Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-11-13
Mrs. Myra Beals--$3O,ooo
Damages.

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Damages.
/ The readers of the TRIBUNE will re-
member Mrs. Myra Beals, who gave
readings here in Morris short time
since, in company with Miss Yaw' ana
will be interested in the following re-
lative to the past history of Mrs. b.
which we copy from the Minneapolis
Tribune: A week ago last Thursday the
supreme court Of Massachusetts, handed
down decision in very remarkable
case which DEGREES to resident of Min
neapolis damages to the amount OF $oo''
600. The resident is Mrs. Myra Beals, a
lady who has attained considerable
prominence before the Minneapolis pub
lie during the last two years as an elo-
curionist and reader. Mrs. Beals comes
here from Boston, and is now residing at
lit Second avenue south. The SUIT
which resulted in the damages men
toned was against Mr.. Augustln Thomp-
son, of Lowell, Mass, who essays to be
playwright, and is now interested In
the more practical vocation of manu-
featuring Moxie Nerve Food. The
original suit occurred in October, 1888,
in the district court of Massachusetts at
Boston, and was for $4,000 damages,
the jury awarding the plaintiff $50, OOO,
and the supreme court in it's recent de-
cision sustaining that verdict.
The case has attracted widespread at
tention through the press of the East,
both editorially and from q new" land
point. and proba bly, has few, II any,
parallels in the history of civil 1urls
prudence in this country. Mrs. Beals
brought the suit to recover damages for
libel and the alienation of her husband s
affections to such an extent that 1t re-
suited in their separation. The story is
an interesting one nd was furnished to
Tribune reporter asst night after some
hesitation, by Mrs. Iseals herself: Myra
Moriarta was her mai den name, her resi-
dence being in Boz ston. Her family
comes from old New England stock, and
is we'll known in Massachusetts and
vicinity. She has five brothers and a
married sister living in Boston now. 1t
was nearly seven years ago that she was
married to James II. l3eals, q son OF the
well-known William lSeals, one of the
founders and editors of the Boston Post,
and a member of the firm of Beals q
Green. He was at the time carrying on
the work of his father, with a son of
Col. Gordon Green, and was reputed a
very rich man. In the meantime Mr.
Augustin Thompson had been plying
his avocation as playwright and had
produced a play entitled Gina, the
Glove Girl " Miss Moriarta was we'll
known at that time as a reader, and Mr.
Thompson secured her to take the title
role and bring the play out. She re-
ho hI1f
a very short time. Mr.. Thompson was
very much displeased at her refusal to
continue with the company, as he had
an idea that she was the only woman
who could act the leading role, which
was the masterpiece of his imagination.
1t was less than two months after she
had been married when Mr.. Thompson
wrote her very insolent letter, demand
ing the payment of $4,000 for the ex-
pense of producing the play, which he
claimed had been done at her instance
and on her account. He also threatened
to sue her husband if the money was not
paid at once. She replied that she did
not owe the money and neither she nor
her husband would pay it.
Mr.. Thompson at once addressed
letter to Mr.. Beals, stating what he
claimed to be facts and denounclng Mrs.
Beals as an adventures, without, how
ever, impugning her character. He
claimed that she owed him 81 1000, and
demanding it's payment. This letter was
not needed and the result was that it
was followed by two others, which were
even more insolent and mandatory. Mr..
Beals paid no attention to the letters as
far as Thompson was concerned, but he
told his wife that they must separate.
This rothor l1O1a11al and oYtraOr.
binary thing for a man to do who enter
tanned any affection whatever for his
wife, but Mrs. Beals explained last
night that her husband was very
peculiar man and noted among his
eccentrlcities. She, of course, could do
nothing else except comply with his re-
quest, aud accordingly the separation
was made as quietly as possible and by
mutual consent About three years ago
a divorce was secured, and about year
ago the suit began against the Moxie
nerve food man. The trial occurred last
October and lasted four days, resulting
as noted above r. NJ Morse, the
famous civil lawyer of Boston, con-
Quoted the case for Mrs. Beals. The de-
Tense was degraded into an attempt to
besmirch Mrs Beals' character, and re-
ceived the severest condemnation of the
press at Inc Time. Inc verdict. QlQ not
satisfy the defendant and he appealed
the case to the supreme court.
Mr.. Thompson repeatedly told Mrs.
Beals that he would make her beg at his
feet for mercy before she got through,
and seemed to take this method of &C
complaining his purpose. He pursued
her with the greatest vindictiveness, and
as Mrs. Beals remarked last night, in one
sense she has been acting the part of
Zina, the slave girl of his play for the
last seven years, until the court of last
resort rendered it's decision week ago
last Thursday. Mr.. Thompson is able
to pay the damages and Mrs. Beals' at
torney has already issued executions for
the sale of his property to satisfy the
judgment in case he refuses to pay it.
Mrs. Beals talked pleasantly and un-
affectedly last night of her troubles, and
said that she experienced a sense of re-
lief for the first time in many years. It
was not so much the money involved
that caused anxiety about the result of
case as the question of having her char.
acter INDICATED and Thompson forced
to make some reparation for the wrongs
he had done her. Mrs. Beals intends
leaving the citV at the end of the sum-