Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-18
OPENING HIS EYES.
How Sothern and Florence Initiated
Miss Nelson's Husband.
he DIDN'T KNOW AMERICAN WAYS.
The Famous Lee Dinner at the Grammercy
Park in 1871.
DISTINGUISHED ACfORS In TIE JOKE
HR DIDN'T KNOW AMERICAN WAYS.
DISTINGUISHED ACrORS IN TEE JOKE
WRITTEN FOR THE p1sPATcH.I


A short time ago I happened to be q
guest at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New
York, when Billy Florence, the popular
comedian, was occupying his apartments
there. 1 had the pleasure Of meeting him
and engaging in conversation with him,
when it occurred to me he might tell me the
true story of the famous Lee dinner, SO often
referred to in the newspapers, but never
told in satisfactory way. To my delight
he consented, confirming the surmise that
he and sothern were at the bottom of it.
"Philip Lee" began Florence, twas the
husband of the beautiful and gifted Adelaide
Nelson, since whose death we have never
seen Juliet upon the stage to equal her.
Lee was the son of an English clergyman,
and in demeanor and apparel was gentle
man. He accompanied his wife to this
country, not as her business manager, but
Eimply as her husband. He was harmless,
pleasant. gentlemanly fellow, with but little
knowledge of American ways. 1t is not
true, as has frequently been stated, that he
knew 90 little of this country that he e1-
pected to see buffaloes plunging down Broad
vay and Indians tomahawking people in
Central Park, New York, nor was his sur
prise at the absence Of such adventures the
inspiring cause of the joke of which he was
made the victim. Its inception was In this
vRy'
SOUNDING THEIR MAN.
"At the time Lee was in New York in the
fall OF 1877, he was the guest of the Fifth
Avenue Hotel, where I was also staying, as
/ have been for years, and Mr.. Sothern was
80 Tba VI
One night the three of us met accidentally
and Sothern and myself desiring to pay the
Englishman some attention, invited him to
accompany MS to the old chophouse, kept by
George Brown, and there have q bite and
sup before going to bed. We walked up
Fifth avenue together and as we were op-
posite the Glenham Hotel our attention was
attracted by disturbance across the way,
evidently caused by a brawl between a
policeman and some ioyial young blades.
Lee, who was very curious about everything
he saw, exclaimed: Bless mel What's
that?' Mr.. Sothern replied in the most nom
chalant manner, as he continued walking
on, oh, only another dead man..
Another man dead, gasped Lee, Lord
bless me, what do you mean"
"'Oh, that's nothing exclaimed Sothern
with wave of his hand, 4 stumble across
them every night on my way home. They
are killing men around here all the time.
trip over them, but pay no attention to
them, but keep right on my way home. 1
don't care TO be summoned as q witness be-
fore the Coroner every day of my life
"'BIess mel exclaimed Lee, What re-
markable country
STILL ANOTHER SURPRISE.
"we finally reached Browns and having
secured a table we ordered chops and ale.
Sothern and myself had not pre-arranged
snv joke upon our guest, but he had given
me wink which knew meant mischief,
and I was alert to play second to any part
he proposed performing. While we were
eating Sothern suddenly reached over and
placed his fork in one OF my chops, attempt
ing to remove it to his plate.
'I prevented this by the insertion of my
own fork and then said in calm, but de-
termined tones: Ned, don't like that to
which Lord Dundreary responded, but not
in the feeble tones of that suffering stage
nobleman: Mr.. Florence, don't care
whether you like it or not; 1 want that chop.
with that sprang upon him with up
lifted knife, and grabbed my dearly beloved
friend by the throat, and he seized me in a
similar way, while he apparently made des-
perste efforts to cut my jugular vein. In the
melee which ensued the table was upset, and
chops, ale, dishes, knives, forks and all the
other appurtenances OF the table descended
upon poor Lee in a shower. Brown, the pro-
prietor of the establishment, who knew us
both intimately, rushed forward and separ-
ated us, and, at his solicitation, he thinking
we were entirely in earnest, we finally shook
hands, and renewed our VOWS of eternal
friendship upon one another's bosoms
BY WAY OF INITIATION.
''That was the inception of the famous Lee
dinner hoax. Sothern came to me after
ward and said that he desired to give the
Englisbman q dinner at the Grammercy
Park Hotel in order to introduce him to the
customs of the great American people, and
said that the only part he desired me to take
in it was to be sure that Lee should be on
hand at the appointed hour, which was noon
of the following Sunday. To this l agreed.
knew, of course. that some manner of joke
was 20 be perpetrated upon Miss Nelson's
husband, but pledge my word that I was
not let fully into the secret and was not sd-
vised OF the programme.
AT the designated time escorted Lee to
the banquet room, which was on the first
floor in the rear of the hotel Office. found
ont aiterwRrd that by special arrangement
with Mr.. Judson, the proprietor, the doors
and windows had been well padded and
reach beyond them. Those assembled were
John Mccullough, Harry Montague, J. S.
Polk, Charles Gaylor, all of whom had
achieved fame upon the stage; Dan Bryant
and Nelse Seymour, the most famous negro
minstrels of their day; Commodore Dickin-
son, of the New York Yacht Club; George
Brown, of the chophouse which bore his
name; a gentleman named Cooper, and, of
course, Sothern, Lee and myself Myl Myl
Myp sighed the genial Florence, losing his
smile for a moment, "how many Of us are
leftl Mccullough, Montague, Sothern, Lee
Seymour, Bryant, Brown and Cooper are
all deadl Well, now to the dinner.
FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE.
''The oysters had been disposed of and the
soup had just been placed on the table
when Charley Gaylor arose and in very I'M
pressive tones spoke as follows: Gentle
men, think this is o most auspicious oc-
casion TO bring about peace between two
men who, while strangers, were once de-
voted friends. do not think that rsncor
should exist in any heart at a gathering of
this kind. To be sure it may i'll become me
to act the part of q peacemakeT, for while it
is true that 1 have shed human blood, that
my right hand has been red with the gore
Of another, it must also be borne in mind
that 1 was triumphantly acquitted of the
offenGe and that q jury of my peers said
that had acted only in self-defense.'
'You can readily imagine that this rather
took the breath out Of my friend Lee, who
had been seated upon my left. He whis-
pered to me: What has be doneP Did be
kill anyone?
"I looked at him Warningly and put q
finger on my lips as l whispered back,
'Sh-h-h, il was nothing; only his mother.