Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-06

COME weeks ago ire was started IN
- pile of rubbish in the hallway
the second floor of Bronx tene-
ment. The fire was discovered by
tenant, and was extinguiShed without the
aid of iremen. The next day second
fire was started near the same place.
Again the tenants were able to put it out
before the firemen arrived; but it was
close call. The tenants realized that
incendiary was at work, and were much
concerned. Few enjoyed sound nights
rest for weeks. Many dared not 60 to bed
at all. Police and fire marshal were notl-
fed and private detectives were put on
the case. Some of the tenants set traps of
their own to catch the firebug.
About the same time letter was found
hanging from one of the doorknobs on the
same floor. 1t read
If you don't put SIS under out
side doormat, we will burn your >
home and everybody in it.
BLACK HAND.
While the writing in the note
was plainly disguised, it bore
unmistakably the characters r.
tics of childish hand. Every
child in the building ques- H.
toned and the search narrowed -
down to one little girl, only
twelve years old, the daughterof
the tenant outside whose apart 81 al
ment the two fires originated. tvs ~
At first the little girl denied " s.
authorship of the note and dis "a 4
claimed all responsibility for ceyr;it
the fires. Under severe cross ex-
animation, however, she finally
broke down and confessed.
Il saw moving picture show where there was
and people were rescued" she explained between
land l also saw one where the Black Hand tried t
money. don't know why did it; but did not
to do wrong"
In New Jersey something along the same line
pened still more recently. moving picture
showed young woman in the act of taking her ow
through the agency of gas All the horrid details
thrown one after the other upon the scene not oml
to present the girl reclining on her bed, calmly ava
death. That evening young man, depressed thu
loneliness some other cause, having seen the pi
show, went home and copied to the last detail the
of the picture heroine.
Much has been said on the morals of the moving
ture from the pulpit, in the courts, and by the
"These shows are sinks of iniquity!" exclaimed
police magistrate. Ninety-hve per cent. of
ought to be closed"
At the Children's Society New York; it was said
the society had obtained the conviction of more
thirty managers and attaches of moving picture h
in the last few months for permitting children unde
teen years old to enter without escort. Thirty
moving picture men were convicted of more Sc
charges, as a result of which they are now langui
behind bars. There seems to be some ground for b
ing that through moving picture shows Others M
obliged to don prison stripes.
The documentary evidence touching on this pha
the development of the moving picture seems end
less Its educational aspect is not entirely without
its clouds. A New York paper had this recently
to say on the subject:
AS for the educative influence and intellectual upt
of the moving picture theater, sufficient idea may be
obtained from the following titles extracted random
from the list of films prepared for exhibitors:
1.-The Pirates Dover" IA Jealous Wife, "A Bride
groom's Mishaps," The Girl Who Dared The
Ghetto Seamstress The Engineers Sweetheart"
1.-The Tenderfoot Parson.' The Cowboys Race for
Bride" and The Sheriff of Black Gulch'
The last named titles suggest list of dime novels
of a former generation. And what indeed, is the
moving picture show but dime novel literature flash,
screen by means of magic lanterns and purveyed
full minds pctorially for half the old price? 1t is
dime novel that its popular vogue had its
and it is by dime novel standards that its moral inf,
must be measured.
There Is Good in 1t