The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-06-22


letter signed .fE. A. Pollard,'' my hus-
band, IN which he asserts that he has spent
E$15 900 on me in two years, and other silly
fabrications. I beg the public viii sus-
pend their judgment in this case until q
fuller investigation can be had. -
pronounce zhis statements in said letter
to be utterly false in every respect, and l
have no doubt the public will be SO con-
yinced in due time. By inserting this You
will greatly oblige yours, very respectfully,
|Es.it@s y iMADELAINE e. A. POLLARD.
The Richtngs Opera Suit for Services.
BEFORE JUDGE CURTIS AND A JURY.
Laura Waldron vs.. Caroline Richings.-
The plaintiff, who is a young lady well
known to the theatrical and musical world,
in the fall Of 1857 entered into an engage
ment with the defendant to become mem
Der of her troupe, If on q trial in Phila-
delphia she satisfied the public and the
press. Accordingly, on the 29th Of Novem-
Der last, Miss Waldron made, her first ap-
;pearance in the Richings Opera Troupe in
the character of Arltne, in the opera of the
I" Bohemian Girl" She claims that her
debut was {" success " with the public and
with the press; and that Immediately after
the performance Miss Richings met her and
congratulated her upon her triumphant ap-
peara1ice and progress; that on the fol-
lowing morning Miss Rnhings wrote
her o letter, saying: /" l hope you are
rested from your last nights fatigue.
Allow me to congratulate you on
your de6it." y "You will repeat
Airline in. Boston next Tuesday evening.
Your next r5le will be Zrlina, in Fra Diav-
olo, the second week of our Boston engage
ment." That she was also congratulated
on her success by MI. Peter Rchings. MIR.
Campbell and other members of the COM
pany frequently encored, and at the close
of the performance was called before the
curtain amid the loudest plaudits the au-
dience could have given. Extracts were
read from the Philadelphia Age, Press,
Chronicle, and other papers Of the day, to
show that she had succeeded, in the opinion
of the critics. Mr.. Andrew Waldron, the
father of the young lady, testified to the
foregoing and further, that the defendant
paid fifty dollars on account of the contract,
and ordered his daughter to proceed to
New York, and from thence to Boston /;
that on their arrival in Boston Miss
Waldron again appeared in the same
character or r5le on the 4th Of December
following, with unmeasured success with
the public and the press ; that thenceforth
she never appeared in the company, and
after remaining in Boston until the 25th Of
December she, under the direction of Miss
Richings, came to New York-Miss Rich
ings agreeing to pay her travelling ex-
penses on arriving here Miss Waldron de-
nanded payment Of $l0O of Mr.. Pennoyer,
the agent of the defendant, for the two
weeks salary then due; this MIR. Pennoyer
refused to pay consequently the plaintiff
brought this suit. +.
On the part of the defence it was claimed
that the plaintiff was wholly incompetent
to sustain the roles assigned her, and was
therefore discharged from the company.
Miss Richings testified that she engaged
Miss Waldron, as alleged; that on the occa-
sion of her first appearance in Philadelphia
she failed to such an extent that she (the
plaintiff) demanded new trial, and that
the same was accorded to her, to take place
in Boston in this, too, she failed, and thus
it was that she was discharged from the
troupe.
Upon cross-examination by Mr.. Furlong,
| Miss Richings admitted that at the close of
the Philadelphia performance she warmly
congratulated the young debutant, but tried
to explain away the fact by saying that it
was done in the spirit of charity toward O
young beginner; that she wrote the letter
referred to in the same spirit; and tried by
every means to aid her that the payment
of salary was for expenses and as a gratul-
| ty; that Miss Waldron was very well re-
ceived by the Boston audience generally
and that whatever dissatisfaction there was
exhibited was explained away to some ex-
tent by the regrets of those present; that
Miss Richings and not Miss Waldron was
cast in the role of Airline. M
Mr.. Furlong: How loud was the applause
Witness: Not as loud as I receive in
that part.
Question: Was it as loud as you received
at the commencement of your musical Ca
reer? Answer: Not quite. / should say
| not. -
Mr.. A. S. Pennoyer testified to the en-
gagement having been negotiated by him
and closed by Miss Richings; that he was
present at the appearance in Boston ;
helpedt to applaud the plaintiff, and directed
Others to do the same it is one OF the
- Cr1cRS Oh our prOltbSlou W manuAoceoto .
applause for dSbutant, and 1 helped to do
so on this occasion the plaintiff received
applause from other persons than those l
instructed 30 to do; in fact, one or two per-
sons may start and govern the applause of
q whole house there were 1000 persons
present; told twelve of them to applaud
whenever did; / have been connected
with the defendants troupe two years.
Peter Richings testified / congratulated
the young lady on her de6Gft; / had heard
of it through the papers !; may have sent
her the music of )" Fra Diayolo;" / am Sc
yenty-seyen years old; / have been the
adviser of the defendant for many years
I did not promise to pay the plaintiff; the
company did not meet with Q financial sue
cess in Boston,, :.
After the summing up Of counsel, Judge
Curtis delivered an exhaustive charge to
rshe jury, carefully reviewing the evidence,
and explaining the law applicable to the
case. - -. sl-,-s.,.--r
The jury retired at o'clock, and after
fifteen minutes absence, returned verdict
for the plaintiff for sl06, full amount claim
ed, to which the court added s25 allowance
and costs.-Tpaes. -