The Washington herald., 1907-12-23
PAJE,\MK SUNDAY
New York Police CensOrS
Paw Over Programmes.
SOUBRETTEs DID NOT KICK
PInin-cIothes Men Sent 10 See That
Things Did Not Get Too LarEy De-
cided What Constituted "COs-
tunes" in Eyes of Law, and Black
Princess Gowns Were All Right.

New York. Dec. 22-The distinction be-
tween tweedledee and twecdledum was
too much for Gen. Bingham's troupe Of
unframed censors. so they poked their
forehngers over their programmes to-day
and tonight, looked wise as owls, and
said nothing
Therefore it was a pale. pink Sunday,
though crimson flashes radiated from the
house of Hammerstein, the New York
Theater. Percy Williams Colonial. the
American, and other places where people
went to find out how much entertainment
would shine through the. cracks n the
old law that Alderman Reggie Doull
made with his little hatchet
Anybody who imagined. though, that
the new ordinance was merely a paper
hoop made to let little silk-stockinged.
short-skirted, fluffy-haired soubrettes kick
full Of holes had the wrong hunch. Cor
poration Counsel Pendleton's interpreta-
ton of what might and what might not
be done was pretty accurately lived up to
by the theatrical managers. though, per-
haps. they strained that Interpretation a
little in their own favor.
No sketches Put Ons
No sketches or playlets We're put 'on.
Buck and wing dancing and every other
variety Of foot hinging was vigorously
excluded. Actors and actresses did their
stunts without the aid of rouge pot or
pencil. Acrobats and tumblers were out
OF a job. Every theater made one stage
setting do for its entire programme. Cur
euFv M
The burning question, and the one
which furrOwed the brOws Of the plain
clothes men who were sent to see that
things didn't get too larSy, was what
constituted a costume in the eyes of the
law. A precedent was established early
in the afternoon at the Victoria Valeska
Suratt appeared as the Gibson Girl in a
black princess dress that looked as II
IT had been pasted on her. Two minutes
later she chased forth IN a yellow
spangled princess equally clinging.
At Rector's in the Black.
a plain-clothes man hinted that the
law was being punctured, but the actress
made the point that she was appearing
in her street clothes, and proved the
point a little later by showing up at
Rector's in the black.
Up at the Colonial. the only theater
which had harsh words with the police,
May Irwin rolled out majestically in a
saffron-hued gown that would have
caused a t'ree-alarm in Broadway any
time, but the exact Interpretation of the
wocd costume puzzled the police, and Miss
Irwin sang her coon songs in the same
old way.
There were Hebrew and Irish make
ups, not quite so fragrant.
The elimination Of playlets and dancing
turns caused the vaudeville magnates a
lot Of trouble. There weren't enough
acts to go round. A good many per
formers were brought here yesterday
from out Of town.
Injunction Ignored.
The injunction granted few days ago
by Justice NIarean in the Supreme Court,
Brooklyn. restraining the police from in
terfering with the three moving picture
theaters operated n Williamsburg by
Brill & Fox was ignored to-day, and may
result in contempt proceedings against
Capt Shevlin. Of the Ralph avenue pre-
cinct.
Shevlin, backed by Inspector George r.
HOLMAN on a warrant issued by Magis-
trate Geismar. in the Gates avenue police
station, arrested Morris Reisman, the
manager of the Brill & Fox theaters, and
four attendants. They were charged with
operating and maintaining a moving-pic-
ture show in violation Of the Sunday law
There were no arrests in the various
theaters that gave Sacred Concerts. p
though in all Of them several patrolmen
We're on duty.
Joy over the loOsening Of the Sunday
law was reflected by the audience and
singers alike at the concert at the Man
haitian Opera House tonight. Those In
the orchestra rows clapped, the gallery
thankful.
Nobody appeared disposed to interfere
with the concert at the Metropolitan
opera House tonight, although the audi.
ence was smaller than usual.