Show 1 MAJESTIC CASE ASE BEFORE COURT COURI Building Inspector tor and Fire Chief Tell Story of Criminal Criminal Crim Crini- inal mat Negligence THE HE EXITS ARE ALL LOCKED Judge Bowman Takes Case Under Advisement Until Tuesday of or February That on tho the afternoon 11 at a time when the matinee performance per per- In ress and the was pro progress and house was filled with women children the majority of at the Ute exits from tho the Majestic theater were either locked or 01 blocked In some manner and that ho tho management has not complied with the law requiring adequate exits at the rc rear re-ar r of ot the theater was the thc testimony given Iven In n the case of ot the city against Harry Levere manager of the theater before Judge Bowman In the tho police court yesterday afternoon when after a n number of ot postponements It wa was finally brought blought to trial At the conclusion con con- of ot the testimony which on account of ot tho the numerous attaches or ot ortho tho the theater Introduced vas ns as quite voluminous Judge o Cowman Dowman announced that owing to the seriousness of the offense charged chare and ft its grave gravo Import Importance Importance ance from tram a n legal standpoint he would take the case under advisement and andrender andrender render his decision on next Tu Tuesday There Thele was a 1 picture on the tho screen the music was playing the doors were locked and there was a sized good-sized audience was the statement given gl b by Mr Ir Hirth and Assistant Chief Fit Fitz gerald Chief Fitzgerald said ho he would estimate tho the audience to have hn been about composed mostly of or women and children The performance was WIlS over or the music music music mu mu- sic had stopped and there were only two women left In the house testified the ne negro ro porter Nathaniel Mason who Interrupted his testimony frequently to change chane It and say s say Now ow ow wait waif I want to tell teU this straIghter Incidentally Mason swore positively positive that he hc had never ne or mentioned a word of fr the case cose to any am per person on which statement was ns held by bo City Attorney Rogers ts 38 being decidedly overdrawn and It tra Wac s so to the court Mr Hirth testified he e had entered the tho theater between 30 nn and r C 6 o'clock I I. I l the te evening evenIn In with Vr Mr T We TIe entered from the front said Mr Hirth and found three of or the tho exit doors at the front Q locked A largo large e easel occupied all ll I of or the finace t before one of t t the e bl big double doors I r asked a colored man t why tho the doors were lock locked rl and find he be heild ild id It was because lecause it was almost almo t time for the crown crowd to tn leave len I r M It Was as as curious th the doors should be looked locked at the time when wilen people were supposed to be going oln out 1 I I Doors Joor Found Lock Locked tJI tJ I J then wen went vent t to the rear of or th the tho 0 theater and found the emergency exit blocked with Hh ith a n chair and a banjo A stage had been erected without the permission of oC the eft city The Tho double doors on the southwest of the theater were s-cro also locked contrary to law A Atall Atall tall man whom I didn't know got very fresh resh when I was speaking about the locked doors and said It if we had telephoned we were coming they would have had tho the doors unlocked There were no people leaving the tue theater the at atthe tho the time wo we found tho the doors locked and an there thereas was as a picture on the canvas with sith the music playing I cant can't estimate estimate estimate esti esti- mate tho the size Ize of or the crowd but It was composed largely el of or women and children chil chil- dren One very narrow door had a chair setting In it I was much disappointed dis dis- appointed td in the doors locked na ns' as Manager Levere had promised me meon on a 3 previous visit that he would compi comply com corn ply pi with the law W. W yo S. S Fitzgerald testified I went with Mr Hirth to the Majestic theater at between 1 30 and 5 o'clock on the afternoon of February 11 We c found round one-half one of ot the tho three double-door double en entrances entrances entrances en- en trances locked lacked A negro porter pulled the bolt balt of at one of the tho doors but It would not open because a large easel was setting In front of or It It In one of ot the tho rear doors tho the emergency exit a chair and banjo effectually blocked eGre egress 8 Wo We were in tho the theater about ID IG minutes Thero There were about women women wo wo- men and children there at the time and the performance was In progress I I heard Mr Hirth's conversation with the men teen In the theater I had had trouble with sIth Manager Levere Le a few tew days das previous pre to this time over the erection of a a. stage which he had put up In violation of or the ctt city ordinances and without securing permission from the city He promised me he would secum a permit but neglected to do doso doso doso so and I had not heard of ot him after after- wards arda After Atter holding holding- a conversation with the colored man and antl other em Mr Ir Hirth Informed them that It would be bo necessary to swear out a warrant to compel the management to respect the laws of or the city X Xo No 0 Nathaniel l Mason the negro porter J J. J W. W Brooks Drooks and wife and anti Man Manager K r Harr Harry ere Lo and his wife all testified on behalf of oC the management of ot the theater telling stories that varied In regard to tho the time the doors that were locked Rn and tho number of persons per per- sons eons In the theater Mason the thc porter porter potter por pot ter swore positively that the performance perform perform- ance was over o and only two women remained In the house lIe He said eald he was locking the tho doors because tho the crowd had all gone Now wait walt a minute 1 I want to get this straight frequently Interposed Mason M during his testimony and h he concluded It by swearing nosi- nosi that he hr hd neither elther discussed nor heard discussed the question of or orthe the Majestic's locked doors In his summing Humming up of or the case cSt City Attorney E. E A A. A Ho Rogers ers said It has no been disputed that a narrow passage passage passage pas pas- pas pas- sage was blocked contrary to tho the law It is not disputed that some Bome of or th the doors doom were wre locked It is Just such circumstance circumstance cir clr- as these theao which have cause caused I Isome some of ot the tho worst In th the histories of ot theater fires The rea rea-I rea doors of ot tho Majestic theater are no not not L made mad a to ItO conform with tho the law Jaw an and I we are arc called to think of ot the tho fire firo Ira Ira Ir In m a a. Mexican picture show theater a fe feu te I weeks a ago JO where hundreds lost the thou theli II r lives b because of at similar conditions These of or the Jhc theater I woul not want to accuse them of or lying bul bu they have the Interest of or the at heart and antl I w want nt to say aay that theli judgment nt may bo be Influenced b by that As for this colored man his hl story that he has hns not heard the tho case cas case C discussed speaks for tor Itself as being a clear fabrication Owing to some Borne le legal technicalities Judge Bowman said he would reserve his decision In the case until he ho had consulted some authorities on the subject subject sub sub- it being his opinion that thE tho offense ortense of- of tense charged cd wn was too serious a one oneto oneto to be passed on tightly lightly |