Strip Show Was ‘Grossly Obscene’

The stripper at the Mona Working Men’s Club, Conisbrough, completed her Sunday lunchtime performance. But Mr. Ian Pollard, prosecuting, was unable to complete his description of the act to Doncaster West Riding Magistrates on Tuesday.

The clerk to the magistrates, Mr. Harry Guyler, intervened on behalf of the Bench saying that they felt he had made out the case against the club sufficiently.

The magistrates had heard Mr. Pollard describe how the artist had removed all her clothes and abused her body in various ways to the accompaniment of ribald remarks from the all male audience.

He was describing the act which took place on Sunday, July 28th, when police raided the premises.

Before the court were 14 former committee members—it was stated they had all since resigned their positions —accused of four summonses each of allowing the premises to be used for the purpose of indecent exhibitions. They all pleaded guilty to all four counts against them.

Fined

Fines totalling 1E10 each were imposed on each of the 14 men, a total of £140.

Before the court were Frank Wood (73), retired, Prior Road; Samuel Jeffcote (37), unemployed, Birch Grove; William Baxter (50), driving instructor, Prior Road; Douglas Jordon (42), miner, Doncaster Road: Harry Sykes (58), labourer, Otley Close; Leonard Hancock (45), labourer, Otley Close; James Woodward (41), plant operator, Roberts Avenue; John Graves (27), driver, Clifton Hill; Cyril Wood (61), betting office manager, Otley Close; Thomas Ashley (40), bingo proprietor, Windmill Avenue, Alan Birch (56), miner, Willow Street; Joseph Jones (49), clerk, Clifton Hill; Albert Hunter (68), retired, Taylor Street; and Edward Wilkinson (61), miner, of Worthing Crescent, all of Conisbrough.

At the time of the offence Wood was the club secretary, Baxter, the president, Jordon the vice-president and Ashley the treasurer.

Mr. Pollard said that police kept watch on the club at Sunday lunch times when striptease performances were given.

“Bawdy”

But he said: “This was no ordinary striptease. Women not only removed their clothes but they abused their bodies in various ways accompanied by ribald remarks from the all-male audience. The atmosphere was bawdy and lewd and all this took place behind bolted doors and curtained windows.

“One can appreciate why it, was thought necessary to bolt doors and curtain windows, when one knows what the entertainment consisted of,”

At the end of his detailed description of the act Mr, Pollard said, “It was a grossly obscene act.”

For the committee members Mr. J. Dunk said, “The ladies hired literally went beyond their brief. None of the men would have countenanced a woman doing what she did.”

Mr. Dunk quoted a newspaper critic’s comments on the new London musical “Hair.” in which there