February
1, 1908 - At the Lyceum Theater this evening, the raffle prize
of a real, live baby girl occurred just as Theater Manager Frank Priest had
promised. Mrs. Mary Powers held the winning ticket number 5036. Mrs. Powers
left the theater in company with the baby and its parents, and the final award
will not be announced until Monday pending investigation to insure that the
baby will have a good home.
Lyceum Theater1
Priest had announced last Wednesday2 that Saturday’s evening
performance at the Lyceum Theater would include selling “chances” to win a
six-week old child, much to the angst and anger of the Children’s Humane
Society. The plan was simply that every woman who buys a ticket for the
Saturday evening performance will have a chance, and whoever draws a certain number
will own the baby.
This afternoon Agent S. L. Van Etten of the Humane Society and a lawyer called
on Priest and entered a protest against the plans for the disposal of the baby.
They regretted that it was too late to get out an injunction to prevent the
raffle, but in further conference the three agreed that great care would be
taken that the baby fell into proper hands, even if it required repeated trials
to bring about the desired end.
The names of the parents will be withheld until the baby is permanently
located.
As for the infant, it is a live, active, roly-poly, laughing, dimple-faced
baby.
But the novelty was not over with the goodbye to the baby. Something not on the
program occurred, when a curly-tailed, stub-nosed, squealing piglet was given
to “Plupy” Hendricks, who went home tonight weighed down with 15 pounds of
combative grunting belligerent noise.
Priest claimed that he was offering a service, since babies for adoption had
been greatly in demand in Minneapolis in the last few months; however, based on
the play that was being performed, “Wanted, A Baby,”+ it appeared to be a plot to draw more people to the
theater.
3
In fact, by Monday, after much investigation by Humane Society officers, the
whole situation had turned out to be fake, pure and simple; nothing but a
publicity stunt. The baby that Miss “Mary Powers” is supposed to have won
legitimately with ticket 5036, was her own daughter, Julia, and “Miss Powers,”
who literally raffled and won her own child is Mamie Dickerson, the wife of
George Dickerson, property man at the Lyceum. The infant, who drew the Humane
Society officers in in its protection, is the “property” of Mr. Dickerson,
although she is not included in the inventory of the Lyceum stage property.
Monday afternoon S. L. Van Etten, Humane Society agent,
in company with a local attorney and one of the officers of the society,
appeared at the home of the alleged Miss Powers and demanded the custody of the
child. The truth was disclosed after a dramatic scene at Mrs. Dickerson’s home
had been enacted, when officer Van Etten attempted to secure the infant. Miss
Powers refused to surrender the child and when the officers attempted to get
possession of her through course of law, she went into hysterics and Mr.
Dickerson came to the rescue revealing the whole situation.
Manager Frank Priest of the Lyceum had wished to add a little spice to the
current performance at the theater, and called upon his property man, as was
his custom when he wanted anything with which to add to his production. This
time he demanded a real live baby, such as was used in the regular performance,
but he wanted it for “keeps.”
Propertyman Dickerson was attentive to the situation and after a few hours of
earnest pleading with his wife, succeeded in getting the “property” for his
boss. When he brought his first born to the theater he had no idea of putting
the baby up for raffle, but was advised of the fact by Manager Priest. The
ludicrous part of the situation dawned upon Dickerson and after arranging a
fake deal in which his wife would draw the winning number, he consented to the
plans.
When the Humane Society officers found out that that a
real baby was to be raffled off, action was at once taken to stop the
allotment, but it was then too late to get an injunction. However, Priest
convinced the officers that the baby would be well cared for and given to a
good home.
The number was drawn Sat. night and the manager of the theater was content with
the deal, but the humane officers had changed their minds about it and were
determined to take the baby into the folds of the society and deprive the
winner of her prize. They went to the home of “Miss Powers” on Mon. and
discovered the truth.
The Lyceum Theater would today be located on the Peavey Plaza/Orchestra Hall
block downtown Minneapolis. The two-story building on the far right is
currently home to Brit’s Pub.4
Etten, himself in earnest at the time of the investigation, felt completely
“stung” when he found that he had been duped. But he is not so sure that there
will be another part of the “stung” proposition before the matter is dropped.
He feels that the fake business is grounds for some kind of a complaint. The
baby has been allowed to remain with her mother and in spite of the hubbub,
remains contented and happy.
1http://www.lileks.com/mpls/lyceum/index.html
The
Minneapolis Tribune; ”Wins Baby As Prize; Mrs. Mary Powers
Holds Lucky Number at Lyceum Theater.”; Feb. 2, 1908; p. 6.
2The Minneapolis Tribune;
“Give Baby to Holder of Right Seat Check; Lyceum Theater Management Has Clever
Scheme for Filling House.”; January 29, 1908; p. 5.
The Minneapolis Tribune; “Baby
Lottery Has String to Prize; Mother Allows Infant to Be Raffled, but Holds the
Lucky Number. Humane Officers “Stung” While Trying to Prevent Parent Selling
Child.”; Feb. 3, 1908; p. 5.
3The Minneapolis Tribune;
January 31, 1908; p. 5.
4http://www.lileks.com/mpls/lyceum/2.html
+“Wanted, A Baby” is farce comedy of the most
hilarious and rollicking kind and the Lyceum players will have plenty to keep
them busy this week. The story is built for laughing purposes only, is that of
a young man and a beautiful young girl who fall wildly in love. But the
question of parental consent is one which they are unable to solve. Foolishly
enough, they go and get married any way.
They succeed in keeping the marriage a secret as long as there are only two of
them, but when the two become three, their troubles begin. The baby presents a
real difficulty. Then the play takes on the appearance of a kind of dramatized
game of “Button, button, who’s got the button?” and the action becomes
uproarious.
The Minneapolis Tribune; January 26,
1908; p. 18.
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