“100 Police and Special Agents Guard Theaters Against Terrorism”

Artifact Type Mainstream Media, Sources
Publication St. Paul Dispatch
Page Number 1–2
Place St. Paul, MN
Publication Date October 11, 1927
Transcript Show/Hide

Headline: “100 Police and Special Agents Guard Theaters Against Terrorism”

Subhead: Strike Parleys Definitely Off, Managers Say

No Further Negotiations With Employes Until Bombing Is Halted, Steffes Declares.

International Union Head Will Be Here in 2 Weeks

Murnane and Brunskill Order Special Protection for All Houses After Conference With Proprietors.

More than 100 police and special guards were placed at St. Paul and Minneapolis motion picture theaters today as police of both cities and the state fire marshal’s office announced that they had taken this measure to end, definitely, terrorism attempts which led to the bombing of two theaters Monday.

Meanwhile, all negotiations between theater operators and striking employes were broken off today by the operators “until the bombings and other efforts at terrorism have ceased.”

The orders for police and private guards were issued today by Chief of Police E. J. Murnane and Chief Frank Brunskill of Minneapolis, after conferences with theater owners and H. K. Chance, chief deputy state fire marshal.

Investigations Are On.

Investigation of the bombing of the Forest theater, 924 East Seventh street, Monday night, and of the Logan theater in Minneapolis, earlier in the day is being conducted by police, the state fire marshal and special investigators.

The Logan theater was empty when the attack was made, but the Forest show house was well filled when bombed Monday night and one woman was bruised as the crowd sought to gain the exits.

Announcement also was made this morning that the international president of the Stage Hands and Motion Picture Operators union will arrive in the Twin Cities in two weeks.

Bombing of the two theaters Monday and of a film exchange a week ago, coupled with the arrest of a man charged with “stink bomb” throwing in a Minneapolis picture house, brought the strike conferences to an abrupt halt.

What Bomb Did to St. Paul Theater and Lodge Hall

StPD_10-11-1927-B1

StPD_10-11-1927-B2

This is what the bomb did at the rear of the Forest theater, 924 East Seventh street, Monday night. The top pictures shows some of the 20[?] windows that were shattered in the rear of the Odd Fellows hall, 724 Reaney street, back of the theater.

The bottom view is a closeup of the rear entrance of the theater, which was shattered and the door blown off its hinges. A recurrence of these conditions is said to be “very difficult if not impossible,” due to extensive precautions taken by police.

Archive Minnesota Historical Society
Citation “100 Police and Special Agents Guard Theaters Against Terrorism,” St. Paul Dispatch, October 11, 1927.
Location MinneapolisMinnesotaSaint Paul
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