The times., 1899-11-18
THE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW.
Managers of Local Theatre Charg-
ed With niscriminntion.

MhhaEers OF "a Local Theatre tharS-
ed With Discrimination.
Messrs. Burke & Chase. managers Of the
New Grand Theatre. VIII be the defend
ants in court this morning to charge
preferred against them by William T. Fer
guscn, colored. whose home is at 1920
Pierce Place northwest. His name ap-
pears as the complainant on a warrant is
sued Yesterday after a consultation with
Assistant District Attorney Muilowny,
charging violation of the act of Con-
gress of March /, 1875, known as the Civil
Rights law. 1t sets forth that one P.
b. Chase and John f. Burke. being then
and there the managers of the New Grand
Theatre, did deny said Ferguson the full
and equal enjoyment of the accommoda-
tions advantages. facilities, and privileges
Of said theatre. the said denial not being
subject to the conditions and limitations
established by law"
Mr. Burke is out of town, but immedi-
ately after the warrant had been issued,
Mr.. Chase, who had been notified by tele-
phone presented himself before the clerk
Of the court and furnished bond in the
amount Of $500 Fred Smith acting as his
surety. When the case Is called in the
Police Court this morning it is probable
that Mr.. Chase will waive the preliminary
healing, He has engaged Attorneys Bir-
ney & Woodward to represent him.
The alleged trouble which Is said to
have led up to the issuing of the warrant
/ Is understood to have occurred Tuesday
night. II is alleged that Ferguson, in
company with his mother and another coll
ored woman purchased orchestra seats
| for the Tuesday night performance and
were allowed 10 occupy the seats for a
hort while. Then, 1t is said, they were
advised that the coupons they held were
for previous performance, and because
9f that, it is said were informed that
they could not continue to use the seats.
II would appear from what was stated
at the theatre yesterday evening that Fer
guson had been the victim of mistake
such as not infrequently occurs at the
atre. According to the statement the solu-
tion is that Ferguson was given matinee
. tickets due either to a mistake at the box
office or his mistake when asking for tick
cts. 1t is claimed that the mistake was not
discovered until persons holding the proper
coupons for the seats arrived and claimed
them. The usher who had seated Fergu-
son and his party, it is said then saw that
mistake had been made and sought to
3
late arrivals and seeing they were correct
sought out Ferguson and examined his cou-
pons. They too, were apparently all right
until the date on them was consulted.
/ This, it is said, showed that they were for
the matinee performance and Ferguson, it
is claimed. was so notified. It is further
/ asserted that Ferguson was told to go to
the box office and that the matter would
be satisfactorily adjusted
! An attache of the theatre, in speaking
Of the matter, said: I'VE had a little diff
/ ficulty in handling the crowds for the first
/ four or five performances. There was a
( great deal Of confusion which was due
: principally to the advance sale, and sec
ondaTily to the fact that persons having
4 seats in the balconies attempted to get TO
/ them through the main entrance, Again,
when the curtain went down for the inter
mission, many persons attempted to- and
several did, get on the main floor of the
house. In some instances they took seats
only to have TO give them up, when the
holders of coupons for the seats returned
to the theatre after the intermissiOn In
order to obviate that trouble we hung a
large sign from the ceiling of the main
entrance announcing the entrance and exit
of the balconies to be on the Fifteenth
Street side OF the house. Since that time
we have not had any trouble 1t has beer
the object of the management to conduct
an orderly and refined theatre and to eX-
tend all courtesies possible to all persons
To those Of our patrons who wanted goot
seats in a particular portion of the huse
/ knowing we we're going to be crowded, or
dered seats early. Those who came late
had TO take what was left That was only
matter Of choice. and that certainly can
not be construed to be a discrimination
The house has had a policy since it was
opened and that policy is going to b'
maintained"