Variety (September 1909)

10 VARIETY OBJECTION TO DICK BUROE'S APPEARANCE IN ENGLISH HALL Liverpool Bank Robbery Recalled by the Circumstance, London, Sept. 1. Considerable talk has been aroused among artists by the engagement of Diek Burge at the Empire, Shoreditch, for a week rceently, just after he had been re- leased from prison, after serving eight .years for complicity in the Liverpool Bank swindle. The English artists say they feel hurt (hat he should have been allowed to top the bill, or appear at all. The Empire is directed by Tom Rich- ards, and has the opposition of Gibbons and his Olympia, down the same street a short distance. Richards has persevered under difficulties, and probably thought any act to draw was permissible under the circumstances, Burgc having been a very popular fellow around London before his conviction. English professionals at present in New York say that Dick Burge is a much wronged man, and that he never should have been convicted of complicity in the Liverpool affair. During his trial at Old Bailey in Lon- don before Justice Bingham, it is said by people now here, but who were present at the time, that the court seemed prejudiced against Burge and had prejudged his case. It later developed, according to the story, that relatives or friends of Justice Bing- ham held stock in the robbed banking in- stitution. When informed that a charge had been made against him in connection with the bank case, Burge paid $150,000 out of the $180,000 involved, making no attempt to leave the country, insisting he was per- fectly innoceut. James Mances, an American, and now supposed to be in this country, also Larry Murks, who fled to France and was later reported to have commit ted suicide by drowning-on the way across the English Channel, also turned over al>oiit $300,000 l»etween them, the bank recovering in all nearly $500,000 of the $850,000 stolen by its clerk, Goudie, by forged checks during a period of two years, the thefts having pone undiscovered for that length of time. One Tommy Kelly and another, known only as "Stripes," pleaded guilty to ob- tnining money under false pretenses, and were sentenced to two years each. Burge refused to plead guilty, standing trial, re- ceiving n term of ten years in prison. Some time after Burge had been defeat- ed for the lightweight championship of the world by Kid Lavigne ('90), Burge chose hookmaking as a livelihood. It is said that Burge was told by Mances and Mark* that they had a "mug" with lots of money. I'.nrjre joined them, not knowing until the exposure came that the "mug" was a bank clerk in the Liverpool Bank, who forged the checks on the bank sent to the book- ing room in settlement of his wagers. It is said also that none of the others interested in the hookmaking establish- ment had an idea that anything was wrong on the other end, though it is con- Tensed that some of the quintet involved may have been "holding out" on Goudie in the wagers, and may have been techni- cally liable criminally for this, though in a minor degree. As evidence of his professed innocence. Tommy Kelly once asked a bank in Liver- pool but a hundred yards distant from the Liverpool Bank to cash a forged check for $25,000 (five thousand pounds), drawn upon the bank down the street. Told to return in an hour, Kelly left and did return, receiving the money with- out question, the reason for the delay hav- ing been given him that there was not that much currency on hand at the moment. When Goudie was discovered as the forger, Mances asked Burge to give him his money. Mances said he would go to Paris, and thence to South America, eventually changing the English notes into American money. Burge would not listen to it, nor would he accept Mances' advice that trouble would follow if he remained in London. It seems that Goudie, the bank clerk, had been issuing forged checks on the Liv- erpool Bank, ranging from $500 to $25,000 (written in English pounds). In all he secured about $86$000 by this means, los- ing it in racing and fast living. Though in Liverpool Goudie wired his wagers to Lon- don, giving the bookmakers there, of which Burge was one, the impression he was a wealthy man who disliked to become per- sonally known. He was accepted by the bookmakers as a "mark," and in America it would have been called "trimming a sucker," but the suspicion that Goudie was a clerk robbing his bank never sug- gested itself, nor anything else that might have been wrong through the operations extending over such a length of time. English artists of repute who knew Burge do not hesitate to any they feel gen- uinely sorry for him. He had no bad hab- its when placed under arrest, and was esteemed by his coterie of friends. Burge came to this country in 1)4 to fight Jack McAuliffe. In '95 he fought Jem Carney, his countryman, and after de- feat by Lavigne retired from the ring to take up racing. At the trial it was contended by the prosecution that Burge had been brought into the booking concern to exert a moral influence over Goudie by fear of Burge's prowess as a prize fighter, but Goudie