The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-07
THEY TOOK NOTES
Policemen Attended Every
Theatre in Kansas City
And Made Records Of Sunday
Night Performance.
FOR THE GRANDJURY.
The Managers Are Getting To-
gether for a Fight.
They Would Like to Have Test
Case Made.

Kansas City, Oct. IA police officer
in uniform was present at every thea
ter in Kansas City last night. They
were there not merely as spectators in
the ordinary sense of the word, but url-
der instructions from the chief of po>
lice to make a written report today re-
garding Sunday performances at each
of the theaters. This instruction was
given to the officers at roll call at the
different stations last night. 1t was
brief and to the point. Attend the
theater to which you are assigned the
police were told. land make a report
giving the names of the theater, tn
manager and the show
This is intended as the preliminary
step in bringing about a theaterless
Sunday in Kansas City. 1t is a part of
the programme mapped out by Judge
William H Wallace in his instructions
to the grand jury. The reports made
by the police officers are believed by
the theater managers to be intended to
furnish to the grand jury the evidence
necessary to a finding of indictments
for violation of the state statute un.
der which Sunday theaters are con.
Sidered an offense.
Grand Jury Meets Today.
The grand jurors are to convene again
today for further deliberation, and the
general impression among managers of
the theaters last night was that the
grand jury probably will consider the
evidence against Sunday theaters. The
audiences in the different playhouses
last night had no intimation of what
was going on. The Grand was a good
illustration of what happened at almost
all the houses. Hugh Dixon, a patrol
man. called at the box office just before
the show began and inquired the man
ayers name. He was told that Abra-
ham judah was manager. He was
passed by the doorkeeper just as every
policeman in uniform iS admitted
every performance. Officer Dixon did
not take a seat. Instead, he stood be-
hind the last row of seats and, resting
his helmet and club on the railing,
watched the performance of Arizona"
Apparently there was attempt at
secrecy.
''Are you assigned here tonfght?'' Of
fcer Dixon was asked between the acts.
Yes, going to make a report" he re-
piled.
He stayed through the show and en-
joyeds it, apparently, despite the duty he
was performing.
The talk among the managers yester-
day drifted on to the subject of possi-
BILE test case that might set the Ques-
ton of a violation of the law at rest,
once for all. The plan took no final
definite form, however, but it indicates
the managers are taking the Sunday
theater question more seriously than
they admit to their friends.
They would like to arrange to have
one of their number indicted and ar
rested for keeping open his house on
Sunday. Then a jury trial of one man
ager they believe would suffice to deter
mine whether public sentiment consid-
ers the Sunday theater a real violation
of the law. If conviction resulted an
appeal would surely follow, one manager
who directs the affairs of the associa-
would be asked to rule on the constitu-
tionality of the law in question.