New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-29
Bomb !E'}1eater.
Another Fired:
Labor Blamed
Chicago Bu''lesque Houses
Slightly Dasanageds Owned
by Company Here Which,
Adopts Cpen-Sisop Policy
Season Begins Next Week
Columbia Amusement Co.
Official Sees an Effort to
Hamper Its Operations

CHICAGO, Aug. ga bomb ex-
ploded after midnight this morning at
the stage door of the Columbia Theator
and fire started about the same time in
the gallery of the Star and Garter.
hurlesque amusement houses in the
business district. The police believe
that both outragcs were perpctratedS,v
union sympathizers who are planninp
reign on terror to compel the directors
OF buresque houses here to abandon
their open shop policy.
AS the theaters have not vet opened
TOR the fall season. only guards were in
lnem at the time. and no one was hurt.
The damage in both cases was slight.
but the police expect further attacks
1t is understood that the MANAGEMENT
received warning week AGO that vio-
lcnce would be attempted unless the
playhouses were unionized. GUARDS at
the Columbia, Star and Garter, Hay
market and Englewood theaters were
doubled tonight.
The bomb was placed outside the
stage door, and the damage it did was
largely to the door itself and hundred
nearby windows.The blast attracted .
large crowd, which was kept back hv
the police.
The belief prevails that the bombers
intended to terrorizc the owners
rather than inhict property damage.
New Workers Own Theaters
Samuel A. Scribner, secretary Of
the Columbia Amusement Company.
701 Seventh Avenue, New York. said
yesterday at his home in Bronxville.
that his company which owns the
damaged theaters in Chicago, had de-
clared q general open shop policy be-
cause of difficulties with union labor.
These difficulties, he added, were af-
fecting seventy-eight thcaters in many
cities.
"There are two big burlesque pro
the big and little wheels. The big
wheel is the Columbia Amusement
Company, and the little wheel is the
American Amusement Company. The
Columbia Amusement Company oper-
ates thirtv-eight of the burlesque
theaters. Some theaters we own. some
we lease and others we book Herbert
Mack IS president Of the Columbia
Company, and Jules Hurtig is vice
president. J. II. Herk is president Of
the American Amusement Company.
1870 Broadway.
"Thc burlesque producing companies
announced early in the summer that an
open shop policy in employing all help
would prevail in all houses. The musi-
clans, stage hands and other unions are
opposing u.s.
Scribner Blames Unions
"Your dispatches from Chicago are
correct. They threw bomb into the
Columbia Thcater. At the Star and
Garter Theater they climbed a fire es~
cape got in at the gallery entrance and
started fire. We had planned to open
all theaters Labor Day | believe That
the efforts were made to prevent our
opening.
"Another town where violence has
developed is at Newark, and we have
won a United States Court decision to
prevent the labor unions from inter
fering with US in any way in that city.
We anticipated trouble and took pre-
cautionary measures to prevent it. al
theaters are well policed. Chicago be-
ing a Sunday town our opening there
was scheduled for a week from to-day,
and we viii open all theaters on the
two wheels not later than Labor Day"
The Columbia Amusement Company
was the first theatrical circuit company
to lock out the union musicians and
other companies followed.