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SUNDAY MOVIES BLOCKED AFflR SCORE OF ARRESTS AND GUARDS HOLD DOORS PROJECTION ROOMS{Continued from Page One) ed doors of the projection rooms, and refused admittance to any one. It was only after owners of the theatre pleaded with thfcm to open up and submit to arrest that the officers were admitted.Doors to the projection rooms at both theatres were forced once each during the afternoon’s performance. Officers were armed with brooms, axes, screw drivers, chisels and other tools with which to force entrance if their way was barred. Officers Block Windows.At both theatres, when they were refused admittance to the projection rooms, officers held brooms, hats and sheets of paper up before the windows of the projecting rooms to prevent continuance of the show. Members of the audience were loud in their criticism of these acts and some were heard to express themselves vigorously in denunciation.One member of the audience at the Arabian Theatre expressed indignation that the lives of women and children should be endangered through fire hazard by the officers holding Inflammable objects up before the intense heat of the projection machine rays.Operators Arrested.Operators arrested were: Claude Smith, twice; Hilton Moss, twice; Ernest A. Forster, twice; Willard Round, once; G. T. Edwards, three times; Ernest McRae, twice; Curtis Ragsdale, once; A. A. North-cutt .twice; Jack Anderson, twice, and Orin Moore, twice.Required to make bond in the sum of $500 each, a total o $10,000 bail was made during the afternoon. Officers finally barricaded the doors to the projecting room.? at both theatres and refused to permit operators to enter and continue the show. This caused a delay to the performance, but was finally given up. As soon as the officersswamped Abilene and set the stage for this week’s big tests, Texas against Baylor and Texas Christian against Rice.left, operators hastened to the machines, started them and continued with the shows.A last return trip was made to the theatres about 5 o’clock and the operators placed under arrest. They were told to appear in court ana were not required to make bond.No Legionnaires Arrested.An erroneous report was circulated through the medium of a morning Jackson newspaper that members of the American Legion, who are sponsoring the Sunday movie* ] here, were arrested. This report was j strenuously denied by Major Archie . F. McCormick, who declared the re- ; port not only erroneous but damag- i •ing. This was also denied by Sheriff ] M. H. Freeman and Chief of Police i J. E. Brown. jMembers of the legion were in evidence at the theatres serving as ushers, but no one was molested except the projection operators. Sheriff Freeman was quoted a^ stating he would make an arrest for every ticket sold, but evidently reconsidered this move and centered his attention on the projection room.Dozens of spectators left their seats in the auditorium and milled about the lobby and machine room watching the endless parade of officers and movie operators.
Newspaper Details
Laurel Leader Call
Laurel, Mississippi, US
Mon, Nov 03, 1930
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Suzanne B.
USA 16 Mar 2025
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