St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-28
He WAS FROZEN OUT.
The Fifth Member Of the Peo-
pies Theater Syndicate
Grows Reminiscent.
Horace Johnson Says He Is
Still in the Theatrical
Ring.
Auctioneer Aldrich Returns
Home to Face the Legal
Music.
Marital MISUNDERSTANDING
Lead Females to Pray for
Legal Relief.

"Wilson bounced; elected by the po-
lice? Well, well, the music has begun,
has it?" That is what Horace r. John
son, one of the originators of the ST.
Paul Peoples theater enterprise, said
yesterday in Minneapolis when in
formed of the unpleasantness by a
GLOBE reporter. 'Why, saw Frank
only Yesterday" continued Mr.. John
son. land he said everything was Sc
rene; but that is all right. Frank has
been Minneapolis real estate man and
knows how to put it. What is the
trouble down there?
Everything. A full recital of the
entire workings of that concern from
the start would give Frank Stock
ton material for a hundred books,
and would be satire Oh
Mother Goose melodies: Eyes, l know
how many people wonder what has be-
come of me, as most of my friends, both
here and at st. Paul, knew l was con-
nected with the theater in question.
Wilson's case is only a repetition of
mine, only in more aggravated form.
If you GLOBE people can stand it, lit
tie glimpse into the murky past of the
concern might be interesting. Last
autumn, when the Peoples theater, of
minneapolis, was III course OF erection,
began to figure upon like place of amuse-
ment in st. Paul, and took capitalist
to see John Coho, then employed upon
interior construction of the former.
We had considerable talk Oh the SUBJ
ject and decided to build, but had no
more than formed our plans when the
stringent law passed by the legislature,
ri N tnr am CT 1Dtin rrt
temporary
DAMPER ON MY OPERATIONS,
owing to excess in cost on former eSti-
mates. Subsequent to Sackett Il Wig
gins failure | met G. J. Wilson and l..
w. Walker. The former was unknown
to me, but Walker l knew of asa
grocery salesman for Anthony Kelly &
Co. l was told also that he had played
Hamlet one consecutive night in Chi
cago, and that he had piouretted
through the country as helmsman for
mind-reader named Seymour. Wilson
introduced himself to me as the eX-
manager of the Palais theater in Paris,
and in his first interview stated that he
was the originator of the initiation
of the Cowboy Pianist who appeared
at the museum here in ST. Paul.
AS freak-hunter, he said he had 10
equal and had been employed by Frank
Uffner and others to travel over the
European continent in search of two
headed children, siX-legged goats, etc.
He could control the rabid temper of
any freak and cause a baboOn to look
thoughtful. He gave me to understand
that he and Walker had the greatest
museum scheme for the Twin Cities
ever conceived, and were looking for
hacker. l told Wilson that | had no
70 ~ oly oh Of haf l. 1,,t
l thought 1 could find some one that
had. l was surprised to hear that the
delineator of
THE SOMBER SHADOW
of Shakespeare masterpiece desired to
affiliate with the originator of the cow
boy pianist. ETC., but he said he had
only one end in view, and that was to
make ''pile." He said there was
neither fame nor fortune in riding a
three-wheeled railroad velocipede for
A. Kelly q Co. He was therefore will
ing to lecture on the freaks in the Pen
optacon (Wilson's Partisan term for
the American Rosicus No. 2. TO cat
the story, Walker and [ met F. g. Whit
more. The former slapped the latter
on the back and asked him if he remem-
bered him when he sold him sugar at
Montevideo, MIMI, some years ago.
Whitmore looked doubtful, but finally
concluded to remember, when Walker
told him he had the biggest money-mak-
ing mill on record. Plans were
unfolded, and Whitmore introduced
his side partner, E. w. Trask,
treasurer of boom company
and eX-member of the S. l.. They said
they knew nothing of freaks, but if we
could show money in it they were
raodv AC 7 did NOT intro1noa tbnco
SONS of Cr9sus to W. 81 WI said l
would withdraw at that stage of the
game, but w. d w. insisted as | had
been in the theatrical business and had
scrubbed little | would be useful, and
they would split the snap in fifths, | to
take one. l acquieSced and all went as
merry as tocsin until we found we
were unable to get building in Mime
apolis fit for a museum. Then we
looked over ST. Paul. Finally my pet
scheme of Peoples theater was intro
duced, and after hard work we obtained
lease of Turner hall for a term of
years.
THEN THE TOCSIN PEALED
forth in stentOrian tones-'Double dou-
bic toll and trouble''-and the fun be-
gan. Trask and Whitmore concluded not
oappear upon the active arena and said
they would leave all the work in the
hands of ''we three" Twas considera-
bly, at sea as to who would be manager,
as was in rather poor health and did
not care to shoulder the responsibilities
of that position, but was anxious to go
New York and engage a suitable COM
pany for small house that would be a
success at popular prices. Finally Will
son and Walker Informed me that they
had voted themselves manager and bus
mess manager respectively, and that l
could take programme dummy and
hustle after .'ads'' for the same
and take care of the press de-
partment. Wilson went to New York
but never during his absence of three
weeks did he send his press representa-
tive line of news, and Mr.. Walker was
as dumb as an oyster. OF course,
Immediately smelled very large-siZed
rodant but said nothing. The two
Dromios worked well at the improve
ments on the interior, and made such
close contracts that the work cost nearer
$4,000 than $1,000, the amount we
thought it would cost. Of course,
MessrS. Trask and Whitmore grew anX-
ious and wanted more of the plum"
which Walker told them they could OBJ
tain by freezing me out. This was fes-
tive for me. When Wilson returned
with his $1,000 company, meeting of
the big sachems was called, and
/ was asked to meet the gentlemen and
others. Walkers head was so large at
this time that his hat did not fit him,
so he removed it, and
WITH UNPARALLELED NERVE
asked me to resign. Resign a partner
ship in concern! The situation was
so absolutely ridiculous that l nearly
exploded. However, l was so disguised
with the whole affair and all concerned
in it that l came back to Minneapolis
and laid back upon my oars. Then they
wanted to buy me out, but were unwilling
to pay even for my time. During the