The Washington times., 1895-06-02
BIJOU ENDS IN DARKNESS
Lights Turned Out in Buffers
Theater During a Perform anCe.
UNPAID BILL THB CAUSE
Electric Compnny's Summary Action
Might Have Led to a Panic but the
Audience Was Small = ActorsO
Stranded by the standing of the
Uncle Toms Cabin Company.

With a flicker and flash the electric
lights in Buffers BiJou Theater went out
at ten minutes before O'Clock last night
and plunged the audience into q sea OF
darkness. There might have been a panic
had the house been crowded, but as one of he
spectators expressed it, there were not peo-
pie enough present to bump against each
other and create one.
The gallery gods, who were out in force
to witness the sensational scenes and thrill
ing incidents in John p. Smiths version OF
Uncle TOMS Cabin" made the rafters ring
with cat calls. shrill whistles and uncouth
yells.
Turn on the lights" rang out from a
deep basso voice.
"Cawn't do it, ye know" came the re-
ply in nerve-racking falsetto.
STUMBLED OVER EACH OTHER
Then everybody made a simultaneous
move toward the door and stumbled over
each other in their efforts. Finally an en-
ploye OF the house found stage candle,
probably the one which was used years ago
by Lady Macbeth as she glided across the
stage like phantom and uttered her blood
curdling lines
The crowd surged toward the solitary
Pickering glim and one OF the auditors
asked the stage hand:
What seems to be the trouble?"
Manager wouldn't pay the electric
light bill" was the timid response land
the company turned off the Illumination
on EN-"
1t was afterwards learned that the
Washington Electric Light Company had
instructed their employees to cut off the
lights unless back bill was paid by $50
O'Clock ST Diub Tn. r.
the flow of Illuminating fluid was shut
off in the middle OF the second act. The
stage was crowded with actors in the scene
where George and Eliza make their es-
cape in the midst of intense excitement,
when, without moments warning, there
was spluttering sound overhead and
every light in the house went out like a
flash. Mr.. Charles Haywood; as Harley,
slave hunter, was reciting his lines, which
died on his lips with the disappearing light.
CANDLES AS BEACONS.
A supply OF candles was procured as soon
as possible and the disappointed audience
piloted down stairs to the lobby, whee
they formed in line aud were returned
the sums they had expended for admission
| to the theater.
1t was the concluding night of the season
for the Bijou, and the end came in a pail OF
| gloom. The incident also resulted iu the
disbanding of the Uncle Toms Cabin
| Company, which had only beer. on the road
few weeks. Soon the members of the
troupe assembled in the lobby and Manager
| Smith did the best he could for them.
Each man, woman and child even down to
Baby Lille Hayille, who impersonated
Little Eva. were given railroad tickets
| to New York and a small amount of money
by Mr. Smith, who wished them good
luck, safe trip and expressed the hope
| that their professional stars might not
again go down into an ocean of inky dark
ness as was the case last night.
Pretty soon the colored ''supers' noeked
down the long stairways which lead to the
stage entrance. Then they besieged the
box office and wanted their weeks pay.
messenger had in the meantime been
sent for Mr.. o. H. Butler, the lessee and
manager OF the Bijou Theater. He came
| in a hurry and remained until late in the
night pacifying the clamorous ones and as
| surfing them that they would all be paid.
MUST SELL HIS DOG.
Before separating, the white and colored
members oftheUncle Toms Cabin Company
bidding each other goodbye and Godspeed.
| One of the colored actors, with his wife and
baby, al lfrom New York, came out, leading
his big trained mastiff, which had taken a
| leading canine part in the drama.
II am hard up" he said, land must
part with my dog. Wonder where 1 eau
sell her.
Policemen Sprinkle and Sears directed
/ him To an avenue fancier's establishments
| and he departed to turn the faithful and
trained animal into cold cash.
Owing to the hot weather the company
had been playing To poor houses, but Mana.
! ger Butler had no idea when the doors
were opened at Z O'Clock that the lights
would be cut off, Notwithstanding the
fact that the electric light company haC
notified him early in the day that the back
bill would have to be- paid last evening
The members of the theatrical company
and "supers,' the ma ajority of the latter
being colored men and women, took the
matter good naturedly, as a rule. One of
the players struck an attitude in front Of
the theater and looking down on the as
sembled crowd, said with dramatic fervor:
This is the fate usually, ladies and gen.
tlemen, of poor actor"
The house will not be reopened again
this season.