The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-07-08
Fight Pictures Probably Will Be
Shown in Chicago.
Officials Can Hardly See a Way
to Stop Them.
is NOT YET DECIDED.
Chief of Police Steward Person
ally Is Favorable.
The Mayor of Pittsburg Also
Talks Encouragingly.

| chicago, July S.-UnleSS Cnlef OF
Police Steward and Mayor Busse
change their minds. the motion pic
lures of the Jeffries-Jobnson fight will
not be barred from Chicago.
While the chief remains silent on
the subject. merely saying, "I will
cross that bridge when 1 come TO it,"
| it is said personally he does not think
the morals of the city Will be injured
| by the pictures.
In order to block the pictures. the
chief, under the city ordinance. would
have to declare them to be either i'm
moral or obscene. Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel Bielman pointed this out
in an informal opinion prepared at the
request of Corporation Counsel Brun-
dage.
while my opinion said Mr.. Bel
man, ''is based on a hurried examina-
ton of the ordinances. I believe that
| unless the chief could convince a
court that the exhibition of the pic
lures would injure public morals. or
were in some sense obscene. he could
not prohibit them. An application for
a permit to show the pictures must be
made first to Chief Steward and if he
turns the film people down they have
the right to appeal to the mayor, and
if the mayor sides with the chief,
then, of course. they can take the
damus the city"
Pittsburg, July S.-Following
mass meeting of ministers, religious
societies and civic bodies. which for
INFLATED a petition to Mayor Magee,
urging the suppression of the fight
pictures, the mayor said:
IF it appears at the time that such
an exhibition would incite breach OF
the peace, the showing of the pic
lures will be stopped
Melbourne July 8.-The clergymen
of New South Wales have sent a pc
tition to Andrew Fisher, the premier
of Australia asking him to prevent
the introduction into the common.
wealth of the Jeffries-Johnson fight
pictures. A similar movement is afoot
in New Zealand.
johannesburg, South Africa, July 8.
All the johannesburg newspapers
demand the suppression of the NOV
ing pictures of the Reno fight. 1t is
believed the town council intends to
forbid the exhibition as detrimental to
public peace, and other towns are
likely to follow this action.
Montreal, July S."Proprietors of
moving picture shows in this city say
they will not exhibit pictures, of the
Jeffries- Johnson fight They advocate
destruction of the films. 80 80
New York, July S.-Mayor Gaynor
denies having said he had decided not
to interfere with the exhibition here
of the moving pictures of the JEFF
fries-Johnson fight.
II have decided no such thing and
have said no such thing" the mayor
insisted.
THE question is not what 1 would
like to do, but one of law, and 1 shall
follow the law. 1 can not do as I
please"
Philadelphia. Pa, July s.-Promi-
nent men and women at a meeting of
UOiOad a VionFnnS
test against permitting moving pic
lures of the Jeffries-Johnson prize
fight to be exhibited in Philadelphia.
Mayor Reyburn said he would not
prohibit the disE~>s of the pictures.
Havana. July 8.-The government has
prohibited the exhibition of the JEFF
fries-Johnson fight pictures. The in
citement of racial animosities was
feared.
Picture Men Not Worried.
New York, July S.-'The statement
of Messrs. Klein, Selig and Spor, as to
the exhibition of the Jeffries-Jo hnson
fight pictures correctly represents our
attitude as nearly as can be stated at
this time" said William T. Rock of
the Vitagraph Company of America,
in his office today shortly after his ar
rival here from Reno. with the original
films of the fight pictures in his pos
session. ST can think of nothing to
these men made in Chicago" contin-
ued Mr.. Rock, unless it be to say
that while opposition to the produc
ton of the pictures in certain locali-
ties is expected. it is my belief that
the general public sentiment of the
country will not favor their total sup
preston.
1.-The people as a whole. I think it
will be found, want to see the repro
duction of the great battle and while
we do not expect to combat adverse
sentiment by legal means, there is
every reason to expect the views will
be very generally shown
Mr. Rock said thatsat a meeting of
all those interested in the fight pic
lures, to be held later. it was expected
a definite plan of action would be de-
cided upon and announced The films
themselves are turning out well. he
added.
WON'T BUCK THE LAW.