“NO DRUGS SEEN BY WALKATHON NURSE,” Montreal Star. August 19, 1931. Page 5.
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Police Director Explains Why Contest Was Allowed To Start
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No evidence of "doped" contestants was observed by Miss Blondine Mallet, registered nurse, engaged by the promoters of the walkathon contest to look after the health of contestants. Mr. Justice Denis was told in the Practice Court yesterday at the resumed hearing of injunction proceedings by which is sought the right to continue the contest which had been interrupted by police after eight days in operation. Throughout the hearing yesterday the squad of contestants who are in attendance at the proceedings remained quietly seated in the courtroom, in marked contrast to their behavior of the previous day when the walking contest was carried on in court.
As regards evidence of indecent behavior on the part of contestants, Mme Maillet said that she had not seen anything out of the ordinary. She had complained to the promoter on one occasion that some of the men had entered the quarters occupied by the girls, but so far as she knew there was nothing obscene or indecent in their behavior.
CHECKED TEMPERATURE
In the main arena where the contest was taking place and where the audiences was admitted she had seen nothing indecent. Her duties consisted of checking the temperatures and pulses of the various contestants and in administering treatment prescribed by the physician in charge. In some cases where a weak heart. action was indicated, strychnine was administered on the doctor's orders.
Police Director Fernand Dufresne was recalled to the stand at the opening of the hearing yesterday and explained that the contest had been allowed to proceed by tolerance only since the promoters had no permit from the city. In this connection, he explained that it in the practice of his department in certain instances to allow places of amusement to carry on for a time without a license. in order to learn how they were conducted. If complaints are received they are closed. In the present instance the same procedure had been followed. When first approached by the promoters, he had advised them), that the vaudeville part of the entertainment could not proceed on Sunday.
PREVIOUS CONTEST
The Police Director said that he knew of a previous walkathon organized in his Majesty's theatre. The contest, he said, was allowed only on tolerance as in the present insistence, and after four days in operation the promoters had "skipped" without paying the contestants. All that the latter received, he understood, was some whiskey and biscuits. These facts were not known to him when he was approached by the promoters of the present walkathon or he would not have given even tacit permission for the contest to be staged, he said.
Philippe Lamoureux, superintendent of permits and licenses for the city, testified that he had been ordered by Honore Parent, director of services, to go to the Mount Royal Arena and close the walkathon. Arriving there he was asked by the promoters to allow them a short delay in which to get in touch with Alderman Bray, chairman of the Executive Committee. Later he had spoken on the telephone to Alderman Bray and was told to procure a deposit of $2,500 from the promoters as a guarantee for prize money, and If the money was not at once forthcoming to close the performance. The promoters were unable, they said, to make the deposit at once and the contest was therefore closed.
The hearing a continuing this afternoon.