The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-07-02
TWO RACES CANNOT : HEAR FIGHT RETURNS
 IN SAME THEATRE
Mayor O'Brien Decides There Might Be Danger of Trou-
 ble Monday Evening
SEPARATE HOUSES TO
 BE USED FOR MATINEES
s,,u u;ydon Also Feared There Might Be Conflicts aud Chief Bod- eker Heartily Ipdorses Ac-
 ton of Mayor

After conferring with NJ H sei''oii manager of the Bijou ana ofpheun' theatres. Mayor Frank r. U orieh d" ,o,noed last night that the white peo-
 na +he negroes would not be al lowed to hear the returns rom 'ne 'e fries-1ohnson fight Monday in the same .1aatra The negroes will all assemble In the Orpheum theatre ana 'he "n''' neople will have the entire bi'ou '"o' ire to themselves.
 Sheriff E. l.. Higdon stated yes'er- day that there is strong possipiii'S of race trouble in the theatres oi 'ie so,,+b where mixed audiences or ne eroes and whites gathered to receive tbo returns from the Jeffries-J Johnson fight.
 "It would not surprise me HI tue least,', said Colonel Higdon, III 'here were several serious riots in different narts of the south on the Fourth on account of that prize fight
 .T talked with Chief of Police George IT Rodeker about the matter here Tn Rirnoingham' I realize that extra po- lice can be detailed to patrol the thea tres but all the police in Birmingham in can't stop race riot on the instant II 1t once gets started.
 "An ounce of prevention is worth pound of cure and if had anything 10 do with the matter l would attempt to get the theatres to agree to split the crowd, that is, let the negroes go to one theatre and take full possession and the whites have full possession of an other I am no calamity howler. But fl it should happen that Johnson draws | first blood, when it would be flashed the chances are that some negro tough would yell something that would set the house on fire and 1t is easy to imag inc what would be going on the next minute I have sent word to my deputy George w Jones, at Bessemer, to take the matter up there and see what he can do. I understand that the present arrangements are that the negroes will be placed upstairs and the white peo- pie will be given the downstairs seats. "
 When asked his views on the matter in question Mayor Frank r. OBrien said: Sheriff Higdon did not talk to me in regard to the matter. but have heard several people speak of it at ran dom. ], as mayor of the town, am of the opinion that, there will be no dis i turbances whatever but thought it best to take precautions.
 Some time ago the citizens of the city will remember of a play named The Clansman' that was given in Bir- min gham and which, it was feared at the time, would start a race war. The play was given and there was not a semblance of trouble though in my es- timation the trouble provoking power of the play outweighed the fight nrop- osition two to one"
 Desires to Separate Races Later Mayor O'Brien talked the matter over with Manager Semon and he then made the following announcement: Tn going over the matter with Mir Semon 1 came to the conclusion that as he was perfectly willing to separate the two | races 1t would be best and the matter will be taken up in formal way to- morrow morning to that effect. Since I heard that the matter was be- ing agitated I realize that there Is a possibility of trouble at a matinee of the | fight returns. where both negroes and | whites are in the same house. If as | was suggested, report should come in that Johnson was getting the better of | the, fight and the negroes should start yelling and hurrahing In the galleries there are good chances that some ex- and there are such in every crowd, would draw a gun and shoot into the galleries The result would probably be a panic maybe race fight. Matters could easily soor grow serious.
 "I do not believe that I have any all l thority, as Mayor of the city, to do this but I will risk the initiative in this cass MT Semon suggested that the persons who had already purchased tickets mighl
 bring suit against him for damages. | told him that I would dictate a letter
 to my secretary in the morning to the l effect that in no case should the two races be allowed to witness the fight re-
 turns in the same house in the city o
 mon and the only thing that anyone car | do will be to make him return the pur l chase money for his ticket.
 1 MT Semon will admit any negro hold
 CT of Bijou balcony ticket to the Or | pheum theatre on the Fourth to see t.it l returns. so no one is the loser. only
 all the negroes will have to go to tht | Orpheum and the swhites to the Bijoi | The same returns will be given at bot. | places.
 | Bodeker IndOrses Action | Chief of Police George Bodeker said | There Is no cause for any fear of trou
 ble at the prize fight matinees in tni. I city. I am making special arrangement. to patrol thoroughly every theatre wher, l the returns are flashed with squad O | competent officers of the law and an, possible trouble will be nipped in tn,
 bud before 1t gets started. I expect tn, l day to pass pea ceably in every respect
 'fI think the Mayor acted wisely ;' serarating the races. The two theatres
 will have ample police protection anyhow l a1 I intend to take no chances. q course there is a great deal of antag
 orism developed between the two race on account of the fight. but I do no believe that there would have been an, | trouble with both in the same theatre | I, is best to be on the safe side. how
 ever, and I heartily indorse the Mayor