The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-11


his syndicate at one time as many
as thirty theaters.
still on the stand under direct eXami-
nation.
lived in Topeka for sixty years. He
said he first learned the printing trade
as a young man; that he later entered
the bill posting business and then
entered the theater bu-iness. He
entered the theater business in 1880,
he said, and gave his occupation at the
present til as that of farmer, stock
raiser and theatrical man.
In answer to questions Crawford
stated that he had been associated in
the management of about th1rty-three
theaters during his career. He stated
that the following were among the
theaters he had either owned, con-
trolIed, managed or had an interest in:
The Grand Opera house. at Topeka.
The Majestic theater, at Topeka.
Novelty theater, Topeka.
The Boyd theater, at Omaha.
The First Street theater. at Omaha.
The Brands theater, at Omaha.
The Farnum Street theater, at
Omaha.
The Curtis Street theater, at Denver.
The Oliver and one other theater
at Lincoln, Neb-
The Lyceum and two other theaters
at st. Joseph, Mo.
The Crawford theater, at Wichita.
The Princess and Palace theaters,
at Wichita.
Two theaters at Joplin. Mo.
A theater at Nevada, Mo.
A theater at Springfield, Mo.
The Gayety theater, at st. Louis.
Crawford said he and his family
now own, lease or control the follow
ing theaters: One at st. Louis, one at
st. Joseph, one at Lincoln. three a,
Topeka. three at Wichita and two at
Ell Paso Ztt
Crawford stated in reply to ques-
tions that the Amusement Syndicate
Co.. thru which he now operates his
stock of which is owned by the Craw-
| ford family. He stated that this
Amusement Syndicate Co. purchased
/ the Grand Opera house in Topeka in
| 1904 or 1905 and has owned it ever
since. He said the Grand was built
| by a Topeka syndicate at a cost in
excess of 100000 and that after it
was purchased by the Amusement
| Syndicate Co. he spent between $4,000
and $500 in repairing and remodel
i ling it The Grand was built in 1882,
! he said.
Grand Construction.
| In answer to question as TO
whether or not he had ever had an
| accident in the Grand in which peo-
pie were hurt, Crawford said he had
never had any accidents in any of his
| theaters in which any people were
! hurt. When questioned as to the ma
terial from which the Grand was built.
| Crawford said it was a stone and brick
building with a metal roof and waA
known as building of slow combus-
| ton. Asked what he meant by a build
ing Of slow combustion, he said q
building that would burn slowly.
Crawford said that to his knowledge
there are only two fireproof theaters
, in Kansas today, one of these being
the New Crawford owned by the
Amusement Syndicate Co. at Wichita
and the other the opera house at Law
| renee.
Proud of Home Town Thcatcr.
When asked as to the condition in
which he kept the Grand in compari-
son with the conditions of his other
! theaters and opera houses, Crawford
said that as tins is his home town he
! has always taken a particular PRIDE
in having the Grand opera house in
a better condition than any of his
other theaters or opera houses.
]. B. Larimer, who was conducting
the examination for the plaintiffs.
then had the witness go into details
as to the exits, fire escapes and condi-
. IlOnS around me opera IlOuSS
Crawford stated that he was requested
by certain authorities. he was unable
to say whether or not they were state
or city authorities. to build steel stair
ways as outside exits on the north and
south sides of the Grand. He sai6
that steel stairway was built on the
north side, but that he convinced the
authorities the wooden stairway on the
south side was safe and that it wa:
unnecessary to TeOlaCe if with a Stee
structure.
Crawford said that at the time the
article over which, the suit was fileC
was published he was away on bust
, ness. He said he had no knowledge
that any complaints had been made
! about the conditions of the building
until April Is, or Il. when he received
letter from his son Roy, in which
clipping from the Topeka State Jour
Commissioner Mcbride was enclosed
Reads McBride's Letters.
The witness said he came back t,
Topeka about the first of May. 1916
and that he was ill for a few day
after returning. The plaintiff thel
. offered the report made by Commits
. sioner Mcbride in which the Craw
, fords were told the Grand opera hous
would have to be rewired and the fir
escapes repaired together with tn
. letter Mcbride wrote to the Craw
: fords. These letters were read an,
then the attorneys for the plaintiff
attempted to introduce replies L. NJ
Crawford had written to Mcbride
but E. D. McKeever, attorney for tn
defendant. objected on the ground
that they were written after the libe
suit had been filed.
l ! Crawford. in the course of his tes
; timony, stated that workmen VIII