The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-12-25
"Box WORKERS" MEMBERS or
HUMAN RACE.
VARIETY SHOWS IN TROUBLE
Failing to Get Relief from City coun-0
Gil, saIoonmen Invoke Laws
Strong Arm.

Regardless of how they may con-
slider them from moral or social
standpoint, the compliments in q
criminal action instituted before Judge
Fraser late Tuesday night are free
to admit that the women employed
in the variety theatres of the city
are members of the human race. This
admission is made in one of their
complaints, which are two in number.
Tony Minder and Jack Balm are
the defendants in one action and
Josh Fogg in the other. Both suits
are brought for the purpose of COM
to close up or cease the employment
of women in their respective places.
AS published in The Gazette some
time ago, the saloonmen of the city
are determined to force the variety
theatres to go out Of business, main-
tanning for themselves that because
of the high license they are required
to pay to the city and state they
are unable to compete with those
places, which afford the added attrac
tion of winsome women to cajole the
bibulously inclined into more literally
patronizing the bars attached to them.
To accomplish this they petitiOned
the city council to revoke the licenses
of the theatres. So far the council
has declined to grant their petition
and now they are invoking the state
law, which prohibits the employment
of women in places where liquors are
sold publicly.
The Complaints.
The men who have Joined in the
complaints are w. o. Lee, Dick Crys-
/ Ter, A. G. Schneider, Frank Swim,
Henry Thorson, Henry G. Kerr, Char
les Buns, John Ballow and John All
Christ In their complaint against
Minder & Balm they allege that on
December 90, 1903, the defendants
| then and there caused to be Employed
| females of the human race for hire
drink and gain to dance, wait, prome
made and otherwise exhibit them-
/ selves in drinking saloon, towit, theI
/ Topic theatre, situated on Minnesota
avenue in Billings, Montana, then and|
there place of public amusement.|
towit, variety concert theatre, there
being connected therewith place fo1}
the sale and use of a beverage Of in1
I, toxicating liquors." ETC.
Bessie Clark, Helen Gordon, Lilly
Adams, Stella Peabody, Nellie Hays
and Fannie Howard, whose true
names are unknown to the complaint
ants, are mentioned as the ''femalel
of the human race" who are alleged
to be employed contrary to law.
The complaint against Fogg is onlj
/ repetition of that against Minded
& Balm, except that only the descripI
ton included in the word "females'
is employed to designate the char
acter of some of the employees Of thf
house. The complainants are the sam(
as in the first case.
Bessie Clark. Daisy Gavore, Floa
ence Parks, Beebe Edwards and Al
liam Howell are the women manned
in the action.
I Warrants were issued for the arrea
of the defendants, but service w
not made until late yesterday eve
ing, when the defendants were take
into custody and arraigned.
This evening they are to be In coo1
again, when the county attorney
expected to be present and actto
will be taken in the matter Of pc4
pairing for the trials, In case the d
PENDANTS shall elect to fight the y
tion.
Productive Of Other Reeulte.
i A result that some Of chem prohe
4 " did not anticipate will follow q
A action Of the saloonmen. That It W
; not be pleasant OF eontemplatton
probably also the case. Il II autho
tatively stated that inasmuch =
saloon keepers object to the vaEie
theatres the keepers Of the la&ter
! going to retaliate and see thAk
law prohibiting gambling shaA
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