The New York Clipper (July 1917)

THE NEW YORK CLIPPER July 4, 1917 $137.50 bad been repaid to Frank Fogarty, who was a big chief of the organization prior to Fitzpatrick's taking office. These expenditures totaled around Sol,- 000, and it was shown that the balance of the expenditures were for general running expenses of the club, and minor obliga- tions. It was Bhown that the disburse- ments were $6,000 in excess of the total receipts and that this amount was due Mountford. He stated that he was willing to make this amount due him a present to the organization. It was also at*"™ that there were several hundred dollars due lawyers. Outside of these amounts they had no debts, he said. When the amount of money paid to Fogarty was read, Fitzpatrick stated that be would like to have the members know the reason it was done. He said that at the time Fogarty was big chief, he had put up $200 for a life membership in the organization, but that when he went out of office he changed his mind and de- manded the money be returned. The executive board deliberated over the mat- ter for a long time and then finally voted to give him $137.50, the difference being held it wag claimed, to liquidate obliga- tions of Fogarty to the club for food and other things furnished him. With reference to the sale of the club house Mountford stated that the White Rats Realty Corp. had received $36,000 for the property under the provision that thev liquidate their debts. This money waB paid over to President Sackett of the Mutual Bank, and Mountford, for distribu- tion he said. Of this amount, $20,000 was paid out for back taxes, water and ground rent; $5,000 to redeem a chattel mortgage on the club house furniture given to J. J. Lubell; $2,000 to the man who held the catering privilege in the club house to vacate the premises; $3,000 to Frank North, who had advanced this amount to nay for dynamos at the time the club was erected, and $6,000 to liquidate the miscellaneous debts of the Realty Corpora- tion. All of the debta were settled, with the exception of one, over which there is some dispute, he said. He said that the money will be forthcoming for this account, when it can be properly adjusted. Mountford stated that the organization owed no debts whatever and that, even though he had his suspicions as to the identity of the new owners, that those who held White Rat bonds would receive their interest when due direct from these people, and, if they should neglect to meet one payment the White Rats could march in a body and take possession of the building again. During the meeting efforts were made by process servers in the Pemberton case to get into the building and serve those of the directors who were present. They succeeded in serving Clark, Delmore and Otto Steinart, while they were coming into the place. Their attempts to serve Fitz- patrick were futile, as he was surrounded by about fifty persons as he left the building and walked to a taxi-cab, in which he departed with Mountford. While the meeting was in progress, a large number of agents from the various booking offices were on the opposite side of the street. Efforts were made by sev- eral excited members present to go out and "mix" with them. Mountford. how- ever, refused to permit such action. Among some of the agents seen in the vicinity were Claude Bostock. Max Hayes, Sam Baerwitz. Billy Grady, Chas. Bier- lianer. Fred Du Bondy. Harry Pincus, Mark Levy, Nat Sobel. Tom Jones. Max Gordon, Abe I. Feinberg, Max Lowe, Aaron Kessler. Bernard Burke. Morris Rose. Jack Curtis, Jack Mandell. Louis Wesley, Harry Weber. Murrav Feil. Paul Durand. Jame3 Armstrong, Arthur Klein, Chas. Wilchin. Lew Leslie, Chas. Church. Jack Flinn. Bill Casey. Lew Goldie. Ike Kauffmann and Lee Muckenfuss. CENTRAL OPERA HOUSE SOLD The Central Opera House, on Sixty-sev- enth street east of Third avenue, was sold last Friday by the Kroywen Realty Co. to Max Verschleiscr. who. for a number of years, has conducted the ballroom and one of the large lodge rooms in the building. The Opera House was built by Jacob Rup- nert and opened by him as a music hall in 1S93. DEATH CLAIMS SIR HERBERT TREE FOREMOST ENGLISH ACTOR London, Eng., July 3.