The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-05-11
MAYOR SHUTVGLESEA'S SHOW
NEW rSRK THEATRE. EEgRaUT
A LICENSE. MAD TO CLOSE.

''People Have HAD RRoagh u False and
Nasty Thsalrsa." GAynsF says-l4nes
CSmplained % We're InteFpOlateSi
-lnlunetioa That Doesn't EnlOln.
The closing Of the New York Theatre
on Monday vas due 20 Mayor Gaynor.
For several days he had bssn receiving
complaints that the PLAY The Girl With
the WhOoping Cough was alaoiOus
The Mayor said yesterday that two Of
tho complaints were from the heads Of
newspapers in this city.
The Mayor obtained a book Of the play
and after reading Il through did not find
anything particularly objsctionabls in
u. Then he bad one Of his stenOgraphers
so 20 the theatre and take verbatim notes
Of the words spoken cu che stage. A
comparison between the stsnographic
transcript and the book showed that the
lines which had lsen complained Of we're
! due mostly to -EaGGing that is the
I PLAYERS inteTpolated them.
The Mayor did not sse the show him
self but the atenographers minutes
pelsuaded him that II ought to he closed.
He had Police Commissioner Baker send
an offloial report 20 him on the character
Of the play % that he could deal With the
matter in a way that would not seem ar
bitrary. Then Abraham EFlanEsr. owner
Of the theatre. and Al Woods who ia
running the play. were communicated
with. Il IL said that while Erlanger vas
wiling 10 take the piecs on Woods vas
inclined 20 he helheerent Woods went
10 the Supreme Court for an order 20
show cause why the police should not BE-
snjoined from interfering with the pro-
duction
A Il happened the solution Of the situa-
ton was easy The yearly license Of
the New York Theatre ran out on Mon
day and all that Commissioner Baker
had 10 do to carry out the Mayors wishes
was 20 refuse 10 renew H.
Commissioner Baker sent Yesterday a
formal notification Of the action he had
taken and in reply the Mayor wrote this
letter:
Tour rsprt has been communicated
70 me and your action In refusing 20 renew
the lirense 10 the New York Theatre. which
had Just sIPred. and thereby closing
the place Lac, night and preventing q con
tinuance Of tho so-called play which Was
running there. IL approved
Please DO not renew tho license until
you consult with me and We get some guar
Anty Of future dscency The people Of this
city have had enough 81 false and nasty
ihestrss a. we'll a. Of tho IsW false and
nasty newspapers and want 10 drop them
VERY truly you're. " GIrNoF. Mayor
y Although the word guaranty Is used
IN the Mayors letter b Commissioner
Baker IL IL Understood that II Erlangsr or
Woods will personally promise 20 With.
draw the play there viii he no difiiculty
in getting a renewal II the theatres r.
Cenee
IL was aid yesterday IN the City Hall
that the Mayor Was preparing tn move
against other theatres 81 which COM
plants had been made Mayor Gavnor
denied this y ran he stated that he has
20 purpose 70 become a censor 81 PLAYS
in this city He acted a. he did merely
because q the many complaints he had
received concerning this par'iclilar piece
supreme Court Justice Mccall heard
argument yesterday afternoon on the
temporary injunction he signed late Mon.
interfering with The Girl With the
whoOpinE Cough and from rrespaasing
upOn the property % the New YOrk
Theatre He aid that when he granted
the restraining order IN the application
n Henry ! Goldsmith and NhraheRu
Towns he vas under the impression thai
an invasion ~ the property rights of the
theatre and show were threatened and
difn' Z understand that the whole question
a. I'll 4 ~ II
license
y McCrossin counsel for the theatre
men. recitsd the afidayit ~ Producer
Woods who declared that Commissioner
Baker sid
I will not allow that plav n he pro-
duCed IN New YORK as long a. HalealA
Suratt takes the leading part I stopped
her az Hammerstein and other places
and will stop her here do not care what
loss you sustain by my actions. that u
your AFFAIR end your misfortune ! am
going - stop that ply
Woods aid he tried n induce Commits
sioneT Baker n road the book Of the plav
and SAID that II there was anything objec-
tionable u would be omitted. but the Com
missioner was satisfied from wha no had
heard about the play that u ought = he
stopped. the lawyer said Baker said he
hadn't seen the show and didn't want n
see u
Justice Mccall said he didnt see how he
could jump over the license question and
Grant the relief ASKED He said he would
continue the injunction pending his deci-
son hut would not keep the police from
closing the theatre hecAnse Il has no "
oense The Injunction wlll b. n no use
unless the play can find an empty theatre
that has had ita license renewed
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