Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-03-08

are touched for the best seats I'm the
house by city officials from the Mayors
office down il would not be so sur
priscd at the seats in the aisles and
the crowds Of people standing i'm the
theaters every night. This species of
cxtortion has reached proportions that
the people have no idea of. We are
obliged to sell standing room and seats
I'm the aslcs to make up what we give
away to the city Hall. The police de
partment is worse than the MAYORS
office. 1t is simply ravenous. The
building department and other depart
mcnts are equally hungry for seats. If
ever there Is loss of life mt this the
alter. | will show the orders from the
city Hall from the Mayors office Down
to prove where the blame lies. You
can bet that am not the only manager
who has saved up the evidence which
may iudict Il few officials In case of
fire trouble hereafter"
In the edition of the Chicago Chron.
icle of March 3 the following article
appeared:
Lee NJ. Hart. Secretary of the The
atrical and Stage Employees Union. ac-
cused Mayor Harrison yesterday of
having taken away the police details
from all the thcaters owing to pUue
at the management of Powers The
alter. due to failure to honor u request
for tickets for the Mayor aud Mrs.
Harrison during the recent engage.
mcnt of Julia Marlowe.
81 am positive said Hart. that the
police were withdrawn because the
Mayor did not receive the tickets he
asked for. lie did not offer to pay for
the tickets. lie simply wanted free
admission. lie was told that he could
have tickets for any other performance
where the house was not sold out. hut
that there was not u seat or u box left
for the particular time he wanted them.
The next day. or perhaps the day after.
he ordered the police detail to theaters
withdrawn.
| ".Now. | think II Is an outrage that
u man supposed to have had Il fortune
left him by his father should become
a CRATER for deadhead tickets to u
show by taking advantage of his Off
cial position. How different It is in
New York. where all the thcaters have
ample police protection. At u fire panic
| I'm one of the houses there lately the
police by their presence and GOODNESS
saved the lives Of hundreds by assur.
ing the people that there was no danger
| aud I,,,,iu,v hu.t. thn .rt,sh
"'No mayor or high official In New
York would think Of holding up the
alter for passes. If II was attempted 1t
would give rise to fearful scandal and
the official guilty of the attempt would
be IN danger of being Lexowized. |
know that II was for nothing else than
piuue that the details were removed
The Mayor. of course. makes denial
of Harris main allegation that of with.
drawing the police from supervision OF
the theaters on account of personal
pique. hut there II no declaration on
the part of his honor rs to the question
whether or not the law Il being en-
forced In the premises:
"The story IL an unqualified lie." said
| Mayor Harrison. ~ have had no mis-
understanding with Mr.. Powers or his
| theatpr. The facts regarding the with.
drnwal of the detail from the play.
| houses are these. 1t had become nee
cssary to reduce the police force on
account Of the condition of the city's
revenues by 300 men. \ cut had to he
made wherever possible 50 rs to keep
the largest possible number Of men Oh
patrolmen's duty. There had been
some criticism In the press and else
where Of the fact that n good many
policemen were kept on duty ut the
theaters. AID. Moynihan in the Council
commented on this use Of policemen
when they were 80 much needed on 9th
er duty.
1T IL true the thcaters are semi.pub.
lie institutions. but the services of the
police force are needed more for the
public good In other places, and this II
the reason they were taken from every
theater In town-fftcen places alto.
gcther. | believe"
This IL all very well rs far as II goes,
hut 1t will hardly satisfy the public.
The question for the people IL this:
Has the city administration placed II.
self IN such II position M to he power.
less to enforce the law against over.
crOwding the theaters and playhOuses
Nothing has been said on either side
on that point, ana that II the point In
which the public II chiefly concerned.
The people care nothing about the May.
or's Views as to whether or not he was
complying with Aid. MOynihnn's i'm.
piled demand that number Of police
officers who have soft snaps and no
duties To perform. except draw their
salaries, be relieved from duty In order
that those Woodworking patrOlmen and
desk sergeants who have hard AMI ar.
duOus work 10 do might receive II well.
| earned and deserved incrpns No I'm salary