New-York tribune., 1910-07-14
CAN'T BAR FIGHT FILMS
No Law to Accomplish That End
Here, Mayor Is Told.
OPINION BY MR.. WATSON
Corporation Counsel Declares
Show Places Are Free to
Exhibit Pictures.

Mayor Gaynor conferred with Assistant
District Attorney Mott at the City Hall yes
terday in an effort to find some law by
which the exhibition of the pictures of the
Jefries-Johnson fight could be stopped.
They decided that there seemed to be no
legal way to accomplish that end. and Cor
poration Counsel Watson rendered an opin-
ion in which he decided practically the same
thing.
The Mayor has said that he would stop
the pictures in a minute If he could find a
lawful method of doing so, and Corporation
Counsel Watson suggested that some citi-
zen might swear out a warrant for some
proprietor of g show using the pictures,
under Section 1140a of the Penal Code, but
he expressed it as his opinion that this sec
ton did not cover the case and such an
action would fail. He said:
1T is not made an offence by the penal
law to exhibit pictures Of a prizefght, and
there is no legal inhibition of such an exhi-
bition. unless this can be revived by fmpli-
cation from Section 1140a of the penal law
This section relates to exhibitions charac-
terized as obscene, indecent, immoral or
impure tending to the corruption of the
morals of youth or others While the pre-
else question considered appears never to
have been raised under this section, l do
not think that moving pictures of a fst1cun
or an assault or prizefght would come un-
der the characterization quoted in the sense
in which the terms are evidently used in
this section
Not Legally Immoral.
I'm other words. while a prizeight Is
undoubtedly immoral 1 do not think its I'M
morality is of the sort contemplated by this
section It cannot be said, l think, that
because a picture represents an act Whlch
would be or was unlawful when performed
the exhibition of the picture itself consul
tutes q crime. l may, Of course, be wrong
in this construction. I hope that L am. 1or
such an exhibition as that referred to can
certainly serve no useful or elevatlns emu.
Licenses for theatres. which are the only
show houses that will probably De exhlolt-
ing the pictures for some time can DC re-
voked only by the Judge of a court OF rec
ord The Mayor may revoke what Is known
as q common show license for cause such
as proof that the proprietor was violating
the law. Such licenses are issued for So
called moving picture theatres
s.The opinion of the law which 1 enter
tain declares the Corporation Counsel,
.inpels me to the view that Section ll+Oa Is
not broad enough to justify the revocation
of a common show license under which II
is nrouosed to exhibit pictures OF a prize
fight
Chief oliver of the Bureau of Licenses
has Informed the Mayor that moving pct
,,res Of prizefghts have been eXhlo1ted III
this CITY for many years, and that no one
bad previously objected that they were
ooo,rst the law He said he knew or no
law forbidding them
Iobrson Sees Pictures.
1ohneon saw a private exhibition OF
49, ea4,+ nictures yesterday at the plant OF
- V;+ogranh Company of America, Elm
o-.,,,,,a aDd 18th street, Brooklyn. Johnson
80 hean anxious to see the pictures ana
- o@5cials of the company invited MIN
- 1oo,s at them. Johnson and his vile ar
,tved IN an automobile, and Vice-PresloehI
R,aclxton. of the company. escorted thelh
20 the basement of the building.
1aclx saw motley crowd of spectators
Tho Gar of Russia, Abdul Hamld, the de-
nosad the Queen of Sheba, solomon IN sll
bts glory Indian prtncesses, oriental po-
+an+ates. bank presidents and bank pure
lore railroad magnates and railroad
,rreclers thugs and angels, and all OF the
yas+ oF the talent emp%oyed by the COM
many to innpersonate the various characters
~, their moving pictures were there Ihese
watched the nve johnson with more inter
est than they did the pictured one, but
thew had seen the pictures at the first pr1-
vate exhibition . --.o, -, i,+o,,s.
+bat Iobnson with a smiling apology to the
Women. removed his coat. He followed the
exhibition with the curiosity and happiness
~ a negro boy in a watermelon patch.
The show ended with an enlarged picture
of the last round. chowing the knockoue;
M-e Johnson was all smiles when the nnal
hor. at the rinYSl6e being