The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-06-07
SHERIFF HENRY
MAKES RAID ON
A JAP THEATER
Strikes Blow at the Labor Agtators Who are
Using the Stage to Stir Up
Discomfort.

Last night High Sheriff Henry put
out his hand, and when he drew it in
be held the star performers of the
troupe of japanese play actors who
have been engaged in giving perform
ances at the Aala street theater calcu-
lated to bring the Japanese Consul in
to extreme dfsrepute. For the Sheriff,
with a squad of police under Captain
Kanae. and with three mounted men
as a kind of an outside guard, had
raided the Japanese theater. Five OF
the actors We're taken in the raid, and
not yet shown up for the evening per-
formance were gathered in later by
Toma Abe.
1t was high time that something of
the kind was being done. in the opin-
ion of the official world. In fact. if
Sheriff. it is entirely probable that an
appeal would have been made to the
United States authorities, and then the
matter would have assumed the dig
nifty of an international incident. And
it may come to that yet.
The first of these plays, given on
Saturday night, was or purported to be
a representation of the experiences of
a Japanese immigrant bound for Ha-
waii on the steamer Coptic. In the
course of it the wife of the japanese
sConsuI was travestied, and there was
besides a bit of by-play that is made
the basis for one of the warrants upon
which the men were arrested last
night There were two warrants, one
charging indecent exhibition, and the
other running a play house without
license. The Saturday night exhibit
ton was a screaming farce, historically
speaking, moving an American much
more to laughter than anything else,
but 1T was taken most seriously by
the large crowd of Japanese present.
And the place was packed, hundreds
being turned away from the doors.
The play on Monday night had its
plot laid on Oahu plantation, and one
scene, wherein what purported to be
Portuguese luna abused japanese field
hands wrought the audience to the
highest pitch of frenzy.
"Kiu the luna, Kill the luna was
sbonted from all parts of the house,
and for a little time it is said to have
looked as though the unfortunate Jap
who had the part might be in danger
because Of his extreme realism.
Last nights play, for the program is
changed every night. was to have been
devoted to the planters. And what 1t
might have been can be understood |
from what has gone before. That |
pIay. however. has been indefinitely |
sostponed-and the audience did not |
get any rain checks. although some |
of them got their quarters back.
The crowd had hardly begun to |
gather last night when High Sheriff
Henry entered the low door that leads
into the theater. few women and
children were seated on the floor in
what may be classed as the parquette,
and there was japanese orchestra
playing a shrilly kind of music III a
box adjoining the stage, L. q. But TIE
crowd came pouring in after the Sher-
ff. 1t seemed as though some kind or
signal had gone out, calling the Japs
from all over the quarter. They kept
coming and coming, and the door
keeper. a rather greasy looking son OF
Dai Nippon. began clapping together
a couple of small fiat boards that ne
had in his hands. as if to call in more
This signal. for it clearly was a signal,
was answered in kind from somewhere
behind the crudely painted cotton cur
tain that concealed the wide stage.
They kept coming. and finally the
Sheriff ordered the police captain. who
had appeared with his squad by ibis
time, to close the door and admit no
more
Then, after a little parley, and
little squany hanging back on the oart