The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-31
GREAT RUSH FOR SEATS MEN WAITED FOR HOURS TO BUY MANSFIELD TICKETS. Crowd Stood in Rain Outside of Theatre and Sang Coon Song.
 Every Seat Sold in
 Two Hours

Amt 1t shame, beastly shame,
 To leave us standing out in the rain.
 Oh open that door and let us in
 We stand here melting. wet to the skin"
 Paraphrasing the words of a popular coon song, 50J citizens of Montgomery stood outside the main entrance to the Montgomery Theatre at 5 o'clock yester- day morning waiting to purchase seats for the performance of Richard Mans field tonight, and in unison sang for their was in the atmosphere and the temper ature Was high. They perspired and waited. Early morning pedestrians who cared naught for MT. Mansfield and his to be diverted from a fixed purpose. As early as o'clock yesterday morn- ing small crowi had gathered in line in front of the Theatre and by. o'clock negro was the first to get to the Theatre door. and he swung to the door knob as though his life depended upon securing the first place. All sorts and conditions of men were in the throng which had gathered to buy seats to see MT. Mans field impersonate Booth Tarkington's great French character. Dignifled men wearing good clothes joined the party out of the battle for tickets looking as if they had been struck by March cy- clone.
 At 6 o'clock a great crowd had gath cred about the Theatre. and squad of six patrolmen were dispatched from headquarters to preserve order. The crowd of would-be ticket buyers was lined up close to the walls of the The atre. extending around on Monroe Street midway of the block.
 Good hurnor prevailed until the main promptly at 9 o'clock, and the an-
 nouncement was made that the sale
 would begin. Then there was mighty
 5olting and jostling, surging and sway ifNO r1nnr A air and the impact of big men was felt. Cody Thomas, department clerk at | the State Capitol. fainted, and was borne
 oR the scene of ssto to Michel tSs Governor. was tossed high in the air several times, but he was there to buy
 tickets and he landed on his feet few
 inches nearer to the box office. It was | a scene of indescribable confusion, and | the patrolmen seemed wholly inadequate to maintain any kind of order. The ticket buyers entered the building by way of Perry Street. secured their tickets and left the building by way of Monroe Street. Without exception each person presenting himself at the box | office purchased six tickets.
 At 11:30 o'clock Sam Hirscher and Ar l thur Hirscher, managers of the Theatre. | who had been selling tickets from the | box office. announced that every seat in
 sold. They were almost completely ex-
 hausted. The crowd by this time had | swelled and equally as many persons | as were there at g o'clock were still l camoring for tickets.
 Mir. Hirscher announced that no gal | lerv tickets would be sold until o'clock this evening, and the disappointed ones | went away.
 Ut was a much larger crowd than was present for the Viola Allen sale, . said Sam Hirscher "The demand was about :Wice as great as the building will accommodate. Not a siagle person who
 came to the box office failed to purchase six tickets. Of course we had to live up to the rule. I have reason to believe
 that many persons bought tickets for out of town patrons. and I regret that W. could not fill the orders of all who de-
 sired to see MT. Mansfield"
 The gallery of the Theatre will hold POO
 persons, and admission tickets to the gallery will be sold beginning at o'clock this evening" Mir. Hirscher said last
 night that standing room tickets to the
 lower floor of the Theatre would be pos lively limited to fifty and not more than twe1tv-f1vA standing room tickets would be sold to the dress circle.
 There was much complaint yesterday
 afternoon and last night of speculation in tickets for the Mansfield engagement.
 Citizens reported having paid as mpch as
 7 ~~iece for tickets. city ordinance
 prohibits speculation in theatre tickets
 and MT. Hirscher said that 1t was the
 duty of citizens who felt they had been
 charged exorbitant prices for tickets to
 report the fact to the police department.
 No such report has been made to the
 oOlice.