New-York tribune., 1901-11-27
CHILDREN RIOT IN HARLEM.
POTATOES FILL THE AIR, AND WIN
DOWS AND SCENEk1 Ahh
SMASHED AT BENEFIT.

Hinge rcd cards announcing childrens per
forrnance in aid of a children's home were o's
,r;huted in the neighborhcod Of West ohe-huI'-
dredtb-st last week for an entertainment 10
take place in Colonial Hall, one-hundfed- ana
1rsts Ct and Colurnbus-ave.. yesterday after
noon. Part of the price of admission was d po-
tato and twelve hundred children. each win
-o.a+o went there Yesterday fired the potatoes
., m. ,nanagernent. called the show rake
ord broke windows and chandeliers. TIL the Po-
lice routed theIn and arrested the proprle'oi'
oscar B. Steele. forty-three years old oi aos
ron a theatrical agent, giving his Ne"-1oFN
address as No. 113 East SiXteenth-st- lie was
charged with giving a performance without d
theatrical license, and obtaining money uANe'
false pretencss ,,,,,
rrta red cards were eagerly read by the nun
I'D Of school children who found the prices
If admission advertised as follows: Ncho'"'S
,,,~,iesicr : cents and potato; parents ao-
,.ission - cents and potato" The aoNsl-
tisement stated that the potatoes we're To eo -
H. "CbiIdren's Home" Steele could not '''
lust what that place was
| rb. bon holds about four hundred persons
Steele was apr allied, when the time 10Y III. w.
forroance came to see twelve hundred emu, "
to,s and girls come to the nall, some with th"ii
| ,.,rants and every one "itl potato III MS I,S'
when ,hc children got into the hall they "e
gan "a cIaroor for the presents. which A'co'"
- ia tho advertisements they We're t." rece'Ne
t,o, had been told to keep his potato tH He
| could drop it in barrel for the ie' =
r1o,,,a. Thnn came the first trouble Inc Pi''
n,e were given out. and every one s"' "
! locked like a lead ring.
To nuiet the shouts which arose the hhanae
ra,e, m the curtain. There were three perform
orc the nanag r. his wife and an assistant
| rbe cnildre,t shouted that the show was no s'''
| ord some one threw potato. In d minute po
t+,es ,,..re aviny in every direction The s'aEe
and curtain were pelted and window after WI.
dow was broken. Each crash seemed 10 deilb"'
| The children who would shrek WIN 'a"7'''
| and applause ,.-..,, -t,,,,- than
one boy said he could give better SnoT Ictric c
the one Steele gave. He climbed on an e'eTt ,rhe
linbt chandelier and began 20 swing on II ~
rbandelier broke with his weight and the chr
dren renewed the shower Of potatoes 1o,.
~. manager begged for order and po9
.bray Dotato at Steele which hit him in the
Thulman. the proprietor of the hall sent sent aeI 5oL
tho nolice CAPTAIN Schmttberger and four ue
tnctiy,as went to the hall. The children nau
taken up the cry we want our money back:
and Steele's wife began to give them bach 'iie'
money They let the potatoes go.
Cantain Schmttberger questioned Steele ne
found that Steele had no license to give d & pc.
fornance and that he could not answer titct0
tions about the 'Chiidren's Home saLiSiaI aLiSiLiJ
I'll, The manager arrested and the chIi-
dren cheered Captain Schmittberger- .,o
The captain then sent for the reserves OF , tlie
tion and twelve went to the nail lie9
formed the children in line and sent them LII
Indian file the street. Some stili clutcheu po
tatoes. - ,a.rs
as a thea trical agent and did not know ne hetu-
ed license He said he gave PerIorhldnCo
last week in Harlem and was to give another oh
MES left by the children in two handkerchiefs
and went away