The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-24
Sunday Night Performance Was
Given at the Crawford.
Entire Company, Men and Wom-
en-, Then Arrested.
BONDS WE'RE GIVEN.
Men and Women JOked Officers
on Way to Station.
Test Case VIII Be Made in the
Courts.

Seventeen members of the Ferris
comedians company were arrested after
the performance of saThe Fatal Card
in the Crawford opera house last night.
The arrests were quietly made by the
police after the show was ended. and
the performers released on bond in a
few minutes time after a trip to the
police station. A formal charge Of vio-
latiOn Of the city Sunday observation
ordinance was made, the defendants be-
ing charged with giving a theatrical and
dramatic performance on the Sabbath,
contrary to the provisions Of the city
statute. The episode viii develop into
q test case over the Sunday theater.
Notwithstanding the uncertainty as
to whether or not the performance
would be allowed to proceed, large au-
dience fled into the theater at the usual
hour This open question was seized
upon by the inevitable bettors and sew
eral wagers We're made that the show
would not be allowed to go on Those
who took the continuous performance
end of the wager won their money.
There was no police interference with
the production of the play
Chief of Police Stahl and officer John
Lucas entered the house a few minutes
after O'Clock, were ushered down the
right aisle by l.. NJ Crawford, and dis
appeared under the stage Their en-
trance was not even noticed by half the
audience Those who saw waited anx-
iOusly. In three minutes the officers
came tumbling up out Of the little door
under the stage and went on out of the
house The professor shot up out of
the opening Immediately behind the Off
GERS and executed a pas seul on the
piano. which gave assurance that the
crisis was past and the play would go
on Chief StahTs first visit of his life
to the green room of theater was on
most commonplace business He merely
asked and received from Fred Seward,
acting manager, the list of names OF
said that they We're under arrest, and
would be called for after the show
Seward was made up as a bad man
from Dawson and q crowd of equally
savage looking Klondikers. srrayed for
the prologue, surged about the officers
at the door Of the dressing room
kid HaWley'' paled under his buffalo
Whiskers and asked:
DO we have to stay all night2 If we
do I'll make a hunt for the woods
Hank Bullock" another desperate
looking Vigilante, drew a rusty looking
popgun from its holster, hitched up his
belt and jocularly held up the officers
in bandit style with a gruff, Hand over
your money"
After these few pleasantries the Off
GERS absented- themselves while the
thrilling melodrama of The Fatal Card
was enacted in the Ferris company's
popular style. The Vlg1lanteS dealt out
their rough justice to the law breakers
of their Klondike camp. The ace of dia-
monds played its tragic part of pledging
4
the last act The leading juvenile pro-
posed to the coquettish soubrette in the
odd situation of man who had gone
in swimming and had his clothes stolen
He poured forth the passionate declara-
tiOn of his longing from the shelter of
a bushy bank by the stream side. He
had his first opportunity on a garden
bench and failed, but it required an
heroic and unusual situation to account
for his bushes and loosen his stammer-
ing tongue
Chief stahl entered the theater again
near the close of the performance and
occupied a seat in the rear of the house
with his squad, consisting of Officers
Lucas and AfcElroy- It seemed all new
to the doughty chief. His foot beat time
to the stirring strains of the Blue and
the Gray" as the captivating notes were
chased out Of the piano by the nimble
fingers of Prof" Rowland. With unprO-
fessional eye he watched the gang of
criminals divide their swag and plan
the destruction of the hero with an in
fernal machine.
Everything has an end, even a melo-
drama The villain redeemed his pledged
card by hurting the Internal machine
that would destroy the hero's life out Of
the window and gave up his own life
In the act of so doing. The audience
fled out and there were few witnesses
to the comedy that followed the me1o-
drama
While waiting for the stare folk
to get into their street garb. the off,
GERS made their second trip to the green
room. Chief Stahl became interested in
the world of action behind the scenes
He took a guide and made a scrutiny
Of several dressing rooms as they were
vacated one after another
They are small,'' he said, 'sbut not so |
bad Here see they have a looking
glass, wash stand and bowl. They are
handy after all, suppose"
Then the procession of seventeen
actors and three dogs went to the po-
lice station with the officers. Small boys
looked on in curious wonder from the
curbstone and followed along.
My, what an increase in the number
Of people in the Ferris company re-
marked one Of the fair prisoners
Let's do the lock step'' suggested the |
Eoubrette to the leading Juvenile
Send me down a sandwich one
called in to the clerk at the oxford, |
where the company was topping.
The leading lady carried .sI>1.ixia a
fluffy poodle, done up in a vorsted
dog overcoat, tenderly under her arm.
Dick Ferris, 5r..' snapped at the heels |
Of one of their captors, and little ssFiirt'' /
spun In and out trying to maintain her /
reputation in the dog colony
At the station Dick Ferris. jr" took /
a notion to register first He leaped lp |
on the table, sat down on Jailer Smiths |
book of record, and smiled a knowing |
dog smile
The members Of the company were |
questioned and recorded as to their sew
eral names. ages and state of celibacy-
their bond OF $500 was approved bv |
Judge MagaW and the party released |
The defendants names as they were put /
down on the roster are John Movers
Mrs. NJ. J. Fitzpatrfck Laura FitZnaf- /
wood, Edwin Forsberg, Fred Seward. |
Sam Adylie, Harry E Mckee, NJ J. Fitz- /
patrick, John Mylie, Helen Courtney.
Emily Batlos Elberta Roy, Bessie War |