—Sir Herbert Beerbobm Tree, probably the foremost English actor since Irving, died very suddenly last night of heart disease at a nursing home. His death was entirely unexpected, and came not only as a great shock to his native country, but to Amer- ica as well, for it was but a short time ago that he finished a series of engage- ments in the United States and returned to England. A few days after his re- turn from America he slipped and injured his knee, making an operation necessary, but as he recuperated nicely it was thought his ultimate recovery was as- sured. Yesterday he seemed to be quite as well ae ever and had received inter- viewers for the purpose of outlining to them his plans for the immediate future. Tbe heart attack came last night, and the end was surprisingly sudden. Sir Herbert Tree's last appearance in America was made last winter in New York, when he appeared in "Colonel New- come" and a Shakesperean repertoire. He returned to London late in May, after more or less success in his productions. While across the water he became ill and was treated in Chicago for throat trouble, and it is thought the inroads this illness made upon his health, at his advanced age, hastened his death to a certain ex- tent. He was born in London in 1853, and made his first appearance in 1878, and later in the same year played an amateur engagement at the Globe Theatre, Lon- don. From then forward his advance in the world of the theatre was rapid, and he eventually became an English star. His claim to fame as an artist per- haps dates from his performance of Ma- cari in "Called Back," and of the German Baron in "Jim, the Penman." He dis- played his remarkable versatility in one role that was genuinely Italian and an- other which was realistically Teutonic. As Sir Merwyn Ferrand, in Comyns Carr and Hugh Conway's "Dark Days," pro- duced in 1885, Mr. Tree added another remarkable type to his gallery of aristo- cratic scoundrels, and in the following year added another polished rascal to the list in Nabouroff in Maurice Barrymore's "Najeska." His production of "Julius Caesar" is again evidence that he strove to attain perfection in art itself; that his aim was to present a genuinely beautiful scenic production. Ranking as high as any of his Shakesperean characters was his Marc Antony, and posterity will be en- abled to hear his speech in the Forum through the agency of a phonograph rec- ord which has been preserved in the Brit- ish Museum. CALIBAN HAS BIG SALE Boston, Mass, July 2.—"Caliban" opened here to-night at the Harvard Sta- dium, with an advance ticket sale of more than $38,000. The spectacle was orig- inally scheduled to open hist Thursday, but the electrical effects did not work smoothly at that time, making a post- ponement necessary. The local engagement is for two weeks, bat the stay may be extended, if the box office receipts warrant it. The cast includes Gareth Hughes, Alexandra Carlisle, Lionel Brahm, Howard Kyle and many prominent Bostonians. It has been produced under the direction of Fred Stanhope. BUD FISHER BUYS ANTIQUES Bud Fisher recently purchased from a Fifth avenue art dealer a remarkable col- lection of bronzes which at one time be- longed to Count D'Outremont, of Brus- sels. One of the rarest pieces is a statue, which, as it was dug up at Pompeii, must be more than 1900 years old, and is claimed to be the only one of its kind in this country. The price paid for the collection was said to be in the neighborhood of $20,000. FRIEND OF PLAYERS DIES Cincinnati, June 29.—Mrs. Catherine Pfeiffer, whose hotel at Ninth and Vine Streets, in the old days, was the rendezvous of some of the greatest stars in drama and opera, died practically alone and in ob- scurity in Los Angeles last week, accord- ing to word received by friends here. "Tante Pfeiffer," as she waB known, had been a close friend of Mme. Janauschek, the actress: Wacbtel, famous tenor; For- mes, renowned basso profondo; lima di Murska and others of days gone by. She wrote poetry under tbe nom de plume of "Mignon," and her verses were known even abroad. LOTT JOINS MEDICAL CORPS Philadelphia. June 29.—John W. Lott. former leading man for Catharine Countiss nnd Amelia Bingham, has enlisted at Phila- delphia in tbe Medical Reserve Corps and expects to leave shortly for "somewhere in France" with Base Hospital No. 20. RED CROSS FINANCING BALLET On good report it is stated that $150,- 000 is to be given ont of the Red Cross Fund to equip and organize a big ballet which is to make a tour of the country under the direction of the Red Cross for ten weeks. All the proceeds derived from the tour are to be devoted to the Red Cross Fund. M. Boehm is already engaging the prin- cipals and chorus for the ballet and secret rehearsals are being held daily at Bryant Hall. INJUNCTION THREATENS CROSS An order has been served by Hugh Jan- sen on Charles W. Cross ordering the lat- ter to show cause why his fashion act, "My Lady's Gowns," should not be en- joined. Jansen, represented by Attorney Harry Saks Hechheimer, alleges in his com- plaint that Cross has used his ideas in the production of "My Lady's Gown." The injunction proceedings will come up in the United States District Court before Judge Manton to-morrow. SOFRANSKI LANDS RECRUITS George Sofranski is still busy procuring recruits for the Quartermasters Depart- ment at the State Arsenal. Last week he managed to entice Lew Eisenberg and Larry Einstein into the service. He also managed to get Thomas E. Kelly, sergeant bugler of the Ninth Coast Defense Regi- ment, to get a transfer to this outfit. Sofranski has promised to launch Kelly on a vaudeville tour after the war. ROYSTER TO MANAGE LA SALLE Nathaniel Royater was engaged last week by Elliott, Comstock and Gest, as business manager of the La Salle The- atre, Chicago, which came under that firm's control at midnight on Jnne 30th. The house will re-open on August 13th with "Oh, Boy!" FILM OPERATORS ASK HIGHER WAGES KEITH CIRCUIT AVOIDS STRIKE SINGING PARSON MAKES DEBUT Cleveland, O.. July 2.