The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-05-17
HAND OF KAISER
SUSPECTED HERE
IN UGLY THREAT
ANONYMOUS LETTER RECEIVED
BY SHERIFF GRIFFIN DECLARED
FALSE I'M FOUNDATION.
WOULD STOP MOTION PICTURE
Seeks to Damage Opera House in Pub
lie Opinion and Thus Prevent Exhi-
bition of Beast of Berlin"-Guaran-
tee of Public Safety.

Kaiserism in America has mani
tested itself in Columbia by threat
to damage the New Grand Opera
house if the motion picture THE Kai
ser, the Beast of Berlin" is shown
there next Monday and Tuesday.
Sheriff j. Walter Griffin has re
ceived an anonymous threat of this
nature, which was Immediately shown
to Manager John T. Wooten of the
opera house, who declared it to be a
contemplate effort on the part of
either a German sympathizer to pre-
vent the public from seeing the re-
markable presentation of Hunnish
brutality, or that of someone who
would in this way seek to injure the
patronage of the opera house.
The anonymous letter was written
with ink and contained few mispell-
ed words, but as whole ii gave evil
dence of having been written by an
intelligent and educated person. With
sketch of skeleton pasted below as
signature, the threat was as follows:
81 have heard that the Opera
house should be condemned, that
one of the walls is about to fall
down. If they show the klSER
there 1t may fall sooner than they
expeck.
warming"
Sheriff Griffin stated yesterday that
he did not put any serious considera-
tion to the anonymous letter and be-
lieved it to be only foolish act of
some person who had little else to
do He revealed the letter to Man
ager John T. Mooten4 of the Opera
house, who was only amused at its
contents But to allay all fears that
might be entertained by anyone who
may hear about the threat, he i'm
mediately had the opera house in
spected by Building Inspector Tom
Freil and Contractor Eugene Afford,
both of whom pronounced the building
to be in an absolutely safe condition.
The building has never been con-
demned and as long as it remains as
sound as it now is there will be no
condemnation.
Manager Wooten stated today that
his only explanation Of this foolish
threat was that some German sympa-
thizer desired to prevent the exhibi-
tion of the motion picture THE Kai-
ser, The Beast of Berlin" which will
be shown there next Monday and
Tuesday because it reveals kaiser
ism in all of it's hdeousness, and
sought this method of frightening the
public so that nobody would dare en-
ter the building.
He had the building inspected by
Messrs Freil and Afford, by both of
whom it was given clean bill of
health and pronounced absolutely safe
in every particular. If this guardian
of the public's safety" is so alert to
give warning of danger to the opera
house, why did he wait until this
revelation of German beastiality was
to be shown, instead of issuing the
warning last fall before all of the
shows the past season was presented.
He stated that he would never have
permitted the opera house to be used
for the numerous mass meetings and
other gatherings of recent months,
which were attended by himself and
members of his own family, if it had
been known that there was even a
suspicion Of danger.
As a further guarantee that the
large crowds that will attend the ex-
hibition of the motion picture revela-
ton of the Kaiser's beastiality next
Monday and Tuesday will not be
frightened or in the least alarmed,
Sheriff Griffin and City Marshal Tom
Mclean will detail deputies and po-
licemen to closely watch the building
and arrest any suspicious character
that appears near it.