Evening journal., 1910-07-06
FIGHT FILMS
TO Be BARRED
EndeavOrerS and Police Chiefs
in Movement to Prevent
any Exhibition
NEW WORKERS AND QUAKERS
WON'T KEEP THEM GUT

BY United Press Leased Special Wire
NEW YORK. July 6--Led by the
/ United Societies of Christian En-
deayor with 100000 members. and
the international Association of Po-
lice Chiefs, a movement is on foot to
prevent the exhibition OF the pictures
Of the Jeffries-Jo Johnson fight that
/ promises to be international in its
scope.
The Christian Endeayor Society,
| through its Boston Headquarters, tele-
| graphed to-day to the governor of
/ every State In the Union, asking that
these pictures be barred on the
grounds that they reproduce an illegal
act and that their exhibition will be
just as illegal as the actual fight.
Secretary William Shaw declared
/ to-day that he had wired President
Taft, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt and
Governor Hughes asking them to use
their influence to prevent the pic
lures from being exhibited.
The American Vitagraph Company.
which owns the films of the fight, is
/ believed TO have expended a quarter
] OF a million of dollars in purchasing
the exclusive rights and in taking the
/ pictures. Ieffries was paid S66 sos,
while Johnson got $4,000. Richard
and Gleason got cut" and still own
one-sixth Of the rights In addition,
/ the moving picture concern spent a
small fortune perfecting machines for
making improved pictures, sending a
score OF expert operators to Reno
and in other incidental expenses. The
/ picture people expect to take in ST.
100000 during the first month the
! films were on exhibition This sum
is sure to be reduced materially il
the agitation against the production
Of the spictures continues to spread.
a number of cities. fearing that the
sight of negro knocking out a white
man would lead TO more race feeling
than on last Monday night, have pro-
hibited their showing and other
cities are seriously debating the ques-
ton.
Among the larger cities that have
put the stamp OF disapproval on the
pictures are Washington, d. c., Gin
cinnati, Boston, ST. Louis, Atlanta and
Baltimore.
AT the last meeting of the Inter-
national Association OF Police Chiefs
there was passed resolution, intro
duced by William A. Pinkerton. of
Chicago. urging the police to stop all
the moving picture shows that exhibit
films casting ridicule on the police
or showing pictures of criminal acts,
thus tending to increase crime. Nov
ing pictures of prize fights are placed
in this latter category.
New York VIII Not Act.
Mayor William j. Gaynor. or New
York. to-day declared he would take
no action looking toward barring the
pictures New York" he said, has
not the large negro population of
other cities and | am sure there viii
be no race feeling engendered here
by the pictures"
But what Mayor Gaynor refused to
do, Mayor Schwab. of Cincinnati, has
already done. Il cannot share the
> belief of those who believe such an
exhibition has any good effect, like
= increasing interest in physical Gull
ture Il would not be consistent to
. bar the actual fight and then allow the
pictures to be shown
1T was in Cincinnati that the troops
were called out to prevent the JEFF
: fries-Ruhlin fight several years ago.
! Mayor Robert f. Maddox, of At
lanta, Ga. acting with Carlos Mason
chairman of the police board. has re-
fused to allow the pictures sOown
= there. I'VE had a small riot here
Monday night, and if the police re-
serves had not arrived quickly il
might have assumed serious proper
tons | shall most certainly not
allow the pictures shown here and
infame the sentiment any more
l. against the negroes" said Mayor Mad
! dox.
Major Richard Sylvester. chief OF
/ police of Washington, declared he was
= I'm doubt. as to his authority, but that
, he intended to use every effort to stoI
! the fight pictures.
e Chairman Reynolds, of the police
- board of st. Louis, has called special
meeting of the police board for to-
night to prevent the exhibition of the
pictures in that city. The mayor
of the city has also added his protest
y against the pictures and there is lit
a tie question that the fight pictures
n will be barred in that city
10 Agitation in many Southern cities
e. against the pictures is increasing, due
10 to the fact that a negro was the vic
r. tor. The sight of a negro standing
= over the PROSTATE form OF a white
o champion It is generally believed
q would De sure 10 inotiti ltcAAub "
race prejudice that would end in race
rioting.
Mayor Reyburn. of Philadelphia
declines to stop the fight pictures.
Il will not anticipate riot HI
!. said. I'VE will simply spit on ou
: hands and hold back"
- Baltimore is almost sure to bar tn
\ pictures. The board of police com
" missioners has asked Mayor Mahoo
TO take action and the chief executive
: replied that such a request from tn
commissioners would meet with hi
hearty approval.
The crusade has extended abroad
In JOHANNESBURG South Africa. tn
l. biograph halls themselves have pro
hibited the pictures. The latest rae
feeling in South Africa would burs
* into a flame. the managers declare.
In the pictures were placed ON eNhibi
n ton I'm that country.