—Rev. Frank W. Gorman, known as "The Singing Parson," who is pastor of a Congregational church in Zanesville, O., made bis debut in vaude- ville last Monday at B. F. Keith's Hip- podrome, for a tour of the Keith Circuit. KYLE TO APPEAR AS SPEAKER Boston, Mass.. July 1.—Howard Kyle, appearing here in "Caliban," has accepted the Mayor's invitation to deliver the De- claration of Independence at the Fourth of July ceremonies at City Hall Park here. A strike against the Keith Circuit of theatres by the Motion Picture Operators of Greater New York was avoided several weeks ago, it became known this week, through the efforts of other Union officials who squelched the more radical members of the local in their endeavor to walk out of the Keith Circuit theatres in this city. The cause of this action was the demand of an immediate increase of salary on the part of the motion picture operators from $20 and $22 to $25 a week. The heads of the circuit were willing to grant the increase, beginning September 1. This, it is said, did not please some of the operators, and, at a meeting they held it was demanded that the members of the local immediately leave their posts and go on strike. It is said, however, that when the matter was brought to the attention of other union leaders, they at once attended meetings of the local and advised the members not to be so hasty. Since that time various meetings have been held and, at each of these Harry Mackler, business agent of tbe local, was advised to get a settlement immediately or call a strike. A meeting was held last week, at which the men were extremely desirous of again quitting, but they were told to delay their action in the matter until another meeting could be held with tbe Keith people this week. It is said that there is every likelihood of a compromise, satisfactory to both sides. • ASHFORD LEAVES VAUDEVILLE - Harry Ashford, for whom Barnett Par- ker wrote a playlet for use upon his American vaudeville debut, has aban- doned his vaudeville plans. FRANK McINTYRE MARRIES Tebre Haute, Ind., June 30.—Frank Mclntyre, front door man and press repre- sentative of a theatre here, was married recently at Cleveland. O., to Jane Snyder. NELSON SHOW OPENS IN AUGUST Henry P. Nelson will open his "The Girl Who Smiles." company August 20th at Saratoga. N. Y. The show will play Klaw and Erlanger time this season. FAYE SUES WHITE (Continued from pas* S) our marriage, my wife's mind was pois- oned against me, and some one is going to pay for it. I have several very good grounds to uphold my suit against Rock, and am quite sure that they will be sus- tained when they come up in court." Rock, when seen at the Cohan & Harris Theatre, where he and Miss White are ap- pearing, seemed to take the action of Faye in a very jocular way. He did not know what the action was for nor the amount of money asked. He surmised, however, he said, that the suit was for alienation of affections and seemed to be certain that there would be no grounds for the upholding of Faye's suit in the courts. He said that since Miss White's mar- riage to Faye he had only been in her company once, outside of the theatre. That time, he said, was during a rehearsal at Bryant Hall, when Mies White's car had broken down and he invited her to ride to the Algonquin Hotel for lunch. Also, in the party at that time, were Leon Erroll, Raymond Hitchcock and several other members of the company. He stated that Miss. White was always accompanied by her maid wherever she went, and that he, likewise, had his Jap- anese valet with him. The only interest he has in Miss White, he said, was that of a partner. As far as her matrimonial affairs were concerned, Mr. Rock said that he was not desirous of mixing in any squabbles of husband and wife. Miss White and Faye were married last April after an acquaintanceship of only five weeks. Faye, at that time, was doing a vaudeville turn with Johnny Dyer. It was thought that, after their marriage, the Fayes would unite in a vaudeville turn. But this belief was quickly dis- pelled when Rock and White signed to ap- pear in "Hitchy-Rdo."