The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-11-21
Belief that Hyperion Man agement Cannot Success
 fully Bring Action
DAMAGE TO THEATRE S1,OOO
Chief Cowles Doesn't Want Job of Censor-Is Inves-
 tigating the Clubbing


 vide adequate police protection and statements from Chief Cowles and Assistant City Attorney Ierardi that the theatre people cannot be prose- cuted for raising their prices unless the price of the tickets was not print ed conspiciously on them, are some of the developments in the now famous Hyperion theatre riot of Saturday night
 The opinion that the Hyperion man. ager has no redress from the city even if he could prove that he were not given adequate police protection is concurred in by many prominent law. yer9.
 The rule of law that there is no lia- bility for failure to perform a gov. ernmental duty has been established in this State by a decision by Judge Shipman of the United States court 1T the case of Clarke vs. The City oi Bridgeport The concensus of opin- ion was that there is no element ir l the local case which would make fl an exception to this rule of law and that an action by the Hyperion man. agement against the city. on the ground that inadequate police protec. tion was provided, would be unsuc. cessful
 Ticket Requirement Met.l | n6 OTQludUCG Wu1CA WdS SROhSI Ol as a possible grounds for prosecu- ton of the Hyperion management for raising their prices is that regarding ticket speculating, which was passed couple of years ago. This ordinance stipulates that the price of all tickets for theatres or other places of amuse- ment must be printed conspicuously upon them together with the date of the performance. The Hyperion man. agement compiled with this law to the letter as far as can be ascertained. All Of their tickets are printed with the price and date left vacant and these are put in afterwards with a rubber stamp. The tickets sold on Saturday night for Saturday night they were being sold and with the proper date as the law directs. Both Chief Cowles and Assistant City Attor- ney Ierardi find nothing in this Ordi- nance to warrant them proceedine against the theatre.
 The Clubbing Incident.
 Chief Cowles discussed freely last night the charges made by Dean Fred erick S. Jones that the police used students outside the theatre. 'I have interviewed some of the patrolmen and the sergeant who was in charge of the men there, but 1 have not yet reached any decision. The sergeant was not right at the spot where 1t Is claimed the clubs were used and doesn't know just, what the circum- stances were. He says. however, that the students were throwing stones and pieces of brick at the men and if this were the case there might have been some cause for the policemen using their clubs. I certainly won't stand for any officer clubbing anyone unless y,1 y- fo NYaffhar x1ror rf any spectators or innocent persons ar rested. I would have much preferred it if the officers arrested the men who were directly leaders in the riot and who did some actual damage. Still think the officers did the best they could.
 s'I wish also that the policemen had arrested the stage hands who turned the hose on the audience, wetting many innocent people. think they are just as guilty as the students who broke up the property"
 The chief stated that at the time the riot broke out there were only two policemen in the theatre and they were at the back and were unable to push down front through the crowd. He said he would probably have an interview with every man who was in the squad at the theatre and will determine, if possible, if any of the men were guilty of unnecessary rough neSS.a
 Chief COwles Jocose.
 The chief was in a humor last night to look on the trouble which his office as dramatic censor has brought him, jocosely.
 Some get jobs themselves" he said, while others have them thrust up- on them. This job of dramatic cen- sor was thrust upon me, and if any one thinks like it they're badly mis- taken. I'm not a playwright, nor a critic, but when the office of pub ic censor Is thrust upon me by the law I have to act. The law makes me the one to pass upon thes suitability of plays to see that the stage is kept clean and free from suggestive per- formances. In exercising by duties of censorship I make some mistakes, and I seldom satisfy everybody. I think the power of censorship should nor be exercised by one man, but by a committee of men who are familiar with the drama and who have time to give to this work.
 My troubles are bad enough as it is, and I don't like to get blamed for anything that I am not responsible for. Mr. E'dridge from his statements in the papers appears to admit that only ordered him to cut out what was objectionable and obscene. If we are to believe his claim that he acted on my orders in cutting the show in two, are we to draw the natural inference as to the character of the half of the show suppressed? Are we to suppose that more than half of the play was so rotten that the managers were afraid to present 1t with a squad of police officers present?"
 New York-Improve the crops, in- tensify the harvest yield of an acre. That's the only solution of the cost