The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-16
OVERLAPPING PIRATES.
Recovery of a Stolen Manuscript of
One of BARLEY Campbell's Plays.

Recovery of Stolen Manuscript of
One of BARLEY Campbell's Plays.
NEW YORK, April 14.-Managers who
own successful and consequently valuable
plays have no small difficulty in protecting
them against unau thorized production by
class of players who are by courtesy known
as pirates theoretically, the possession
Of a copyright is safeguard Practically,
a copyright is MS valueless for any such pur-
pose as an old playful would be, except
in the large cities where it is worth while
to employ lawyers to look out for the
pirates and interfere with their predatory
enterprise In the South and West, far
from New York, and indeed in small towns
all over the country, the play pirates work
their wicked will upon property rights in
plays, in defiance of all law. Even where
they are restrained by injunction from pro-
ducing stolen plays, they sometimes go
right along either doing the same PLAYS
under new titles, or other plays under the
same old titles. To effectually put a stop
to their nefarious operations it would be
necessary to have a lawyer, represent
ing the owner of the private play,
travel with them and watch thenf at
every performance. As for getting out of
them any such damages as the law allows
for infringement of copyright, that is sim
ply out of the question. They have moth
ing The only way to hold any check upon
them is by catching them when they are
about starting out from city, as soon as
organized to ilifest the country, aud wrest-
ing from them the manuscripts they have
no right to. Then there is always n hope
that they may not have money enough left
to buy another stolen copy and get out of
town.
Mr.. Louis Aldrick in this way lately
made lucky capture of stolen copy of
BARLEY Campbells drama, my Partner
with which "A troupe were about startin.
out eastwardly. On the preceding Satur-
day professional acquaintance, meeting
him on Union Square, asked him what he
was doing with that play this season. He
replied Nothing "NSbody has it au-
thorizedH "No one.n well, a company
is rehearsing it, all the same, in lodge
room at 81 Union square
For that timely intImation, Mr. Aldrch
was indebted to the fact that both he and
the acquaintance giving it are member, of
the ACTORS Order of Friendship" Going
to the place mentioned, he found that a
| rehearsal # the piece had just ended, and
one of the company, who knew him by
sight, stepping up to him said SO pleas
antly. In a short but vigorous speech he
told them very clearly that they had no
right TO produce the play, which was ex-
clusively his property. They assured him
they had been assured by their manager,
Mr. c. X. Mortimer that he had secured
the right to the play, and seven of the
eleven members of the troupe present vol
unfairly promised Mr.. Aldrich that they
would on no account appear in it, knowing
| il TO be stolen. That was satisfactory, but
| the bold pirate-huuters blood was M. and
he was determined to find Mr. Mortimer
and make him give up his "My Partner
manuscript. Mr.. Mortimer kept out Of
the way until, by the aid of detective, he
was tracked to the Grand Union Hotel.
| When found, he soon hauled down his
| flag, and agreed TO give up the manuscript
but said that it was III the possession of one
of the actors-one of the four who had
made no promises of non-appearance in the
| play-who had brought it from Texas
when it was being played everywhere by
! pirates The man was hunted up next, and
! on Monday afternoon made full surrender
of manuscript and parts" but not without
good deal Of difficulty, his mind not
seeming to grasp easily the proposition
! that he had TO right TO stolen prop
| eIty, even If he had bought il with his own
| good money from the thief. The manuscript
was not strictly accurate, having apparently
| been made from shorthand notes of Il pro.
duction of the play, but was close enough
for effective production.
| When last heard from, Mr. Mortimer's
| company had its nose pointed in the direc-
ton Of North Adams, Mass, and PROGRESSED
TO have quite repertoire Of plays Whether
any others among them had been acquired
rs "Ny Partner was, has not yet APP
J Deared JAMES II. CONNOLLY.