Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-09-25
An rNFORTuNATE AFFAIR.
The Entertainment at the Opera House
Brought TO Sudden Stop BY
n Lawsuit.

Lawsuit.
Last night fair sized audience
gathered at the Reed opera house to
be entertained by the Oakes Swiss
Bell Ringers and Comedy Sketch
Club, and were in the height of en-
joyment, when Mr.. Oakes stepped
forward on the stage and announced
that the property of the company
had been attached for an advertising
bill, upon which there was some
misunderstanding between Mr.. Will
lis, owner of the opera house, and
the newspaper man, and that unless
Mr.. Willis came forward and as-
sumed the bill and had the attach
ment raised the show would not pro
coed. 1t appears Mr.. Willis was at
his residence not feeling well, and il
took some time to get him, but in
the meantime the performance went
ahead, and the spectators had about
forgotten the trouble In their high
glee, when Mr.. Willis and Mr..
Oakes appeared together.
Mr.. Oukes claimed to have con,
tract with Nj. Willis that the play
should be advertised in two city
papers, but the amount of space wa>
not mentionei Herein lay the
difficulty. The Statesman gave til,
advertisement nEe space than Mr.
Willis would !uy for and the eXtr..
amount $3.50, The Statesman had
sought from the company and the
attachment suit Was the result. NJ.
Willis refused to cknowledge his
liability in the matter or to assunlt
he bill, AS he had ordered only ii
certain amount of advertising. foI
which he was willing to pay, ana
said the audience could apply at the
hffice aud get the money back.
Down went the curtain and Out
rushed the crowd. The money was
paid out until it was claimed all the
receipts were exhausted and then "a
large part of the audience had not
received cent back. The uuscrup-
ulous, scalawag part of the crowd
had imposed upon the money hold
er, some getting money two or three
times, gallery chaps demanding
parquet money, and so on. No
proper system was followed in pay
ing out. There We're also maEy in
the crowd who were satisfied with
what they had enjoyed and did not
ask for their money.
This morning Mr.. Oakes, desirOus
of leaving the city without law
suit, compromised the matter with
Mr. Willis, went to the city record
er's Office, whence the papers were
issued, and settled the case, tie
claim and costs amounting to 1888,
and the attachment was dissolved.
AS already stated the entertain
ment was fine and there was gen
eral regret at the interruption, as
the best and most original One-lhird
of the performance was yet to come.
The music on the bells was sublime,
the musical glasses were wonderful.
aud Will Wetson Oh his various in
struments, notably the eight strings
of sleigh bells, was the object OF
great admiration. Harry Eads has
lost nothing of his old power As a
comic singer, impersonator and
facial contortionist. His changes
are as wonderful as they are COM
ical and nirth provoking. The
other members of the company are
equally good in their parts and make
a strong combination,
The JOURNAL does not discuss the
merits of the controversy. The
Statesman took an enlarged adver,
tisement from the company's agent
and Kept it running, although MIR.
Willis suggested its cutting down,
depending upon the company for
the extra sum which Mr.. Willis
would not agree to pay. The JOUR
NAL wisely sized its advertisement
according to the wish Of Mr.. Willis,
by whom it was to be paid for, and
had no trouble.