New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-10
FIRE LAW V|OLATORS
FACE JAIL PENALTIES
Department Plans Criminal
Action Against Owners of
Small "MovieS."
DANGER OF A DISASTER
Managers Who Have Permitted
Overcrowding in Theatres y
Will No Longer Be Let
Off with $50 Fine.

Danger from fire which menaces the
public in the smaller theatres and NOV
ing picture shows through violation OF
fire preventive measures was declared at
Fire Headquarters yesterday to be one
from which a great catastrophe might re-
suit almost any time. To prevent this,
il was said. il was the purpose Of the
department 10 continue vigorously the
crusade against such violators of the fire
laws which was started on Sunday night
under the direction of Commissioner
Jol nson.
There are IL was said. more than two
thousand places open almost every even
ing which come under the division OF
public assemblies. This includes theatres.
moving picture places. dance halls and
boxing clubs. Owners or managers Of
fully l. per cent Of these places. said
Chief John =. Howe of the division Of
public assemblies. were committing VIC
lations of the safety laws. which might
at any time produce a disaster That
means that almost every night in tho
city there are 2i0 places OF amusement
operating. in any one OF which a great
'aAdSNi pIi' uIEHb tdht pldNts
1T Is to be especially noted said chief
Howe. that we are going after these
violators henceforth i'm an entirely diff
ferent manner. Heretofore IL has been
the custom to prosecute them only by
civil suits. Conviction at most. meant a
fine of so. and that was all there was 20
il. Many OF them were willing TO pay
the $50 as a part Of running expenses.
for instance I'm the cases where they
were fined for permitting too many stan
dees I'm their houses. They would reap
500 a night from these standecs so that
after paying their fines they made clear
profit OF 600
From now on. however. We frc going
TO go after them by criminal prosecutions
under the public nuisance article in the
Penal Code. which means that conviction
may be followed by imprisonment for
one year and q fine Of 500. There VIII be
10 let-up. Mr.. Hyatt. Assistant Corpora
ton Counsel, Is preparing the summonses
in the cases Of violation found in the
special Inspections Of Sunday night, and
they will be- vigorously pressed Mean
while, all managers Of these places might
as well understand that they may De
swooped down upon at any time"
Managers OF places whore violations are
committed have apparently been going
on the belief that the Fire Department
was short Of inspectors, and that II was
only remote chance they would be
caught. II being cheaper TO take this
chance than TO comply voluntarily with
the law
II such was the case, Il was said at Fire
Headquarters Yesterday II would be
safer hereafter for the managers TO gam
BILE the other wav and take "A chance at
complying with the law whether they
were Inspected or not because in the end
all violators would have to reckon with
either civil OF criminal prosecution. BE-
sides the regular inspectors who are at
work under Chief Guerin Of the bureau
OF fire prevention. there will he Chief
Howe and his flying squad of three men.
as well as special details OF forty or nifty
men from time TO time. such a. were
sent out on Sunday night, to cover the
situation and nab offending managers
who may be least expecting IL.