The New York herald., 1872-12-21
TWO Thsspiam Arrangs<a Duel for a Third
Person and Are Betrayed by Their Eel.
low 0UDspiEa.or, Judge Bowling.
Edward A. S6thern and VIM. J. Florence
Held tokAnswer at the Tombs, While
Phiiip Lee, Their Victim, Escapes.
rHELAUGH ON THE WRONG PARTY
A Texan Banquet" at Which Pistols Are
Fired and Bowie Knives Drawn
Desperately.

Yhe theatrical profession OF this city has within
the pact two or three days given birth to the most
tremendous joke OF the century. The theatre-going
public wen acquainted and familiar with Mr.. E.
A. Sothern-"Lord Dundrearyn-and Mr.. William
J. Florence, the Irish comedian, also known among
MS admirers as "0benreizern-"so gad.n These
two well known actors are equally well known as
practical jokers and notably Mr.. Sothern was felt
90 be the terror or London society for the multiple
city and severity OF his practical jokes.
Ar. soihern In private life is q polished
gentleman, IL OF slight Frame with gray hair, and
weighs about one hundred and five pounds. He
bas powerful muscular development and merry
laugh. Mr.. Sothern is forty-eight years Of age.
Mr. Florence IL a smooth-faccd gentleman, OF about
forty years OF age, weighs 100 pounds, and gene
rally is gwen TO wearing lavender kid gloves at
evening parties and receptions and at the Lotos
and Arcadian Clubs young English gentleman,
che husband Of one OF the most distinguished and
Mvorlte English actresses that have yet visited
ths country, and who II now per forming at
one OF our leading metropolitan theatres
was 10 be the victim OF the huge practical JOKE
Mr.. Philip Lee Is this geAtlemans name. He s a
blonde Engishman, with light hair light yellow side
whlskers, measures about Ave feet eight inches In
height and weighs l43 pounds. Mr.. Lee is good.
natured gentleman, and since he has been in tlis
which have had absolutely no foundation IN fact.
Since his arrival In New York Mr. Lee, who has
moved in the upper ranks of dramatic society, has
made the acquaintance OF some OF the
most dreadful practical )okers In New
York, among whom may be mentioned Judge
bowling, william J. Florence and Mr. H. A.
b0thern. Also he made the acquaintance OF jokers
OF lesser prominence-such as Dan Bryant, Nelse
Seymour, Jim Collier, Chris O'Connor Johnny Wild
lS,ao
same class. To do honor TO Mr. Lee, Mr.. Sothern
on the afternoon OF Sunday, December 8, gave an
elegant banquet at his rooms in the Gramercy
Park Hotel in this city. Covers were laid for
twelve, Mr.Sothern presiding, and the guest OF the
evening, Mr.. Lee, sitting at his right hand, Nelse
seymour at the foot OF the table, below the salt
Mr.. Neil Bryant at the left OF the guest. Mr. James
Doner carved, and Chris Connor sat by the soup
tureen and adled the potdge Julien TO the
guests, Mr.. Morgan Jones was invited
20 the banquet but, being seriously ndisposcd,
Old not attend. superintendent Kelso, who feared
that something serious might come from the In
tended practical joke, had detailed two policemen
70 the hotel to prevent disturbance and to pre-
serve order The dinner was q sumptuOus one and
was well served There was mulligatawny and
,Eumbo and Julien soups, Rockaway oysters on the
half shell, currie OF chicken, homemade bread
with Dutch sauce piQ,td,ate, roast beef Ia Liver
pool pOD,ne de terTe Il Ia LVosnaise, haricot OF
mutton, Irish stew, with vichy water, game pie.
Spanish olives and some very delicate turbot and
br0iled blue fish from Fulton market. The wines
were OF the richest and rarest vntages Cham
payne, Romano, sherry, Hockheimers Chambertin
Chabs and old Dun Gordon sherry.
Mr. Sotherns rooms are gorgeously furnished
with pictures, statuary and objects reTtu.
