The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-18
CHORUS GIRLS IN A RIOT
They Are Angry Because They Don't Get
Paid by the Manager.

Chicago, Ill, July 17-Twenty-fve
| policemen from the Attrnl Street sta
tion answered a riot call at 10 D. m. on
Thursday and rescued Manager ]. r
Bickerdicke of the Electric Park from
an excited crowd Of 500 chorus girls
| from the spectacular show at the park
who were demanding pay for their
weeks work.
The girls had found the manager IN
| the pavilion, about the only building
| spared by the fire that swept the park
| the previous day. With their numbers
| increased by several hundred bystand-
| ers and the male dancers of the play,
they had flemmed the frightened theat-
rical man inside the pavilion.
Spectators were yelling Lynch him"
Some one, IL is said, had already gone
for a rope in spite of twenty-five plain
clothes men already on the ground,
when the patrol wagon came in answer
to a riot call and rescued the manager
from the chorus girls and the police.
Bickerdicke was hustled down the
stairs Of the pavilion by a squad of blue
coats and into the dark basement, where
he was guarded by the police until the
crowd had gone home and the people OF
the play adjourned to hold another in
dignation meeting without the mana
ger in the center.
Six hundred people have been paying
car fare out OF their own pockets for
six weeks to attend the rehearsals Of
the spectacle 'Benamela" at the park
They got no pay for reilearsing. with
the understanding that they were to
receive pay for the first week Of the per-
foIInance last Friday night.
When Friday night came II was at
the end Of a week of large crowds and
a successful week for the management.
The men and girls OF the performance
were at the box office after the play to
get their wages. Nearly every one of
the 500 people in the play had depended
on Friday night.
Manager Bickerdicke was at the Of
fee, but he said he had no money with
him. In spite of the murTpurs and the
protests of the performers they were
told that they would have to wait until
Monday night for their pay. There
was nothing else TO do.
Monday night Manager Bickerdicke
paid twenty-five OF them en- dancers.
and told the remainder OF the dancers
and ballet girls they would have to wait
tin Thursday night.
Thursday noon the theater at the park
and about everything that was worth
anything was burned up.
The girls and the men dancers came 70
the park as usual last night. They
were talking over their misfortunes and
the alleged treachery OF the manager
when the Star OF Beauty, otherwise
Miss Maude Major. spied the alleged
cause of an their troubles in the paviI-
ion.
Look there. girls" the star shouted.
There is that Bickerdicke UP there
now"
Sophia and Amanda. the attendants Of
the star. turned their beams in that Ill
rectien and ahghted on the manager.
roo. Marvel. fairy Of the fountain. gag
ed in the same direction. Then all the
sprites and fairies flew in the direction
OF the manager Genius Danessh moist
ened the palms Of his hands as he took
the lead.
Give US our money" they yelled, as
they climbed the stairs OF the pavilion
and cornered the manager.
With six hundred people packed
around him Ike sardines there was no
escape from the fairies. They plucked
his garments and pulled his whiskers,
and then someone turned m a riot cali
When the police arrived they caught
the chorus girls by the arms and draSg-
ed them out of the way till they reached
The manager. Then they hustled him
away.
The dancers and ballet will secure a
lawyer and attach the insurance on the
burned buildings