The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-25
REHEARSAL STOPS A TRIAL.
COyRT STOOD FOR MURDER-R-R!
-.-"HIAW ATHr TOO MECH.
,yustlce Bennett Fines Leading Lady
saO--shc'd sent Word That He Could
DO 10 the Devil and HAT chased
Court Attendant With a Dog whip.

An interesting story was tod yesterday
ns how n theatrical company rehearslng a
melodrama broke up the proceedings in the
new Twelfth District Municipal Court,
scared two lawyers, frightened n jury and
resulted in the leading lady of the show
being fined $40 for contempt Of court.
The trouble occurred in the Boulevard
TvceIm Building at 1880 Broadway, near
virnty.ninth street, the Justice who inn
nosed the fine was the Hon. william BEN
nett and the actress in the case was Estha
Williams, wife of Arthur G. Aston, tho
manager Of the company.
Mr.. Aston hired hall in the building on
Iuv II to rchearse THE Old Cross Roads. "
The hail is separated from the courtroom
bv nm airshaft four feet wide. Justice
Bennett sits in the Broadway court only on
Tuesdays and Fridays. so that he knew
nothing of the rehcarsals until he was on
me bench on Tuesday last. AT that time
all the windows Of the courtroom overlook
ing the airshaft were open. So were those
of the rehearsal hall
Clerk McCarrick called the case OF Mead
vs McGibbon, and the court marshal
brought in a jury. The lawyer for the
rlaintiI had lust started when he was in
tsrrlp,ed by the shrieks of a woman in the
hall below.
"Un -h-h Inland me. villain" she ex-
claimed. Then came the noise Of a struggle
and the shouts of a mob that murder had
been committed. Court Officer Keimling
shot into the hall to capture the murderer,
NV 1,.,
Jurors peered down the airshaft.
Justice Bennett sent an attendant to
learn what it all meant. The attendant
came back with the news that a theatrical
company was rehearsing and that there had
been no blood spilled
Again the case in court proceeded and
again a woman's voice was heard scream
ing till the lawyer for the plaintiff dis
covered that the jury was paying no atten-
ton TO what he was saying.
Justice Bennett then sent keimling to
tell the theatrical folks to stop the rehearsal
while the court was in session. keimlang
returned with report that woman MEM
Der of the company had replied to his order
with a request that Justice Bennett go to
the devil.
The noise however, subsidized, and for the
third time the case in court was taken up.
Gentlemen. of the jury" continued the
LAWYER, but he got no further, for there
ioated in through the windows the strains
Of "Hawatha," sung by male quartet
in the hall below. Justice Bennett would
not stand for "Hiawatha.'
go downstairs and bring up that woman
who says she won't stop" he commanded,
and Keimlilg hurried down to the rehearsal
hall Again he returned to make a report
TO the Court.
"She had dog whip and she chased
me out" replied Keimling. Il got a cop
and she is tussling with him in the hall
way"
The policeman from the West tooth street
station who had been summoned by the
court attendant had succeeded In getting
the woman as far as the hall. She broke
away from him and ran into a lawyers
office on the second floor Of the building
The lawyer volunteered TO accompany
the woman upstairs and advised her to
apologize. When she got inside, how
ever, eie announced that she would die
In Jail before she would offer an apology.
The Justice finally fined her $40 for con-
tempt Of court and she shouted that she
would not pay the fine. The Justice then
ordered that she be committed to Ludlow
Street Jail and the policeman was taking her
away: when the lawyer succeeded In con-
vinciug her that she would be foolish 70 60
TO Jail. Then another member OF the
company paid her fine.