The guests were all attired In evening dress and
wore sporess white ties. Nelse Seymour presented
great appearance IN his "clawhammern coat,
and had gold dust sprinkled on his back hair.
Grace was said and the guests sat down In the
There was not laugh on any face present,
although some remark was caused by the fact that
sim Collier took from under his coat q paper battle
axe, the broad blade OF which was covered with
TIN foii such as Is used TO destroy yrants on the
stage.
drew from between the back collar OF his coat and
his SHIRT a huge dirk knife, the blade OF which,
measuring over foot long, he unclasped soemnly
and placed 1t by the side OF his plate gravely
Chris Connor pulled a SIX shooter out OF his coat
Not . word was said. Mr.. Lee looked around in
doubt and stared. Nelse Seymour drew scythe
after the manner OF one OF the "Argonauts OF '4gn
laid them on the middle Of the table.
Mr. Lee moved uneasi ly on his seat and whis-
pered 10 his friend, Sothern:-
my God old fellow, what does this mean 2,
Keep quiet, my dear Lse, said sothern, .itisas
have feared. These gentlemen have been drink
sng Ing! and they have gnarrelled about mutual
Friend OF theirs, Mr. Weymiss Johnson quite an
But hope for our sakes that they will attempt
70 settle their quarrel here. 1t s dreadful, but
hope, dear boy, that they will go away quietly
and have no row. 1t is fashion they have here to
settle their disputes at table or wherever they
meet All we can do now is to await events.n
'But there will be murder here Can we not
notify the police OF their intentions ~
'Imp0ssible, my dear fel0w,u answered Soth.
ern, In distracted whisper; "were you even to
be suspected by these men OF attempting to leave
the room you would be shot like dog, and no sat.
isaction would ever be given your relatives in q
court OF justice.n
BY this time Mr.. Lee was thoroughly frightened
Ul q laf M QGfa
what an Internal country 1t Is J" he hemuttered, In
stage whisper. For few moments nothing was
suddenly, row arose at the lower end OF the table
Nell Bryant suddenly jumped to his feet and
screamed at the top OF his voice,
whoever says that the History OF the French
ttevolutlon written by my friend David Weymiss
Jobs0n Is not as good book i'll every respect as
that written by Tom Carlyle on the same subject is
liar and no gentleman, and II there Is any lool
actor present who desires TO take II up ] am his
All the guests rose suddenly and every man
seized his weapon In an instant Chris O'Connor
EO6rcd ont, as he seized his pistol
.fou are another Bryant, and by my halidome
viii prove IL on your traitorous bodyln
Then shot was fred by somebody; another shot
eucceeded, and the room was gled with smoke
and din and uproar Several OF the guests clinched
Cling across the table in the powerful grasp OF
jim Collier, thrust his huge foot in the handsome
soup tureen, which was built to hold eight quarts.
He made q wild plunge, and was Knocked down on
the moor, bat found IL impossible to release his
1oot rom % me soup tureen. Mr. Lee ran in the d.
d. and he could not find egress John Wild the
negro minstrel thrust long knife with the blade
opened into the hands OF Mr.. Lee and cried out
s'iee for Gods sake, defend yourself This is
butchery-sheer butcheryr'
Sothern Kept saying continually to Lee, iKeep
cool apd don't get shot, this is awiul-a thousand
pardons-I am stranger in the country and had
no expectation OF meeting these demons at din
ner gwen 10 my friend.u The hotel IN the mean
line nad been alarmed and the guests and walters
OUTSIDE were making frantic endeavors 20 break
open the doors, fearing that foul murder
Swould De done. IL Is needless to say, from the
Gnown Character OF the men involved, that
eu THIS row was huge practical Joke per.
Wuated on Mr, Lee, the guest OF the evening, but
unfortunately he could not il In that light and
ne vas seriously frightened. The Joke was spoiled
however, by one circumstance. Nelse Seymour,
trick, rubbed instantly some burned cork over his
seN eye, anu rose with one optic seriously black
fned 10 1.i valid appearaucpe Rut when ho roeo l