New Britain herald., 1917-09-15
DANCED HER Way TO
THE Berlin COURT
Jennie May Curtis Arrested at
Show on the Midway
"THE VAMPIRE GIRL"

IN Feature Attraction AS Well As
Men Who Had Charge of Per-
formance.
From the gay surroundings of a
! near Cairo, made famous by muscular
! naloens. to the grim reality of a
country police court was the exper-
fence within the past "a hours of Mrs.
Jennie May Curtis, who confesses to
having aided Father Time spin along
MS course for "a winters and sum-
mers. Jennie May, according to the
information presented to Judge
george q. Griswold in Berlin town
court today, was engaging in dances
Oh a numerous character for the edi-
ncat1on of about 35 open-mouthed
male beings in tent at Berlin fair
yesterday when Sergeant Frank We
rell1 of the state police dropped in. The
curtain was Immediately rung down
and Jennie May, accompanied by Mar
tin Mcdonald, proprietor of the en-
tertainment; Ross Crowley, whose
raucous calls to the yokels of the
countryside convinced them they
could see something worth seeing by
rendering Is cents at the gate; George
A. George, guardian of the portals,
through whose hands the silver coins
flowed, and Gabriel Shaker, who fur
nished the weird music to which Jen-
ME May stepped.
The charge against the dancing girl
was indecent exposure. The others
were accused of harboring a female.
Judge Griswold reserved decision ,as
Lawyer A. A. Greenberg, counsel for
the quintet, put up strenuous de-
Tense. The case against Shaker was
continued until Monday.
Prosecutor Gibney had as exhibits
an assortment of tights with which
Mrs. Curtis was wont to adorn her
Venus-like self; the flute Mister Shak-
er footed, and various sundries con-
nected with the show. He told the
court that Mrs. Curtis was advertised
as THE Vampire Girl But the
''Vampire's'' heart could not have
been Thedbaran in texture, for the
wept, and wept, and wept during
court proceedings. Instead of posing
nonchalently and attempting to hyp-
notize the court officials. as all real
correspondence school vampires do,
she attempted to reduce herself to a
state of liquification and turned on
the lachrymal spigots.
Snakes and Lions Her Pets.
1.-The Vampire Grip confessed to
being novice at the game. She told
Judge Griswold she had been engaged
in the pastime only since last Thurs
day and her husband, who was also
employed on the fair grounds. was
unaware of her occupation. Besides
being a dancer she also turns her
hand occasionally. she said, to tam
ing the denizens of the Arabian des-
erts, fierce lions and such, and also
to charming boa constructors from the
Businesses of the Congo and Amazon.
She said she had never been arrested
before.
Mcdonald informed the court that
one of Mrs. Curtis stunts was to pose
as September Morn," the young lady
who stands at the edge Of lake and
shivers in the Autumn blasts, you will
remember. She also did a Hawaiian
dance, Mcdonald said. He was volu-
able in his descriptions, but did not
attempt to sell any tickets to the
court spectators.
AS money making scheme. it
developed, the show had brighter
prospects than anything that had
fingered in these parts for years and
years. Ross Crowley stood on a box
and told the passing throng that Won
ders were to be seen for the sacrifice
Of three nickels. After being ushered
into the presence of the fair Jennie
May, it is said, the audience was ini-
tiated into the mysteries OF the dances
performed on the heights of Thibet
the banks of the Nile, the veldt of
South Africa and the theaters in
TO P1,tt hat
show. No. indeed the real show be-
gan after the gullible public had de-
cided to default payment on the last
installment of the Liberty Loan and
pay 25 cents more. 1t was the real
show that caused the arrest of Jennie
May and the gentlemen In her on
tourage.
pig E,SE,NEI ALTON TO IOININI2E,