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Show GUESTS DANCE BEAR DANCE AMONG TABLES I1OT NEVER SET "RAW" Chicago Restaurant Han Says Business Has Degenerated Degen-erated Into Vaudeville. CHICAGO, April 11. Wail the cabaret was in full blast, investigators of the Illinois senatorial vice commission commis-sion entered two downtown restaurants and a wineroom in the tendarloin last night and brought performers, managers manag-ers and guests to the Hotel La Salle for interrogation at a session which lasted until after 2 o'clock this morn f'rom some of them the senators dTew reluctant admissions that a few of the songs and dances "might be" suggestive sugges-tive and "perhaps" had a bad effect upon the diners. A girl singer, crying as she testified, asserted she never would eing "la Mv Harem," a song Lieutenant Governor O'Hara was particularly par-ticularly inquistive about. The manager man-ager of a well known restaurant said the restaurant business had degenerated into a vaudeville show and he didn't know when it would stop. After investigators and members of a "slamming" party said they had beard an improper song in a place on Twenty-first street, the commissioners voted to recommend to Mayor HarrI son that the cafe 'a lieenae be revoked end will call the attention of the state's attorney to the testimony of the manager, man-ager, who said nothing indecent went on. Senator Beall said he saw girle not mora than 15 or 16 years old imbibing im-bibing mixed drinks in the cafe and some of them were mora or less intoxicated Mrs. Maude Joseph described th singing and daneea at a downtown restaurant. res-taurant. Bhe said in one dance the per former "might just as well have had no skirts at all' She stated that a girl did an oriental danc, wearing pink tights and a "sort of a shirt of black chiffon." She said she thought the dance was suggestive, judging from the remarks made by male diners at nearby tables. She said a couple did a fancy dance, a eotnbidation between the "Tango" and the "Apache." "Was it art or suggestion f" asked Lieutenant Governor O'Hara. "There was no art in it." She said aueh a dance might not hare any effect upon young women, but "she wouldn 't want to risk it. ' ' Th performers per-formers then led a free for nM dance oa a space made by clearing away table, ta-ble, ah said. "Thar was one girl about 19, who danced a peculiar kind of dance for a public exhibition," she said. "Her partner held her at arms' length and at intervals would suddenly embrace her. No, there waan't anv art la It." The professionals who led this free for aH daaee said they had tried to eliminate anything which might appear senMial la their act, but admitted they might not have been entirely successful? success-ful? "Don't you think that where von s art others might see vicef" asked Mr. O'Hara. Much Depends on Point of View "I guess it appeals differently, but I don't see anything obscene about it." 0. B. Stimpeon, manager of another downtown restaurant, asserted the bnst-nea bnst-nea had degenerated into a show buei-deaa, buei-deaa, but that he had to put up a drat class eabara to get the trade. He was of the opinion that some popular songs have gone too far, and said he d id n 't allow "In My Harem" to be sung in his restaurant. His guests did the "bear" dance in the aisle between th tables, but they never got "raw." Aa entertainer in this restaurant said there was nothing out of the way In the song "All Night Long." "It' all in the way you sing it." she stated. "Some people are so weak minded thev wiH take up Berthing." At 8 o'clock this morning the near-lag near-lag adjouraed nntil 10 o'clock, when proprietors of several disorderly houses will testify. The committee subpoenaed several witnesses who testified concerning a cabaret show at a south side resort owned by Boy Jonas. Among then were a man and two women said to be vie crusaders from Peoria, 111. Thee testified that a woman had sung an Immoral Im-moral song and that other objectionable objectiona-ble aeta were committed. The manager of the resort denied the allegations, but the commission decided to recommend that the place be elosed and the manager man-ager held for perjury. |