Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-05-11

manager 10 MS Deuslde ana SAID: 1
am going
TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE WOMAN.
See that no harm befalls her, and that
she is not wronged or overreached by
any one" A sacred promise was made
which has not since been violated.
The troupe was greatly strengthened
for the season Of lS7l.72; John Howson,
Charles H. Drew and Crane, the we'll
known comedian, being added. They
began to shape burlesque off into opera,
and added to their repertory Les Ber.
wards and Bohemian Girl, Mrs. Oates
bearing the leading parts with little diff
Guilty, although she never had any syste.
matte musical discipline. The repertory
OF 1872 73 continued the same, except
that the Prima Donna Of a Night was
added, with two or three things Of slight
Importance, aud the troupe could
now consider itself fairly out of
the field Of burlesque and in that of
comic opera. The manager, Mr.. Titus,
and the prima donna, having been for
several years intimately connected in q
business way, were married in Novem-
Der, 1872, at the Southern Hotel, St.
Louis, which was decorated in festive
manner in honor of the event.
AN EXCESS OF MOTHER IN-LAw.
Although there have been the usual
little piques and jealouses incidental to
the opera business--the discords not cal
culated for in the score Of the composer
the Oates troupe have had, under Mr..
Titus management, less than the ordi-
nary share of trouble. AS for the hus-
band and wife, now so widely parted,
they have harmonized hitherto as far as
can be learned from conversation with
members Of the troupe, quite IS well as
married people generally do. The admi-
ration and affection of the pair have
seemed to outsiders to be excessive and
mutual. Except for untowsrd circum-
stances here there is every reason to
suppose their welded lives might have
moved onward as serenely as that of
John Anderson and his ancient dame,
and have had quite as swan-like an end
ing. Whatever difficulty there was was
caused by an excess of mother-in-law
and a strong infusion of sister-in-iaw,
two powerful elements in domestic dis
cord and two great incentives to divorce.
Even the first husband is rumored not 10
have been free from these quasi mater
nal Vaccinations.
THE ENTERING WEDGE OF DOMESTIC DIS
CORD.
When the troupe came here Mr.. Titus
and his wife took handsome quarters at
the Occidental Hotel, Miss Pauline Mer.
ritt (Mrs Oates sister) lodged elsewhere.
For a week or two everything moved on
serenely - the theater was crowded
nightly the receipts were large, and Mr..
Titus took possession of the proceeds
brought him every evening with due reg.
ularity by Mr.. Allison, the treasurer.
About two weeks after the engagement
commenced little dispute arose regard
ing a relative of Mrs. Oates and
chance acquaintance of Miss Merritt.
Angry talk followed. The wife insisted
upon an explanation, which was not cor
daily given, and, without the occurrence
Of anything further than the utterance
of some pardonable interjectiors. Mrs.
Oates first excluded her husband from
her apartment and finally left the hotel
entirely, going to the room of her sister
on Market street, where she has since
remained. For day or two after the
quarrel Allison brought the nightly bal
ance TO Mr.. Titus. The third day he
told him that Mrs. Oates had directed
that the money should be paid to her
nightly. Mr.. Titus, although the engage.
ment with Mr.. Mcguire was drawn in his
name, and he had right to everything,
retired from the field, thinking that It
was
ONLY A WOMAN wHIM,
and the mood would soon be passed.
The result did not meet his expectations
There we're not wanting counselors to
widen the breach thus opened. The
chief of these was Allison, the treasure,
under whose advice Mrs. Oates quietly
turned her nightly balances into geld
notes, which she kept on her person, and
flew to Hall McAlister, to whom, as pa
ternal legal adviser. she told long tale
of marital abuse and suffering, and ended
by tearfully requesting him to procure q
divorce. She was also told by interested
parties that her talents alone had brought
the company to its present standing, and
that the good will of the troupe, as we'll
as the music and costumes, valued at
$4,000, were hers by right if not by
title. Titus once out of the way, the
party in power acquired whatever legal
right there might be in possession of the
properties, and, since he declined per
sistently to interfere, have since had the
receipts, which have Amounted to about
$4,000.
TWO RIVAL TROUPEs ORGANIZED.
The company, without becoming ex-
ceedingly partisan or excessively de-
moralized, ranged themselves under the
different banners of Mrs. Oates and Mr..
Titus, John Howson, Drew IA favorite of
the prima donna), Jones, Williams, the
musical director, and small part Of the
chorus allied themselves with the lady;
while Woodfeld, Allen and wife, Miss
Larkelle and most of the chorus re-
tanned their allegiance to the manager
Mrs Oates Immediately saw the neces-
sity Of re-engaging her company for the
next season if she desired them at all
Drew, who had been receiving S75 a
week, demanded more, and his salary
for next year was raised to high figure
quite as much, and perhaps little
more, than his pleasant voice is worth
Most of those mentioned were also re-
engaged, it being the expectations to