The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-01
BARNETT GOES WEST
His Vaudeville Theater Venture in
Great Falls a Failure.
REAL ESTATE IN CHOTEAU
1t VIII Be Appraised by Commit
tee-The Whittaker-Woo
Trouble-No New Cases
of Diphth eria.

Great Falls, Jan. 31.-The dingy old
building on Second avenue south be-
tween Second and Third streets, known
as the Casino theater. and used for some
time past by Risky Barnett and CO.
terie of bum actors and box workers, is
now deserted and closed up, probably
for all time to come. few weeks ago
Barnett appeared before the city coun-
Gil and demanded a reduction of the IL
cense fee, claiming that his pay roll
aggregated $1,000 per month, and that,
unless the license charged by the city
for conducting a vaudeville theater was
reduced, he would close the house IN
definitely, thus throwing large num-
Der of people out of employment. IL
was a nervy bluff, but the council re-
fused to act and laid the matter over
for two weeks. In the meantime the
Standard made a thorough investiga-
ton of the manner in which the alleged
theater was conducted and published
series of articles showing the place to
be dive of the worst character and
resort for crooks who eked out preca-
rious existence by robbing those at
tracted to the theater. When the coun-
ell again convened Barnett was repre-
scented by an attorney. who neglected
to say anything about a reduction of
license, but who asked that Barnett be
granted a new license, his old one hav-
ing expired. The council refused the
request, instructed the city treasurer
not to issue such license and ordered
the chief of police to close up the thea
ter Then Fiskey applied for a license
to conduct a beer hall, and this was
also refused, the only alderman favor
ing the application being r. j. FitZger-
aid of the First ward. Barnett and his
associates waved belligerent and threat
ened to annihilate the Standard, the
council, the police force and the town
generally, but no serious results fol-
lowed, and this morning Barnett and
his gang of barn-stormers-aged fairies
and all-shook the dust of this city
from their brogans and took the train
for Spokane or some point further west
where they hope to do business with
out interruption from newspapers, po-
licemen, aldermen or reputable citizens
Judge DuBose has appointed Il. A.
Cummings of Fort Benton, Charles
Lepley of Big Sag, and II. w. String
fellow of Havre, as a board OF ap-
praisers for Choteau county for the
current year. The board will meet the
third Monday in February to determine
the true value" of real estate in Cho-
teau county for purposes of taxation.
County Attorney Freeman and Sher-
iff Dwyer have returned from Mon
arch, where they went to investigate
the trouble between the WoodwardS
and the Whittakers. Fred Whitaker,
James Barker and Charles Knutson,
now under arrest for precipitating the
fight will be tried before Judge Fitz-
gerald of Belt next Thursday. The state
will be represented by Mr.. Freeman
and the accused men have retained At
torney McAnelly to defend them.
No new cases of diphtheria have been
reported to the health officer for sew
eral days and those who have been Ill
of the disease are reported as improv-
ing rapidly. This afternoon the quar-
antine was raised from the Arabian
fiat" and the houses in that neighbor-
hood were fumigated very generally,
enough sulphur being used to kill the
germs of any disease, as well as any
vermin that infest the shacks. DR..
Longeway has proved to be a most eff
ficient health officer. He is thorough
ly inspecting the surroundings of every
residence in the city, and Sanitary In
spector McCumber is rigidly enforcing
the health Office orders. Mr.. McCum-
Der has the streets and alleys in good
condition and is sending notices to all
property owners to clean their prem
Uses. If they delay or refuse he in
tends to prosecute them, and the prob
ability is that they will not be lightly
punished. The people are generally
complying with the health department.
notices, the resistance coming general
ly from the ignorant classes, where
there is any protest at all.