BOY STARTS A PANIC

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18025, 25 February 1922, Page 2 (Supplement)

BOY STARTS A PANIC

■. 'EXCITEJD BY FILM FIGHL < -ALARM OF FIRE' GIVEN, A .small boy's enthusiasm over a fist fight scene in'a Western picture drama came* within a narrow margin of starting a panic and causing injuries to some of the.6oo persons in th« Windsor Picture Theatre, New York, a few.weeks ago, at an afternoon' performance. While a fire company, and reserves from the Clinton Streqt police station, wero hurrying to the theatre in response to calls for help, a policeman with a voice that needed no megaphone saved the situation and started the spectators on the way to their seats after moro than half had begun a wild rush for the exits. ~

Tho boy who caused the trouble was seated in the body of the house. He rose to his feet a s tho hero punched the villain on the nose and clapping hiii hands together called to his companion: " It's a fight! It's a fight!"

In the row ahead sat a nervous woman. The " It's a fight" sounded like " It's a firo" to her. She jumped over those blocking her way to the aisle-and Btartcd on a run toward the nearest exit.' As she ran sho cried again and again " It's a fire!" With the recollection of the New Haven picture theatre fire still fresh, tho people started after the woman toward the doors. Those in tho front of the house heard the commotion and took up the cry. The

di',sh had just begun when Policeman Thonia s Gilenringor, of the Clinton Street station, entered from the lobby. •"Sit down," he shouted, banging with his first on the back of a seat- " Sit down, there's no fire. It's a false alarm.''

Gilenrmger's words were translated into Yiddish and Italian by men and women near him, and they passed the warning on to those in the' crowd who' tried to h'cht their way to the back of the house. One-by one men, women and children went back to their seats, but the woman who heard the small boy and misunderstood him would not beiiovo Gileimnger, She fought her. way toward a side exit, frijithening others and partly undoing the policeman's work. Meanwhile persons passing the place heard the shouts and, assuming there was a fire, sent in' an alarm. ■ Battalion-Olu'ef Rush, who responded with tho first engine company, entered the theatre in time to calm the frightened woman and with his men go through tho theatre and assure every one there was no danger. Five minutes later tho operator went back a few feet on the'film and continued the picture.