Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-04
A STEAL.
A Bogus Manager Beats the
Mexicans.

| Mexfcans.
Cry OF MEXICO December "a ire
mendous excitement and sensation oc
carred to-day. 1t is the subject of gos
sip at all of the clubs, cafes and places
of amusement. For the last two days
there has been great excitement ovel
the sale of tickets at the National
Theatye for the Patti, season five nights
in January. The crowd around the
National The ater fairly blocked the
streets. The police were required 10
preserve order. The prices of boxes
were $50 and seats So. These were
three timss the ordinary prices. The
oste nsible agent of Mr.. Abbey was the
man giving his name as Mayer and
claiming to be brother of M. r. Mayer,
Mr.. Abbey's friend and business asso.
ciate. He had with his letters one
which purported to be from Abbey,
which he showed to Minister Manning
and other people. The theater had al.
ready been engaged for the Patti season
by Edward w. Orrin, of the firm OF Orrin
Bros. The advance agent had letters to
some of the best known people here and
no one suspected fraud. The sale of
tickets began Thursday morning. Peo-
pie were waiting at the theater door
from an early hour to get first choice
Seats were bought in whole blocks, some
persons paying $1,000 for boxes. In the
course of the day the box.office had
taken in SIS, ,60G and on the previous
day the private sales amounted to $1,000,
making the total cash sales $24, 600. The
Governor Of the Federal district was
somewhat suspicious and sent to the
Mayor to enquire if anyone was respon-
sible for the large amount of money be-
ing taken from the public, but the Mayor
managed to avoid any act that
would further excite suspicion. It
is understood that every seat
was taken for the whole five nights
but some we'll known persons, as is the
custom here, did not pay for them in
advance but merely gave orders, SO that
the amount in cash actually taken
in does not come up to half the
seating capacity of the theater for the
five nights. Last night Mayer went to the
hotel where he lodged accompanied by
policemen nominally appointed to guard
him, but in reality to see that he depos.
tied all of the money in the hotel safe.
In some ingenious way it is said that
Mayer transferred over twenty
thousand dollars in bills on the National
Bank and the Bank of London to the
pockets of his overcoat, and deluded
the policeman in believing all
had been deposited in the SAFE
At all events this morning, Mayer
did not appear at the box office of the
theater nor was he at the hotel. The
safe was opened and there was found
$4,000 in silver, which of course could
not be taken away. Now the authori.
ties are looking for Mayer and the spec.
ulators are weeping and receiving as
best they can the condolences of their
friends at this capitol. The people are
saying that the man was an
American. but he spoke Eng.
lish with q marked foreign accent,
and had German. cast of countepance.
This afternoon Mayors interpreter was
arrested at Orizaba, whittier it is said he
had gone to make some arrangement for
excursions to this city. One theory is
that Mayer has gone north by rail and
diligence, and another that he is secret
ed here until the matter blows over.