The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-06
EATON STOPS IT.
Prevents Production of Yiddish
Opera at Grand.
Manager De Vault Threatens to
Sue the City.
INTO DRESSING ROOMS
Actresses Indignant at Invasion
of the Officers.
Chief Says He Was Acting Under
INTO DRESSING ROOMS
Chief Says He Was Acting Under
Mayors Instructions.

As a result of police interference
with an Yiddish opera which was to
have showed at the Grand last night,
the city of Topeka may become the
defendant in a suit for damages
brought against the municipality by
B. Devault, manager of the company.
The show was closed at the order of
Police Chief r. W., Eaton, and it is
claimed that he exceeded his author
ity. Announcement was made by Mr..
Devault before he left here on the
early morning train for Kansas City,
that in all probability suit would be
brought.
There were about 400 persons,
mostly of Jewish nationality. who
went to see the production given in
nance of the Devault Grand Opera
Co., which was to have been given
but which was stopped by the police,
was the first Sunday night perform
ance attempted in Topeka since the
city commenced the enforcement of
Ego.
Following arrangements for the
production made several days ago be-
tween Ben Sira, advance agent for the
company, and Mayor William Green.
when it was decided that there would
be no violation of the law by giving
the play here, the DeVault company
came to Topeka in good faith, be-
lieving that as they did not observe
Sunday as the Sabbath they were not
violating any laws.
Attorney General Consulted.
When the proposition was put to the
mayor q consultation was held over
the telephone with Charles Shukers,
assistant attorney general, who held
that so long as the application for per-
NIT to play as signed by SRA, was OBJ
served, there would be no violation of
the law.
The application set forth that ev-
eryone connected in anywise with
the performance must be of Jewish
nationality, and according to Mr.. SRA
lie was assured that if his part of the
understanding was lived up to there
would be no molestation of the play
or players. -
ahead without his approval; that we
wanted to obey the law, but that we
were giving an entertainment exclu-
sively by Jews and purposely for the
Jewish nationality, although it was not
proposed to bar from attendance any
Christians who cared to attend" Mr..
SRA said, He said, to go ahead and
as long as you comply with the laws
you will not be molested. s--..-
ct want it understood in Justice to the
Crawford's,'' he said that our COM
pany was not brought here by them for
the purpose of breaking the Sunday
law While Crawford controls the
house here, the Devault booking is
done from New York city, and our
business was done. with Don w. Stuart
booking agency, entirely.
After I returned here Saturday
where we observed Sabbath as the
custom of the Jewish people, I went to
Police Chief Eaton and asked whether
when the production was staged 1t
would not be all right to get local
leader for the orchestra. some one who
was Jew. 1 was told that if this was
done we would be arrested"
Points to Others.
Manager B. Devault, of the opera
company, in statement made to this
paper said that knowing the practice OF
the National and Throop hotels, also
the Elks', Arions' and Turner's clubs
in hiring a local orchestra for their din
questioned this fact with the police de-
partment head, and asked if it was not
discrimination not to allow the opera
company an American orchestra in
view of this fact.
1.-The police chief would hearing moth
| ing" DeVault continued, land we went
out and got Jews. He would not allow
some of them to work because they had
not observed Sabbath. Saturday. Thea
Chief Eaton told US that if any mem
Der of the company had played on
Saturday during the past two years we
would be arrested. I told him that
could not guarantee that although we
always observed the Jewish Sunday
as is the custom on Saturday, and did
not book for that date
An examination of his advance book
ing dates showed that not a single Sat
urday was booked by the company.
Then" he continued, "our truthful
ness was questioned when I told him
that we always observed Sabbath bu+
could not say that everv member of the
company had been .rict in their OBJ
Servance during two years past. The
ladies were put through cross-exami-
nation, which went to the extent of be-
ing asked where we attended church
when. and various other insignificant
questions. We know as well as anyone
else that an attendance at a church
: does not necessarily constitute observ-
ance, and that we can observe the Sab
bath without going near a church. Suci
questions on his part only goes to show
the Observation-Disclosures and bigotry d
some people,"
Chief Inyades Dressing Rooms.
after I had told Eaton that the
company was observing the Jewish
Sabbath" Devault continued HE
demanded admittance to the ladies
dressing rooms. He invaded them
doubling the word of myself and Mr.
SRA, and did SO at a time when the
| ladies' were very much undressed. We
feel very keenly this unwarranted ac-
| ton on his part Also We were
threatened with arrest, the police
chief shaking his hand in the face
| of myself and Mr.. Sira. We tried tC
| act as ladies and gentlemen, and did
| so, but were not accorded like treat
ment."
Relative to the invasion of Their
dressing rooms at an inopportune
| time, Madame Bertha DeWolf the
| leading woman, also Miss Annette
/ Devine, one of her supporters. spoke
bitterly of the indignity which was
forced upon them at the hands of the
department head.
1t is contended by the theatrica
people that they had every right to &C
ahead with the show, and that Police
| Chief Eaton was exceeding his
authority when he stopped the per.