St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-15
Blackmail Stated to Be the
PaSis Of the Pros
ecution.
Preparations Being Made for
Building Another Ice
Palace.
Cuttings Of a Days Journey
About the Sanity
City.
Special to tile Globe.


New YORK, Sept. 14.-It is rumored
in theatrical circles here tonight that
very pretty actress has begun suit for
breach of promise against Nat Good
win, the comedian. The lady's name
in question is Miss Leila Farrell.
The story goes that the young
woman in question won Goodwin's
heart some time before his wife, Eliza
Weathersby, died. and that, in anticipa-
ton of being a widower, he asked her
to become his second wife. Good
win went to Europe during the
summer, butreturned suddenly because
the well-known lawyer retained by his
af1ianced bride called upon him, it is
said, to keep his matrimonial engage
ment: Since then he has avoided this
city as much as possible. There
was report current few
weeks ago that he was about
to marry society girl
who resides in Buffalo. He took the
trouble to contradict this story through
the press, and he is said to have as
sured 20 the actress who had the prior
claim TO his hand, that the only founda-
ton for the report was that his
father, who isl a Boston sporting
man. was anxious to have him marry a
wealthy woman. He has now retained
one of the most noted attorneys in New
York to protect his interests. AS he
has the reputation of being writer of
unusual ability in the line of love let
tho hraoch Of ,NrntniSn cnif xxrlll no
of unusual interest.
HEARD IN ST. PAUL.
"Blackmail, my boy" chirped genial
Nat Goodwin between the first and
second acts of Confusion" at the
Grand last evening, when shown tele-
gram from New York stating that a
suit for breech of promise had been in
stituted against him by Miss Leila
Farrell, formerly member of
his company. Nov what do
you think of thatO woman" he
continued, turning to Manager APP
pleton. 1.-The idea of my promising to
marry her before my wife died" And
the rouge on his beaming countenance
was intensified as the hot blood
surged into the speakers face. miss
Farrell was a member of my COM
pany," remarked Mr.. Goodwin, ''from
September, 1887, until January of this
year, when l dispensed with
her services. And this is the
method that she has taken with view
to being revenged for my action. While
in my employ she did not make much of
a hit and was not adapted even for the
small part for which she was cast.
l have received an intimation
as to the institution of such
suit, but from the telegram
shown me | should infer that there was
a publication of the case in tO-day's
New York papers. Certainly l shall
protect myself against this adven-
tureSS, who has undoubtedly been
instigated to take the step she has by
some ShYSter lawyer in the metropolis.
1t is rather late in the day, however, for
her TO come before the public with such
a yarn, for if she had any grounds for a
suit she should have made them known
at the time of her discharge. She made
no threats at that time as to her
future course, and | thought that the
matter was ended when our relations as
employer and employee ceased. But
she has fallen into the hands of some
trickSter, who hopes to raise money by
offers to compromise, thinking there
by to compel me to comply with
his desire for pecuinaTy assistance.
Will fight it in the court? Do 1 look
like a person who would be so easily
gulled into giving up money to party
OF blackmailers? Every inch will be
contested, and especially as there is not
the slightest basis for such a charge"
At this point it was necessary for the
comedian TO amuSe his audience,
and he strobe upon the stage and
Manager Appleton took up the story
where his principal had left off. He
stated that Miss Farrell was living with
people In New York who were at the
bottom of the trouble, and had doubt
less urged her on. Miss Farrell has
not been on the stage since her dis
charge by Mr.. Goodwin" he remarked,
Her only merit lies in the fact that
she is high kicker. but as
far as acting is concerned she
is the verieSt novice. Before
Joining our company she was attached
to the BijOu theater at New York, but
had some trouble with her manager and
was forced to quit summarily. During
the short time that she was with US she
proved a veritable mischief maker, and
kept the members of the company con-
tinually in hot water with the tales that
she persisted in telling about
them. Brooklyn was the last
place that she appeared with us,
and since her dismissal nothing was
heard from her until this matter. to
which our attention has been called to-
night. 1t is simply an effort to get
some of Mr.. Goodwin's money, and
don't think it will be successful. Be-
sides, Nat Good win thought too much of
his late wife, professionally known as
Eliza WeatherSby, to make PROPOSE
tiOn of marriage to another woman
while she was alive"