The Washington herald., 1911-12-08

Sergt. Robert E Lee, and Precinct De-
tectives Simpson and Howes, the whole
story Of the disrepurable entertainment
was given publicity. Apparently many
of those who heard indirectly of 1t were
misled as to the nature of the perform
ance. The reels of film to be shown
were entitled French pictures without
names, imported from Paris" That was
all, and the supposition generally was
that the views were merely the lightly
racy Latin Quarter" kind.
Many men, it is said, were induced to
attend the banquet under the impression
that the pictures were simply an added
attraction-not an entertainment that
would haye made Nero blush.
Those who promoted the plan, police
declare, relied upon the potency of the
liquid furnished with the dinner to bring
their guests to state of normal quies-
cence where the presentation of the
pictures would not at once arouse a
storm of disapproval. OF course there
were some who attended the banquet
knowing perfectly well in advance what
they were to see. The FOUNDERS of Wash
ington-the men whose jaded appetite
demanded something new-were among
those who attended
Outrage Against Decency.
tanned by Lieut.. Sprinkle, the tickets
were distributed indiscriminately, the
men in charge relying on their ability
to destroy the films in the event of a
police raid. Thus, while no advertise
ment of the affair went forth, 1t was
understood that any good sport who
had the price of admission might attend
the banquet and the rest of the enter
| tainment.
This fact alone has caused Maj. Syl-
vester to prosecute the men arrested.
! land, assuming the evidence of other
witnesses is correct, to make of them an
example that will deter any of their
kind from repeating such a performance.
"A more outrageous slap in the face OF
common decency." said Maj. Sylvester
last night has not come to my atten-
| ton in years. This perfOrmance-or orgy.
rather, for any other word bellies twas
| of a character that the most hardened
criminal would hardly have dared to
present in his own haunts. To arrange
and give such an entertainment within
the shadow of four churches and to al
low men and boys to attend it by the
surrepttious sale of tickets is an Of
fense more grave than is provided for
under the District regulations. l am glad
that The Washington Herald was will
| ing to give the affair the publicity it de-
served. I will do what I can to see that
! these men are punished"
Men Decline tO Talk.
At the advice of the attorneys who now
represent them the five men under arrest
last night declined to give any statement
of the affair further than generally ex-
planning that they were innocent and
would prove their innocence in court.
President Spellbring said that his arrest
was the result of Misrepresentation.
Il will easily clear myself of these
| charges" he stated and will show that
in so far as l am concerned the affair
was a mistake There was no excuse
for my arrest"
For the first time yesterday Lieut..
Sprinkle told of the reason why he and
Sergt. Lee, who raided National Rifles
Armory on the night of the performance
were unable to arrest the ringleaders
then.
The first trouble was the management
of the hall was kept in entire ignorance
! of the nature of the performance. Muir
| ply hired the hail. and explained that a
benefit was to be held for the associa-
ton.
wheh the moving picture booth was
installed three of the men who were be-
hind the enterprise statioued themselves
near 1t. while a fourth turned the crank
that connected with the reels. As the
pictures were revealed the trio stood
ready, on an instant's notice, to tear the
films and stop the performance.
Threw Films in Alley.
This, Lieut.. Sprinkle said last night.
was what actually happened. He and
Sergt. Lee on reaching the entrance TO
| the auditorium found it locked They
there was a scramble of the leading men
! in the enterprise" to get out by way of
rear door known to them. First they
ripped the films in half and threw them
into an alley where they were later
found by the police. Then they made
their escape in the general confusion.
! When the police gained entrance and
! began their investigation none but the
| spectators to the performance could be
| found. These were the ones who gave
! the names of the men who had managed
| the affair and described the kind Of
pictures that had been shown. Lieut..
Sprinkle stated last night that nearly all
! of those who were in the hall when he
entered showed evidences of intOxica-
| ton. Many of them, he believes, were
| not twenty-One years old.
Ask who SqueaIed.
! five arrested was, who squealed?" He
| later explained that while there was
nothing wrong in the performance 1t was
understood by "gentleman's agreement
that the show was strictly sub rosa.
Picture Managers Incensed.
Among moving picture men of Wash
| ington there was a storm of disapproval
| that members of their trade should have
brought suspicion upon a form of enter
tainment that for years has been above
reproach. A. Brylawski. manager OF four
moving piceure theaters, declared last
night that all of the men implicated in
| the performance at National Rifles
Armory would be at once dismissed both
! from the association and the houses
| where they are now employed.
Washington" he added has up to
now suppoRted q clean class of enter
tainment az the moving picture houses.
The public has confidence in this form
of entertainment Now il Is our duty TO
convince the public that we heartily dis
approve the action of these men.
II am informed that the pictures used
were stolen or obtained in some other
surfeptitious way from a moving picture
;,, NTelr-