Mr.. D. L. Heiskeli WIS ordered by Off.
Ger Moran to move on, and did SC. A
little later he approached the officer,
when a friend Of his was talking Ia
Moran. This officer said: 81 told you
to moveo on once"
"Yes," said Mr.. 1Ieiskell, "but, Mr..
Moran, | approached you to ask you
question. You ought not to DO 80
hasty."
swell, You move on" said Moran,
angrily. ~ do not want to talk to you.''
He showed Mr.. Heiskell angrily, and
when the latter demonstrated, arrested
him. At the lookup he would no,
listen 10 reason, but said holly, ".You
put up that money, or in the cell you
go!"
the money was put up and Mr.. Heis
kell released. Eye-witnesscs OF the mr.
rest say it was a wanton and %inexcpsable
abuse OF authority, and Mr.. Heiskell't
belief that the arrest and the causeless
indiguity OF his treatment was due K
personal motives, seems entirely plans
ible.
At midnight a line OF about sixty.lve
men and boys had been formed, extend
ing up the street, and Officers Shorts
Moran, Frohme, Bell aud Gaus were
kept busy keeping them straight. Do
sides these, about Il hundred others were
gathered in front OF the entrance, but ia
no purpose.
Promptly at 70 one gate was opened
and held by Officer Shorts, while foul
men went in. They registered and wen
out and four more were let in. AS thert
are but ago seats downstairs, forty.siS
people could buy the whole lowel par
OF the house.
When the box Office closed about
o'clock there were just forty 81 seats LEI
in the gallery. Section l was reserved
for neighboring towns, and n part o.
this remains unsoid, but will be kept
open until this evening. 1t will doubt
less be all sold. What is to prevent I
person in Wheeling from having friends
in Bellaire Of elsewhere buy his seats?
A number OF seats were booked BY
spectators, who will no doubt .cleal
themselves handsomely.
The colored man who was on deck at .
P. m. yesterday got in about number
thirty.
There will probably be almost as bat
a jam this morning at Houses.