The San Francisco call., 1907-03-04
WILL STORM THEATER AND
SUPPRESS BOLD OUTRAGE
UPON THE IRISH PEOPLE
United Societies Hold Mass
Meeting and Excoriate
Davis Managers
PLAN WAR ON PLAY
Public Insults to Women
Are to Be Stamped Out
by Radical Measures

wrathful over the presentation at
the Davis Theater of a loathsome char
acter supposed to represent an Irish
woman in a degraded state of intoXi-
cation. members of the convention of
the United Irish Societies decided yes
terday to visit the playhouse in body
on a date yet to be fixed and put an
end by force TO what they branded as
an insult TO their race.
At a mass meeting held yesterday
afternoon at the knights of the Red
Branch Hall, in Mission street, the in
dignation was so great that a general
raid on the Davis Theater would have
materialized last night had its not been
learned that it was too late to secure
tickets for the crowd.
If Sam Davis and the members of the
Kolb and Dill theatrical company had
been present at the meeting they prob
ably would have concluded to close
shop until a more respectable farce
could have been secured and made
ready for presentation.
The convention finally adjourned
with the understanding that all the
male members should remain as a COM
mittee to discuss plans for stopping the
outrage, but the women present refused
to leave.
At a former meeting of the conven-
tion committee had been appointed to
visit the various theaters in the city
and ask the managers to eliminate any
thing that would reflect upon the Irish
people. The committee was met with
courtesy in every place, but the OBJ
jectionable play at the Davis had ap-
peared about that time and the man
agement, while it agreed to modify
the play, failed to remove all the OBJ
jectionable features. For one night,
according to the report of the com
mittee, the play had been modified to
such an extent that the committee
agreed to withdraw its objections, but
Saturday night the coarse features, it
was claimed, had been reinstated.
The Objectionable feature of the play
was fully described at the convention.
Ben Dillon appears dressed as an Irish
woman who drinks whisky by mistake
until she is thoroughly intoxicated.
While in this condition she staggers
about the stage, disgusting figure,
hugging a bottle to her breast. Some
of the women at yesterdays meeting
had visited the theater Saturday night,
and one of them in strong speech
said:
The play is not only degrading in
every way, but il is an insult to the
virtue of Irish women"
After number of speakers, includin
John j. Moriarity, T. J. Mellott, L. p
O'Dowd and James Conliff, had de-
nounced the play at the Davis as an
outrage, Chairman John p. Allen an
nounced that he would increase the
committee on theaters to every male
member of the convention and asked
that a meeting of the committee be
held Immediately after the adjourn
ment of the general meeting.
T. +. Afford presided at the meeting
of the committee and soon after it
convened John p Allen took the floor
and said he understood that the OBJ
jectionable play was billed to run for
another week, and as the concessions
made to the committee had not proved
permanent he believed something more
than simple requests was necessary to
put an end to the degrading repre-
sentation.
II believe we should all go to the
Davis Theater tonight, scatter our
selves about the place and each act at
the proper time as best suits him.
said Allen.
Il make ii a motion, Mr.. Chairman"
said George Lowe. that we go in body
to the theater tonight and use our
lungs TO the best effect. II this does
not have the proper effect, I think we
should go on the stage, IL necessary"
Before the motion was put TO a vote
il was decided that tickets could not
be secured for last night and an amend
ment to the motion was passed to the
effect that the committee should meet
at z 80 tonight and decide on a proper
time to go to the Davis Theater and
stop the play. An effort will be made
to keep the management of the theater
in ignorance regarding the night Sc
lected