Evening star., 1912-11-11
SHOW MEN At BAR
"Spiritualists" Give Bond Not
to Repeat Performance.
LEGAL PUZZLE UNSOLvED
Police Court Fails to Decide what
Is a Vaudeville Show?"
COMMISSIONER MAKES ARREST
LEGAL PUZZLE UNs0LvED
COMMISSIONER MAKES ARREST
Johnston Takes Boys Distributing
Handbills for Sunday Entertain
ment to the Station House.

An unsuccessful attempt was made IN
Police Court today to thrash out just
what constitutes vaudeville perform
ance' Furthermore, District Commis-
sioner Johnston, who has supervision OF
the police department, had an opportunity
to act personally as a policeman as well
as fill the hearts of two boys with JOY
by giving them their first automobile ride,
all as a consequence Of the visit to this
city of Charles NJ. Eddy. who, with his
assistant, George F. Powell, was arrested
last night at the Belasco Theater. after
he had given what he called an Illus
trated lecture to an audience that packed
the theater.
Mr.. Eddy and Mr. Powell were charged
with violating section Is of the police
regulations, which prohibits the giving of
a theatrical performance In Washington
on Sunday In Police Court this morning.
where they were released on their own
| bonds of 800 not to give another per-
formance in Washington on Sunday OF
| the character given last night. Lieut.
| Harrison of No. l precinct said that he
| held the defendants in bonds of $50 each
last night because he was anxious to
| have the court rule as to just what the
powers of the police are to stop perform
ances at the theaters on Sunday night
which are under question.
Prosecuted by Mr.. Schultz.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant
| Corporation Counsel Schultz, who told
Judge Pugh that Mr.. Eddy and Mr.. Pow
ell ought to be punished for what he
called their violation Of the ordinance,
and Judge Pugh and Mr.. Schultz engaged
| in long discussion of just how near the
| ''spiritualistic' performance given verged
| on being vaudeville
The performance. Mr.. Schultz charged,
consisted of legerdemain and tricks we'll
known to visitors to vaudeville theaters,
/ and he had subpoenaed a number OF
| newspaper men and others who were
present at last nights performance to
| bear out his statement. Their testimony,
| however. was not called for by Judge
| Pugh, who took, as made in good faith,
| the statement of Eddy that he wanted to
plead guilty to having violated the police
| regulation unknowingly. and he made
| an opportunity to lecture the police, be-
fore orde ring that bonds be taken not to
| repeat the performance, for not va nlng
| Eddy that he would not be permitted to
| present his performance, inasmuch as he
| said the police must have been aware in
I advance of what kind of performance
l it was to be in view Of the fact that
| handbills advertising it had been dis
| tributed for two days and half previous
| to the performance.
| No complaint was made against the
management of the Belasco Theater for
permitting the performance, Lieut.. Har-
/ rison stating that L. StOddard Taylor, the
manager. had rented the theater to Mr..
| Eddy for last night without knowledge
that his alleged ''spiritualistic" perform
ance would be presented in violation of
the police regulation.