The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-21
.BUOU MANAGER
PLEADS GUILTY
n. y
Briggs Fined $50 on Charge Of
Conducting Objectionable
Performance.
MISCHIEF MAKERS CONTINUE
Police Admit That Little, if Any,
Expurgating Has Been
Done.

Charles Briggs. manager of the
1ifjou Theatre, who was arrested after
the Monday night performance or The
Mischief Makers charged with exhibit
ing play, certain words and sugges-
tions of which tended to corrupt the
morals Of all who witnessed 1t, was
yesterday fined $50 and costs in the
Police Court
Briggs pleaded guilty to the charges
and offered no defense other than to
call the courts attention to the fact
that he had had no opportunity to eS-
purgate the play before II was given
It's initial performance Monday night.
lie said that lie had made notes az the
performance proceeded and that ne
would make the changes recommended
by the police before the second show
was given. He paid his fine immed-
lately.
Justice Crutchfield, who postponed his
departure on his annual vacation trip
that he might be on the bench when-t the
case came up for II hearing, conducted
the hearing and called upon Chief Wer-
ner to testify as to the Objectionable
features Of the performance.
CHIEF DESCRIBES
ACTS AS VULGAR
Major Werner explained them as he
had done to newspaper men immcd-
lately after the arrest of Briggs. lie
denounced several of the features" as
being especially vulgar and favored n
heavy fine. In view of the fact that
briggs pleaded guilty, through his at
torney, Gilbert X. Pollock, II was not
thought necessary to have Capt. Sow
ell. Sergeants Wiley and Atkinson, or
Iiatrolman Goldsby testify. The maxi
mum penalty under the law might have
been 800 fine and thirty days in jail,
!. is said.
In making known his decision in the
case Justice Crutchneld told Manager
Briggs and District Manager Charles
w. Rex, who was also In court. and
who corroborated Briggs in saying that
the house manager had had no. oppor-
tunity before Monday night tol censor
the play. that some means must be
devised to insure only clean plays be-
ing produced in Richmond. Il do not
know how 1t Is to be DONE" the Police
Justice said. but it VIII have to be
performed. You say the play was
passed In Philadelphia. New York. Bal
timore and other cities, but what is
passed there is not always accepta BILE
I'm this city, and you must devise means
to prevent such Objectionable plays
being produced here" The two man
ayers promised that this would be done
in the future.
PLAY CONTINUES
WITH LITTLE CHANGE
But The Mischief Makers. Ipade
mischief in the same lively and shock-
ing manner at the two performances
given yesterday us, they had done Mon
day night. according to a number OF
persons who saw both performances,
and also, according to the statements
of the police. The explanation given
as to why no further steps were taken
against the producers of the play last
night was that several of the police
commissioners were present In the
theatre, and could find nothing objec-
tionahlo In the performance.
Chief Werner was asked last night
rs to the comparison made between
the two performances, and said that
ne could discover but little relative diff
ference in them. II was only in the
theatre II short WHILE" the chief said,
but during that time could not see
where any changes worth mentioning
had been made"
Detective Sergeant John Wiley was
also present At the performance last
night and said IN reply to qucs-
ton that there had been but little. IL
any, eNpurgating.