The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-08-06
FILMS
CAUSED A
SMALL RIOT
Jeffries- Johnson Pictures at
a Gary Theater Last Night
Were Not the Real Thing,
and Management Has
Trouble on It's Hands.

The exhibition OF the"Jeffries- John
SON. fight films in Gary last evening
was a dismal failure.
Gentlemen. we will now show you
the Langford -Ketchel fight pictures"
Because a laundering stagehand got
his words mixed up and announced
that those views instead of the Reno
fms would be shown a stick of dyna-
mite was added to the sporting audi
ence who gathered in the Gem theater
with anticipating eyes
Riot Narrowly Averted.
Before Manager Halderman could
step on the stage to tell OF the stage
hands mistake the audience was in a
terrific uproar and amid loud cries of
fake" and give US back our money"
a rush was made for the box office and
there the shouting crowd demanded
from the frightened cashier the instant
return OF their money.
Luckily Chief OF Police Martin and
a few oficers happened to be on hand
themselves to see the fight pictures.
and, 1t Is probably due to their pres
ence that a riot of huge proportions
was not started by the hot heads
among the angry sports. Manager
Halderman tried to explain but in vain
so he announced that those who want
ed their money returned could have It.
The police then made the crowd 400 in
number from in line and then the
money went out exceedingly faster
than it went in.
Make n Second start.
Later a second crowd came to see
the scenes. The usual admission at
the Gem, which is a vaudeville house,
is ten cents but on account of the
dramatic rarebit offered the price was
placed at twenty-five cents and as a
dime is the price of box seat in a
Gary theater those who paid a quarter
wanted something equal to a Fitch
play.
This time another stagehand who
was less liable to make unfortunate
bulls said:
Ladies and gentlemen, we will now
see the worlds greatest fight pictures
Operator. on with the J-e-ff-r-i-e-s-
Jo-h-n-s-o-n fight films
Another Uproar Begins.
There was break for the doors
but the minute the pictures showed on
the screen another uproar began. The
pictures were not taken at Reno at all
and as one man said they were made
at Thirty-frst and State street in Chi
cago
A large negro who looked like John
son was swatting "Jeffries" who was
evidently a Hebrew heavyweight, with
some class to his punches. Then the
audience at the ringside was glorious
As the pictures reeled forth the ring
side spectators cheered" no matter who
received "a stunning blow. Said spec
tators" were small boys apparently
seated on step ladders and occasionally
one of them tumbled from his higl
perch when ever the black champion
crowded the white mans hope" IL
near the spectators. This was partly
obscured by a few blurs in the films
Continual Cries of Fake.
The pictures got this far and annie
the continuous calls of fake" mum
erous disturbances were created in TIL,
pit as disgruntled seat holders left tn.
place in high dudgeon. Particular,
sore were number OF south end color
ed gentlemen who have never seen tn,
real Jack Johnson and who wanted t,
at least see his picture.
Gimme back ma two-b bits" said tn
leader of the colored sports. de fgh
films am not Jack Johnson no how
dun see Lii Atha' once and dat nigge
you dun got on dem movin, pictures /
fake and you know dat Mistah whit
man. Use dun wan ma hard earne,
money back so I does"
And he got It and so did every on