The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-05
Arrested on Charge of Making
Glass Distinction.
SAYS HE WON'T BUDGE.
Provides Seats for Negroes and
Must Occupy Them.
Will Run His Theater as He
PIeases.


ty theater; Charles Martin and r. A.
Williams, two of his ushers, were ar
rested last evening on a warrant charg-
ing them with showing race distinction
end with unlawfully and wilfuuy show
ing distinction on account of race
color and previous condition of servi-
tude." The warrant was sworn out by
Simon Jordan, negro who is employed
as porter at Hobart's drug store. Jor-
dan claims that in company with his
wife he went to the Novelty theater and
secured seats well towards the front and
near the stage so that they might be in
3 better position to witness the acts
and that they were requested by one OF
the ushers to occupy seats in the rear
of the house and that this was done
on account of the fact that they are
negroes and that the management is
discriminating against their race con-
trary to the constitution. He refused TO
be seated by the usher and was told
that they must either occupy the seats
assigned by them or get their money
at the box office and leave the theater,
and that considering this as an insult
that he left the theater.
In speaking OF the occurrence Man
ager Hogan said: TT is true that we
refused to permit this couple to occupy
the seats IfaI NneX were occupying.
have two men employed to seat
the patrons of the theater and they are
instructed to seat the audience as fast
as they arrive. In the rush this couple
got by the usher and selected seats
which we did not wish them to occupy
and we selected seats further back fer
them and as they refused to occupy
them I gave them their money back I
reserve the right to do this with any
one entering my theater and on the
back of each ticket giving them admis
sion is plainly printed, The manage
ment reserves the right to revoke the
license granted by this ticket by refund
ing the purchase price. The purchaser
ofthe ticket is not entitled to a seat.
and must take the seat given by the
Novelty Theater company management.
This clause is printed on every ticket
and was placed there by the manage
mentsO that we caas protect ourselves
from Objectionable characters and SO
that we may run our theater to protect
the better class of patronage We are
not catering to the colored people Of
the city. We want the better class of
the people of Topeka for our patrons
and will do our best to protect them
from the ennbarra ssrnent necessitated by
seating them along side of objection
able characters whether they be white
or black I do not know anything OF
the standing OF this couple and they
were not requested to move FOR that
iGcSOit. DuL VIZ nave 4dI CbliSAACA ctDAI
trouble with the tougher class Of the
negro population Of the city and have
reserved a portion OF our seating ca
pacity for the negroes and shall insist
that they occupy the seats reserved for
them or stay away from the theater.
It have had the same trouble in 9TH
er cities. but this is the worst place
that I have met. There is a certain ele-
ment { the rough negro element
which is not contented to sit in the
.-S- to hrFA
crowding in newt to the better class of
our white patrons and we object to
this as do our patrons This trouble
originated over a mOnologue which IS
held between two of our performers
which runs something like this: We
have tube rose in England which on
a warm summer day you can smell Tor
yards and yards away, and Mr.. Drew
/ replies: We have a rose here in To-
peka that we call the negroes that on
warm summer day you can smell for
yards and yards; in fact. for miles away
Several colOred people have protested
that this monolOgue was placed on
| the stage here as a direct insult to the
negro which is not a fact, but we are
not asking them to come to our play
| house and if they want to avoid TINS
! insult all that is necessary for them
! to do is to stay away
ftI was also informed by negro
/ that they had a fund of $4,000 which
| they intended to use to see that they
/ received the same treatment at this
theater as white folks. This theater
belongs to me. I have spent consider
| able money in fitting it up and am
not catering to negro patronage and
will not permit them to dictate pol
1 lev to me If they want to come in
| they may do so by securing a ticket,
and I reserve the right to seat them
| then if they are insulted it is their own
fault and the threat that they have
made that they will close the theater
sounds like a jest to me-