New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-11
WIVES FLED AS
MEN WERE KISSED
Great Darlington Has a
Near Seeley Dinner
Arrests Threatened.

Great Darlington, Mass, Feb. 10
Three show girls from New York, who
came here to give features" at the
Chamber Of Commerce banquet Monday
night. gave this town such a shock that
the promoters of the banquet are said
TO be threatened with arrest. 1t is al
legged that the entertainment was so
shocking that every woman in the gal
lery left the building, some taking
with them their husbands, who had
been seated at tables on the floor be-
low. Representations were made TO
the officials Of the town that the char
scter Of the entertainment was inde-
corous and reproach to the town and
the Chamber Of Commerce.
Police Chief William j. Oschman
was instructed to ascertain the facts
concerning the allegations. For two
days he has been cross-examining men
who were at the banquet, and tonight
ne said
81 don't know when the arrests will
be made, but arrests will come.
When invitations TO the annual ban
quet of the Chamber Of Commerce went
out, carrying with them the announce
ment that A. 2. Langtry, Secretary of
State; Howard Elliott, president Of the
New Haven system; Clarence P. Niles,
District Attorney; Charles H. Wright,
State Councillor; c. Q. Richmond, gen
eral manager of the Berkshire Street
Railway; John Rodemeyer, president of
the Bald Headed Club Of America;
Judge Ford, of Canaan, Conn, and
others were expected" and that "the
Hon. John B. Hull, jr., will deliver the
address OF welcome" there was rush
of acceptances.
At the speakers table, on either side
of President Cornell. were Secretary of
State Langtry and Charles Astor Bris-
ted of Stockbridge, who has aspirations
10 enter political life in the Sth Berk-
shire District. Mr.. Bristed is d.
rect descendant of the original John
Jacob Astor, and was a chamberlain to
the late Pope Leo XIII. Most of the
advertised speakers were absent. Rep
resentative John B. Hull was recalled
TO Boston.
Although the invitation contained
the clause, "No intoxicating drinks will
be used" the diners were in lively
spirits. and it was not long after the
banquet was under way that the first
number on the programme of enter
tainment, "by three actresses from
New York theatre, who come very
highly Recommended" was presented
The girls first number was hardly
over when there was stir in the gal
lery, to which women had been admit
ted. Who started the stampede cannot
be learned, but the round of applause
which had gone up from the floor be-
low had scarcely ceased when the gal
lery was vacant.
What followed . in the line OF enter
tanning is what The police are investi-
eating. The report is current that, az
the programme progressed, the attire
Of the performers grew scantier, and
that the dancing was scandalous. The
girls, il is said, left the stage TO
mingle with the diners, stroked their
whiskers and kissed bald heads.
Secretary Langtry, the principal
speaker, said to-day, in a statement:
81 was invited to speak at a Cham
ber of Commerce banquet. and ] ac-
cepted in perfect good faith, just as
| have accepted invitations 10 speak
in many other parts of the common
wealth. As counter attraction the
management offered three charming
Young women from New York who put
on a programme Of lively stunts.
"Some Of the entertainment took
place before my turn came TO speak.
When my turn did come ne, ss,d ssn oh,,iO,l hnar
reasons. The incident has been a cause
of great embarrassment 10 me. II |
had known what was TO take place |
certainly should not have gone. Such
a thing as this has never happened be-
fore in my experience, and ! sincerely
hope il will nev,1 occur again.
That Secretary Langtry will be SUM