New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-07-18
MOVIE MEN GET
FINED SIS and COSTS
Mcdonald and GlaCken Admitted
Children Says Court

| irving L. MCDOnolu. manager or
| Fox's theater and John Glacktn man
| ager of the Lyceum theater were each
| fined $25 and costs on one count in
| the police court this morning on the
charge of violating the thcater law,
by admitting small children into their
| theaters without proper uardians
The violations were alleged to have
| taken place last Saturday afternoon
| and the cases were adjourned from
! Monday morning. When put to plen
! before Judge James r.. Mesklll this
morning the accused pleaded nolo
contendere Manager Mcdonald on
the witness stand Admitted that the
four children said to have been In his
theater were probably there. but he
had no intent OF violating the law and
had even instructed his cashier In the
presence of Detective Sergeant Sam
uel Bamforth, not to sell tickets to
children under IA, when not properly
escorted. He said that I've knew OF no
effective way of preventing children
from slipping into the theater as he
had warned his doorman, ticket seller
and the policeman on duty at the
theater, but the children continue to
get in.
Lawyer George Levitt, Lessee OF the
l.yceun. appeared for his manager.
John Glackin and conten,ied that the
statute under which the prosecution
had been brought is anttuuatea, As "
was enacted in 1911 for tho purpose
of protecting children from Improper
amusement and since that time tho
censors have removed objections on
that score. Tho lawyer said that ac-
cording to the statute u person 20
years and II months old could not
take his Is years and II mouths old
brother or sister to the movies with
out violating the law and that It was
Il physical impc>SihiittN tor theater
managers not 10 break the law every
day. While celebrating on the pa
tEiotic and Instructive nature of the
entertainment AT his theater, Lawyer
lie Witt was called to order by the
court With the advice that 'patriotism
should not be commerciliZed.' Law
Yer lie Witt wanted to know why all
the theaters had not been visited and
was informed that none of them
would have been visited had 1T not
been that complaint was made. IL
is understood that Lawyer LIE Witt
was one of those who complained,
The court was satisfied that every
effort would be made in the future to
safeguard against the infract1on or
the law and found both the accused
guilty on one count and fined them
SIS and costs each.
The four children under age said to
have been found in FoX's theater are
Charles Dehm, % GrlsWold street,
Joseph Marco. IS Beaver street. Bur-
dette Smith. III Dwight street and
Howard Faulkner, 335 Myrtle street
nv, i,, q
found in the Lyceum are: Otto Jesse,
1Ss Curtis street. Vittey Whitewood,
62S East Main street, John Winikostos
aS Seymour street and John Link, 629
East Main street.
Vittey Whitewood's mother, Mrs
Katherine Whitewood. was notified to
be in court Mondoy morning as a wit
ness in the case but failed to appear
She was ordered to appear TUESDAY
morning on a capias. but again tailed
to arrive, but she was brought IN TINS
morning on the charge of contempt Of
court. She was ordered to pay the
cost of the capias and told to pay
more attention to an order from po-
liceman next time.
Kelly From London.
Joseph H. Kelly of London, Eng
land. the self styled king of the
hoboes' proved a star attraction at
this mornings session. He was
charged with vagrancy and being
drunk but insisted that he was not an
idle person and had come to visit TINS
be-e-autiful city of New Britain-here
the state interrupted-and that ne mad
taken a glass of that which exhiler-
ates; a mixture OF life and deatn.
Mr.. Kelly was sentenced to Jail Cor
onI 0f q
Robbed Bedfellow.
Harold Rahbe of Ansonia, where he
was arrested yesterday for the local
police. was charged with theft at this
mornings session of the local court.
1t was alleged that on July 9, he slept
at the Bronson hotel with TONY
Schultz" the proprietor of an East
Main street saloon and robbed him OF
$50 while he slept. Rahbe pleaoeu
guilty and was sentenced to two
months in the county Jail.
Murder on BlOtter.
The name of Mollie Miller, charged
with murder appeared on the ponce
blotter this morning. having been ar
rested on that charge by Detective An
drew ] Richardson, but owing to the
fact that she is confined at the General
hospital by her illness the case did
not come before the court today.
'Bill" Nye Retorts.
Little thought Prosecutor klett that
he had a humorist in the pen. when he
asked "Bin' Nye. charged with
drunkenness, Are you down at the
town farm now" Quoth Nye, Not
now. or I would not be here He
was ordered to return to the town
farm, Notwithstanding.
UNION MEN ELECT OFFICERS.
Election of officers of the Central
Labor union was held last evening,
and the following were chosen: Pres