The New York herald., 1878-01-18
LONDON ASSURANCE"
NE. JOHN BRoUGHAM SETTLES THE AUTHOR
SHIP OF THE FAMOUS COMEDY.

ME-. JOHN BRoUGHAM SETTLES THE AUTHOR
SHIP OF THE FAMOUS COMEDY.
One OF the Western papers publishes the following
curious bit OF dramatic gossip under the head OF 'ln-
teliectuai Pirates: :"-"when Brougham wrote the
play he aud Boucicault were playing together ss
young Ia The company OF Londoa theatre.
Brougham modest and shy, Boucicault adroit,
bold and ambitious. Brougham, unable TO secure the
managers attention TO hts manuscript, persuaded
Bouccarit TO present II as his own II accepted,
put upon the stage and proved Immediately sue
cessful The audience called tor the author,
and Brougham, blushing and frightened, ap-
peared At tho wing only TO ind his more
ready rival already At the iootgh,s bowing HIS ao-
knowledg gments. Brougham tells this himself II
bears the impress OF truth. Bouc,cauIt, most
successful stage manager and artist in stage effects
is the most audacious literary pirate in existence.
He is living now Ia a room III New York which cost
$l3, 900 fittings, while Brougham's triends sro
arranging benedt TO enable The good old man to die
with composure"
representative OF the HERALD last evening pre-.
sented the foregoing extract 10 Mr.. Brougham, who,
by tho way, still confined by illness IN his rooms on
Irving place. and asked Nh explanation Mr..
Brougham replied instantly, "Wby, Dir, that story Is
man uaclured out OF the whole cloth. II is truo that
Mr. Boucicault ana myself As young men lived and
ambitious We both yielded 10 literary tastes and
entered the dea, but is not true, as stated n
the paragraph you have shown me- tha. was either
shy or frightened or that BouccauL was Adrot or
boid bringing London Assurance before
the public. The simple tact is that wniIe nving
Lonuon Boucicaut conceived the idea OF The play
aud, just as you may fancy TWO riends would do III
concert he developed the plot and produced The dia
logue, aud then availng himself oil my sugges
That's ali there about IT, and IT'S the history
every play. Well meaning but ipjualcous friends
insisted that l. solely and alone. have been the
author this beautiful comedy, but Mr.. Bouclcault Is
LOO good lricnd oil mine Tor me 10 permit this I'M
preston TO obtain, ana while II would have been
man.esty improper Tor me TO have volunteered the
Information winch am how giving am glad 10
avail myself oil the opportunity which you have pre-
sented especially TO deny the allegations IN the article
exhibited II is exceedingly annoying 70 be the subject
OF u 1alsehood, or ratner-tO correct mysc-a msap-
preheuslon wnen the reputation oi such an earnest
worker aud an old friend Is concerned and hope
that what have SAID win forever set al rest tho
absurd story. BY the way while London Assur-
ance' sparkes all over Ike great diamond, think
Bouccault himself Will admit that there arc many
better plays, artsticaiiy speaking, ou the STAGE
and that he himself now that he Is matured and OK
perienced, can produce It's superior"
The famous parrot 1T this Juncturo called "Mary,"
and told the reporter with Il chuckle, 'Y0u lie you
know you DO, >, and 20 go to warm place, and no did,