, 1926-04-21
JUDGE METZ TABOOES
RALSTON SUNDAY HOPS
Management VIII Cooperate with
County to Raise Standards of
Saturday Night Dances

After an entire afternoon, night
session, and Wednesday morning
was consumed in the hearing of
the cause in which the state was
seeking an Injunction, to prohibit
the Ralston dance hall, operated by
Jas. Dunton from operating after
twelve o'clock on Saturday nights
Judge Metz, at noon today issued
an order restraining the dance hall
proprietor, Mr.. Dunton from con-
tinuing his dance after the twelve
o'clock hour and ordered that a
special officer be present at each
of the dances, the expense of same
to be borne by the dance hall
management.
The injunction case, which was
filed by the county attorney, ].
e. McElvain vas a very novel one
inasmuch as it was based on no
particular statue, but on the gen.
manent injunction against the OPP
GRAFTON of the dance hall by Mr..
Dunton, charging that it was a
nuisance, operated after the mid
night hour into Sunday morning,
was a gathering place for rough
characters, and that intoxication,
frequent fights and immortality was
a practice at the dances. Attorney
Rankin of Powell defended the de-
PENDANT, Mr. Dunton.
The state presented about six
teen witnesses. many of whom were
residents of the Ralston community
and others residents of Powell and
Elk Basin who frequent the dances
given by Mr.. Dunton. The evidence
as given by these witnesses was
all pretty much to the same effect,
Quoted in a very orderly manner
by the proprietor, considerable
drinking took place outside the
dance hall and that fights were not
infrequent. The general trend of
the states witnesses was to the
effect that the dances at Ralston
had a bad reputation. due to the
rougher eliment which attended, al
though it was clearly pointed out
hat many of the best people of the
county were regular attendants at
the dance. where from one hundred
and fifty to two hundred pleasure
seekers congregated each Saturday
evening.
In defense of the dance hall and
Its proprietor about thirty witness
es had been subpoened by the de-
Tense. Inasmuch as their evidence
was all of a general nature only
a dozen or more were called to the
stand and the testimony of the bal
ance admitted by the court. De-
Tense witnesses testified that they
attended the dances frequently. took
their children and wives with
them, that the dance was conducted
in a very orderly manner, and at
no time had any lady been insulted
or abused by reason of her presence
there. The witnesses coroborated
the testimony of prosecutions wit
nesses that there was more or less
drinking going on outside the dance
hall, and some boisterous and Wis
cious language used by those at
tending.
In passing judgment, Judge Metz
stated that the case was a very pc
culiar one, and that the injunction
which was being sought by the
state was not justified by the evil
dence presented. 1t had been shown
that several hundred people attend
ed the dances al times, and that
no more rough stuff was in evil
dence than at the average dance
held in the state. In issuing the
restraining order against the oper-
alton of the dance after twelve
O'Clock Sunday, he gave the defend
ant to understand that a continue
ton of this practice would get
him into serious trouble, and or
dered him to pay into the county
treasury each month sufficient mon
ey to defray the expense of a special
officer at each of the dances to
be held in the future, the special
officer to be designated by the
county attorney and sheriff.
While on the stand Mr.. Dunton
stated that he was endeavoring to
conduct his dance in an approved
manner, and welcomed the assist
ance of an officer who would take
care of conditions inside and out
side the dance hall. He seemed
very anxious that his dances be so
conducted to avoid public censure.
Judge Metz ruled that both part
les to the action pay their own
I witnesses and share the court ex-
pense.