swore upon the stand that he had never seen Burge until meeting him in the trial room. (lint Wilson is growing restless in Kansas City. He would like to get away for the Winter, but is due hack there in April to conduct the publicity department of Judge II. J. Kyle's mayoralty cam- paign. James F. Corbley, of Corbley and Burke, lias accepted the nomination for Justice of the Peace in his home district. Jersey City Heights. A. L. Goodwin has Immmi engaged as manager of the Antique, Syracuse, N. Y. The house runs pictures and vaudeville. LONDON NOTES (HSU as atwastly far A i.) VAMETTS LONDON OFFICE. ill mm, w. a and loroptaaa la ■arops If > d dr< w < mi* VARIETY, •a absva, will London, Sept. 1. The Le Pages who were at the Alhambra last week are doing big things with their neat jumping act. The Four Harveys on the wire are also a first class act and rank with the best in their line. At the Oxford this week there is a stronger program than has been seen for months. The hall for some time back has had a scarcity of big acts. Clarice Vance who intended to sail two weeks ago will not do so until about October 11. She has five more weeks at the Palace. Irene Franklin and Burt Green left for Paris immediately upon finishing their engagement at the Place last week. They will sail from Cherbourg, Sept. 5 for New York. Will H. Fox and Monie Mine returned to London last week and will be on this side for a year. Mr. Fox has brought an American patent over which he hopes will make some money. The nature of the patent is a secret. From an occurrence at the Metropolitan Music Hall the other night it looks as though the gallery really likes originality. Herbert Rule, a fellow who works like Wilkie Bard, was trying to get a song over that sounded to the gallery like "Sea- Shells" instead of "Esau." When Rule called for the bunch to sing his "Esau," they would not have it, l^t insisted on singing "Sea-Shells" (Wilkie Bard's song). VI0N, THE BUSY LAD. New Orleans, Sept. J). Joe Vion's here. Arrived the other day. Came in quietly. No fanfare, or rockets or brass band. Just dropped ofl" the train. Walked unaided to a street car (read slowly here), paid his fare (faster), and told the conductor to give him the Amer- ican. The car arrived in due time, and Joe asked a policeman on the corner if the American were doing business. He walked through the front door, ticket-takcrless, and sought Henry Crcciiwall. the proprie- tor. Finding him, Vion said he was the new resident manager, and gave his word to prove it. Since then Vion has been the busv lad. He is here, there and everywhere, making friends and behaving like a real manager. While his entry was noiseless, everybody now knows Joe Vion has arrived, and the attaches of the theatre are also aware of it. Ben Ticber of the Apollo, Vienna, has declined to further postpone Ihe engage- ment of Dazie for his house next Decem- ber. With American time booked ahead until next May, Mark A. Luescher, the dancer's manager, is "up a tree" over the prospect of satisfactorily smoothing the matter out, The skating folk are getting the rollers oiled for the season and rinks are open- ing up all over the country. After a few more weeks on the Stpll Tour George Ali will take a trip to the States, returning in time to rehearse for the Drury Lane pantomime. Houdini returns to London this week, playing the Islington Empire. Vardon, Perry and Wilbur move from Leeds to Liverpool on the Barrasford Tour this week. Jordan and Harvey move from the London Pavilion to the Tivoli. Nance O'Neil, Alf Holt and Bijou Rus- sell are the Yanks at the Hippodrome, Nottingham. Barnes and West returned to London from Glasgow this week to play the Tivoli Jack and Evelyn have returned from a trip in the provinces, playing the Lon- don Pavilion. Oswald Williams is playing the Hippo* drome. The Grotesques, an act of the Pierrot variety, are at the Hip. Vesta Victoria is at the Hollowav Km- pire this week. The house is an outside London stoll hall. Cornelia and Eddie start their Stoll time this week, playing the Empire. Shepherd's Bush. William Masaud has placed Midgely and Calislc over the Morris Circuit for 20 weeks. The Four Koncrz Hros. are a new act in vaudeville. It is made up of the three brothers who have been working with <illic Young and a younger brother who has joined them. The Star, Ogdensburg, N. Y., lias changed from pictures to presentations of two vaudeville acts and a stock company for tabloid plays. KatIn-line Kirk Fiske is the star of the show. Mrs. Fred McNaugliton, wife of the English comedian (The McNaughtons) was taken seriously ill last Saturday, preventing the act from playing Provi- dence this week. On Wednesday Mpb. McNaugliton was reported as recovering. Fields and Iicwis opened their season a I the Fulton, Brooklyn, Monday. The regular evening meetings on the llammerstein curb have been adjourned. Bill Cooke, of Carroll and Cooke, the president and secretary of the street gathering, is in Elmira with his partner. Gus Dreyer, adjourned the session sine die. Alex Fischer was present but said noth- ing.