The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-10-08
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Vulgar Versus Refined Vaudeville In
Gotham Flippant Police Magis-
trates-Jokes and Justice.
Especial Correspondence.l

| by those persons connected with the
vaudeville business who have regretted
the deplorable depths of depravity into
which that branch of the theatrical pro-
fession has fallen that the patrons of
the SO called "burlesque" houses would
extend their support to entertainments
which were meritorious and in which
OF improperly. Several experiments in
this direction have been made here this
season One of them at least was nota-
BILE. The entertainment provided was q
real comic opera of light type, with
several concessions made to the tastes
| of vaudeville lovers in the way of the
introduction Of specialties. The piece
was handsomely mounted and costumed,
the book and music were both of excel
lent quality, the paper advertising the
attraction was made by a prominent
firm of photographers from special draw
ings done by one of the best artists in
that line in the United States, sup
posedly strong cast was engaged and the
chorus people were all taken from the
ranks of the big comic opera organiza-
tions. In other words, the experiment
was made under the most suspicious
circumstances, and all the managers
were ON the qui vive, for if that enter
tainment event" in the burlesque
houses their own would have to be rad
ically modified to conform to the new
taste which would thus be made mani
fest; but their fears were groundless.
Too Much Elevation of, the Stage.
The vaudeville habitues stood the first
act, but they didn't applaud it to
amount to much, although the special
ties brought forth the most noisy evil
dences of approval. When, however,
they discovered that they were expected
to sit through another act of the same
sort Of thing, they rebelled. 1t was 60
ing too far to expect that they should
take the elevation of their stage in such
enormous chunks. The attempt to sub
stitute merit for suggestiveness and real
music for the popular ''rag time" Sings
was conspicuous failure, and the man.
ager of the enterprise, quick to appre.
ciate that he had overestimated the re-
finement of his clientele, determined
w oWdllOW LID LID .bucOIlcb
and go back to the old thing with the
inevitable "first part, olio and bur-
lesque," following in the order named
The show was switched about and the
change was evidently appreciated. The
adage which relates to the casting of
pearls before swine never had more
forceful exemplifcation, although, in
this particular case, it applied only to
New York, for the managers efforts
were appreciated and approved in the
other cities visited. All of which is an
other evidence Of the fact that New
York is the most provincial city in the
United States.
The Flippant Police Magistrate.
Any resident of small city or even
village who visits police court in
this city for the first time cannot fail
to contrast the slipshod and loose meth
DDS which prevail here with the dignity
observable in similar courts outside Of
New York. Here no one seems to appre
ciate that there is any solemnity con-
nected with an investigation involv-
ing the question of depriving man
of his liberty for q time, whereas in
nearly every other place the gravity of
the occasion is tacitly recognized by
every one from the judge down to the
most unimportant court attendant.
Here things have come to such pass
that justices seem to think it splendid
sport to work off little joke of more
or less merit at the expense of the poor
devil who happens for the moment to
be in their power with no opportunity
to resent the liberty, except with the
alternative of going to prison for con-
tempt of court. Here is case which
actually occurred in one of our police
courts few days ago. A young man
had deserted a girl to whom he had
been very attentive. The girl resented
this. She called frequently at his place
of business and created disturbance
when he refused to have anything fur
Their to do with her. The man secured
warrant for her arrest and she was TAX
en- to police court.
"See that, judge" the complainant
said as he pointed to his cheek. "That's
where she stabbed me with pin. D."
Eyes, but he stabbed me with
knife" the woman said. eff had not
grabbed his arm, would have been
killed.
The man said the woman was break
ing up his business. She called often at
his place and threw stones at the win
dows He did not feel safe while she
was at liberty.
Jokes Versus Justice.
The magistrate committed the woman
in default of 5000 bail for her good be-
havior for one month. AS she was being
led down stairs she muttered something.
"Do you hear that, judge?' exclaimed
the ex-sweetheart in alarm. "She says
she will shoot me when she gets out"
when she shoots you, come around
here and we'll look after her." the
magistrate said as he turned to the next
case
Ignoring entirely the fact that the
justice should have got 80 days on the
spot for his horribly unfunny effort,
and that his lack of regard for some
800 e.. 1ax-o hoay,