Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-07
rBY pUNLAP's CABLE COMPANY j

LONDON, September Ga most dis
graceful and exciting fist fight between
James Mcneil Whistler, the celebrated
artist; Augustus N. Moore, the proprietor
and editor of the society newspaper, the
Hdlck and William Horace Lingard, the
well-known theatrical manager, occurred
tonight in the foyer of the Theater Royal,
Drury Lane. The theater was crowded
with people who, were all more or
less acquainted, for it was the occasion
of the opening of the autumn season,
and the production of the new drama by
Augustus Harris and Henry Petit, en-
titled, GA Million of Money"
1t was during the interval between the
third and fourth acts that the scene occurred.
Mr.. Augustus NJ. Moore was standing in
circle formed by group of his friends, who
were all talking in most animated manner
and discussing the brilliant triumph which
had just been achieved by Charles Glenny.
BLACK THORN STICK.
Suddenly Mr.. James MeNiel Whistler,
with his large eye-glass in his right eye and
his fat-brImmed stove-pipe hat on his head,
entered the foyer talking with a friend
named Butterfeld. He carried in his hand
black-thorn stick which, with a peculiarly
that belongs to the artist OF the butterfly
signature, is much longer than is generally
used.
Immediately on catching sight of Moore
Whistler raised the heavy stick he carried
and rushed at the editor OF the Hack, whose
hat was smashed with the first blow. Be-
fore he could recover from the surprise
of the attack Whistler began to beat him
most mercilessly about the head, still with
the stick, and at the same time shouted at
the top of his voice and in contemptuous
tones, Hawk hawkl hawkP'
MOore's temper was at once aroused and
he struck Whistler one blow below the ewes
straight from the shoulder, which felled the
artist to the floor. The noise of this occur
renee had drawn several people to the scene,
and some of Whistler's friends Joined the
fracas amid great uproar, which threatened
to assume serious proportions.
A VERY LIVELY ROW.
Eventually Moore was pushed into the
American bar, and kept there by force while
the acting manager of the theater, Mr.
Fletcher, who stands about six feet in his
stockings, seized the illustrious artist, who
was kicked out of the house without further
ceremony.
All was quiet for a moment. Then a
fresh scene occurred While the various
groups in the lobby, in one of which was
Augustus Moore, were discussing the late
fracas and its summary termination, Will
lam Horace Lingard entered the foyer and
rushed straight at Moore and smashed him
in the face. The attack was so sudden and
unexpected that Moore did not even see
him coming, nor did anyone else notice
him till the blow was heard, and immedi-
ately the two men were locked in a fierce
tussle before it was possible for any OF their
friends to interfere.
The noise of the scutfle was heard inside |
the theater, and many people who were
settling into their places in anticipation of |
the rising of the curtain on the fourth act,
went out again to discover the cause of the |
confusion.
THE WORST OF THE ENCOUNTER.
The combatants were eventually parted. |
AIr, Lingard having had decidedly the |
worst of the encounter. Augustus Harris |
is remarkably irate at the disturbance. as |
this is the first time since the theater has |
been under his management that anything |
approaching so disgraceful a scene has oc- |
Cured there.
Mr.. Moore was seen after the performance |
by reporter, to whom he said that he was
quite at loss to account for Mr.. Whistler's
conduct, for the HdlCk had not published
anything about him for several weeks. Mr..
Whistler vanished Immediately after his
summary ejectment from the theater, and it
was impossible to find him to learn his ver-
sion of the affair and causes which
led to his sudden attack. Mr.. Lin
gard, however, was on. hand and was
seen after the play, bv which time he had
arranged his dress, which had been pulled
about in the melee. He said he had heard
IN the the theater that Whistler had tried
TO thrash Moore in the lobby, and that fact
had reminded him that he also had a
grudge against the editor who had made
many nasty remarks about him in the
Halck. He added, however, that he was
sorry he had allowed mis- temper to get the
better of him.