The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-03
SHOCKERS SHOCKED
IN BROADWAY HUT
All Dressed Up for Party, 400
Find They Are Weeks
Ahead Of Date.
INVITED BY SELWYNS
Lease Breakers Mistake Call
for the Real Annual Event
All Ends Well.

Just as Saturday night had edged IT.
self into yesterday morning the leading
ladies' and gentlemen Of the stage ana
allied trades, who loosely are banded to-
eether socially under the name OF the
Broadway Shock Troops, received the
second greatest Jolt OF their midnight
careers.
IN fleets OF taxicabs. Rolls-Royces,
even hansoms and victorfas, they as
sembled in Longacre Square to attend
what they hungrily and thirstily had
supposed was to be one OF the delectable.
annual. midnight and morning functions
fondly known TO Broadway's dancing
ret as n regulation ''Selwyn party" And
when they arrived ON the scene OF the
expected crime they were struck In the
face with the news that neither Edgar.
Arch. Mike. Rea or Margaret Mayo
Sefwyn had provided either eats or
believe Il or not-drinks.
The Broadway Shock Troops. also still
known by their older title. the Lease
Breakers Union. Local IS. had been
joited more severely Nf that be posi-
ble) only once before in the entire his
tory OF the organization. That was the
time, about six years ago, when some
body named Percy Croker blew In all
the money he had saved for three or four
years on rearranging and redecoratH1
his bachelor apartments in Thirtieth
street, just east OF Fifth avenue.
Whole Savings Swept Away.
After the then Bachelor Croker had
suffered two years OF workmen about his
quarters--tesring down partitions. NOV
Ing thu serving pantry into the dining
room and painting and decorating a lot
! ~ property which he merely rented--he
invited. one Sunday night. everybody
who was anybody on Broadway to an
apartment warming. And the Broadway
Shock Troops, then known exclusively
as the Lease Breakers Union. took II for
granted that Percy Crocker. like all the
rest Of the hosts and hostessee who had
entertained them during the preceding
months OF the Broadway season. wanted
to break his lease and therefore had in
vited them with the hope they would
make so much racket all night that the
rest OF the tenants In the building would
protest and have Host Croker ousted
by the landlord.
Sure enough, late on the next after
noon when Percy Croker tentatively
opened one eye as preliminary to COM
ing up for air he heard tapping on
his door. to which. being still sleepy, he
paid no attention. Night fell. Percy
Croker got up at last, dressed and
opened his door to take a stroll. only
10 hnd that the disregarded tapping was
done by the janitor while lacking a dis.
possess notice on Percy's door.
shock to Members Of the Union.
So Percy was thrown out. and By a
landlord who had set himself back not
ore cent on the wonderful balconies anc
hardwood floors and things that Perc,
had spent four years OF savings to in.
stall When the Lease BreakeSs' Unior
learned that quite innccently they haC
caused a host 10 be ousted from tn,
best rooms for party giving 10 b fount
IN the midriff OF Manhattan many mem
bers took TO their beds indefinitely
A feeling something akin to their dis
may over the Crocker fiasco fabber
Fasted the Broadway Shock Troops r.
the first moments of yesterday morn
Ing. Here they were. 400 or 400 OF them
debarking eKcitedly from the taxicai
fleet which steadily was coming tc
anchor just off the entrance to the new
soldiers and sailors hut in the car tract
triangle al the Forty -sixth stree
meridian Of Longacre Square. Wav,
haired leading men. beauteous actresse.
magazine editors. even writer's. storme,
10 and. once they got inside. that the
were all dressed up with nowhere I,
drink.
The hut occupies the ground upo,
which. during the period Of INTENSITY
subway construction, stood the fran
building-painted green and with III
second story projecting on four side
several feet beyond the walls OF the BIZ
room on the street level--which tn
,irA d.
point out as his Swiss chalet.
II was in tho old green constructio
house that now has made way for tn
hut in which Comic Hazard planne
two years ago 70 give tremendou
broadway party. That party fe
through because the subway engineer
proved mathematicallv to Potent.a
Host Hazard that IL one of his guest
stepped out OF the second floor doc,
which projected at least a yard beyon
the first floor wallis and was nc
equipped with steps. the result woul
be the guest would be beaned on tn
asphalt by the dawn's early light
The added fact that party seen
ingly was about to be detonated h
the Selwyns on the precise spot wher
Comic Hazard had failed to give h
vastly overadvertised racket OF tv
years ago Increased the anticipat or
VI
Shock Troops who crowded into Il
little frame building yesterday morning
Each great dramatic or literary gent,
who arrived carried In his. or her. Will
eioved nit an engraved invitation thu
read
Selwyn & Co. Invite You to a Part,
and House Warming and Reception
1t the Knights of Columbus New
broadway Hut" Longacre Square
at Forty-sixth Street, Saturday Eve
ning-Sunday Morning February First
Second, from Midnight Onward. r. 8
v. +. Please Bring This Card.
What They Expected to Find.
But when everybody had presented a
invitation 10 the soldier on the doc
everybody naturally expected to see "df
eovered"--as Arch Selwyn and jail
Shubert always say when waxing d.
scriptive-one of those Selwyn part
settings wherein the dancing floor
waxed. the dinge orchestra zoomin
Head Waiter Tom OF the Algonqu
steadily stiffenins the punch howl In
corner and somebody named Sidney n
ready going TO sleep on a settee.
Nothing like that at all yesterds
morning. Instead. the shocked Broa
way Shock Troops came into a hut thi,
with tobacco smoke and eolidly stufYs
with soldiers and sailors. all seated
close crowded chairs that made dancir
impossible and efficient knights OF C.
lumbus. most evident OF whom W,
Knight Of Columbus Mike Simon Selwy
Actor Frank Mcintyre was just fnishIi
an Grafton about the wonderful work
the Knights at the French front. al