The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-04-01
RAID DANCE HALL
Socialists Aroused Over Action
of Police.
Their Efforts at "Uplift" Are
Checked by Officers.
GIVE OUT A STATEMENT
Say They Have Conducted
Dances Properly.
Brand Statements Made by PO-
lice as False.
GIVE OUT A STATEMENT


at Labor hall 112 East Sixth avenue
Saturday night In consequence there
is great Indignation among lie social
lists under whose auspices the dances
have been held. They say that they
leased the hall and made every possible
effort to raise the standard of the
dances and have prohibited drinking,
swearing or boisterous language. They
characterize the action of the police as
petty persecution and say that they
will give a dance tonight. Only one
arrest was made tn Of v v Dart
secretary of the society and Wash
burn student. The police justify their
action by the statement that they had
received complaints about the char-
acter OF the dances.
The dances have been given under
the direction of the Inca club which
was organized by number of social
lists in the city and t. members OF
the club consists mostly of members OF
the socialist organization The dances
have been given here every night ex-
cepting Friday and Sunday since its
beginning which was during the month
of January.
These dances and the Inca club were
organized by the active socialists with 4
view of helping the unfortunates of the
city but the police say the business
men and people who live in the an
mediate vicinity have complained TO
the police. In these complaints the
dancers and the men who manage the
dances are charged with disorderly
conduct. with permitting the use OF
liquor and prOfane language in or ABOUT
the hall. 1t is also charged that a
number of fights have been pulled OFF
which originated at this place, one hav-
ing been started in place last week
which finished on the streets.
It is also reported that the dancers
have been practicing the Turkey trot.
the Bunny Hug, Grizzly Bear and other
dances of this character.
Sergeants Dan Garden and Lon Souls
with a number of police officers ar
rested Dart on warrant Saturday
night. At this time it is reported that
tending the dance. Dart insisted in
continuing the dance and ordered the
couples to fill up the floor and that
everything proceed as usual but the
police would not permit the con-
tinuance. Dart was taken to the city
prison and locked up in default of a
bond which was made $50. He has re- |
fused to accept bond and is in jail.
Ike Gilberg and a number of the |
socialists are much aggrieved because |
that the dances were started as a
method of uplifting the down trodden
and that it was one of the sociolog-
ical movements that is being carried on |
=
the work practiced by Jane Adams |
in Chicago.
Mr.. Gilberg asserted that there was
no trouble at the dances until the |
management prohibited the use of to-
bacco and liquor or profane language
at the dances. Then trouble began. In |
addition to that, the dances are not |
being operated for financial gain but |
an effort Is made to collect enough /!
money each night to pay the expenses |
nj n a Inn
which has been received from a COM
mittee of the Shawnee county Socialist |
organization which protests against the |
interference which has been made by |
the police.
Statement Given Out.
Topeka, Kan. March 81 1912
Saturday night at 1918 o'clock the |
police raided Labor hall, at 112 East
Sixth street, and arrested V. V. Dart |
who was in charge of the hall where a |
dance was being conducted in the in |
terest of the working class The |
charge placed against him was dis |
orderly conduct and conducting a dis |
orderly house, sworn to by the chief |
of police.
The character of Mr.. V V. Dart is
beyond reproach- He is a young man I
who has never committed an infrac- |
ton of the law. A young man of |
whom any mother would be proud |
and one whom his acquaintance and |
associates highly respect and admire I
for his sterling qualities and his |
yearning for the upIift of humanity
and who is a student of the Wash |
burn law school. He now lies in iaiI /
as would a common felon and placed /
under $50 cash bond which he has
refused to pay, declaring that he was
innocent of having committed an in
fraction of the city ordinances
This han is rented for the use of
the Socialists of Topeka, they having I
conceived the idea of conducting lee
lures. dances and other innocent
amusements along with an educa-
tional propaganda for the uplift of |