Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-22
BUY THEM IN BLOCKS
COMPLAINT AS TO HOW THE jEFfER-
SON TICKETS WERE SOLD.
Attaches Of the Academy Headed the Line
and Made Purchases for which IneS
Receivcd Commissions.


, A good deal Of dissatisfaction was X
pressed yesterday at the way In wnich
the advance sale Of seats for the prospec'
tive engagement Of Mr.. Joseph Jenerson
at the Academy Of Music was being con-
Quoted
The attention OF the Dispatch was di-
rected to the circumstance in the foilow-
ing letter received early in the forenoon:
RICHMOND. VA, November q. 1884.
ITO the Editor OF the Dispatch:
There Is an iniquity being perpetrated
at the Academy OF Music that demands
severe public censure. Fifty men, more
or less, are standing In file in front OF the
ticket Office waiting their turn. while the
man at the head is buying blocks OF
tickets for speculation or taking orders
from those out of line at a premium.
The morning hours are precious to all
businessmen and clerks. and TO be thus
cut down by lot OF selfish, unfair people
is a nuisance--not TO say outrage--on a
considerable portion of our community
wv. II. MCCARTHY"
GOT THERE EARLY.
Mr.. Mccarthy also suggested that
Messrs. Steven Elyson apd J. NJ. Nc
Carthy could substantiate what he said.
Both OF these gentlemen were seen. Mr..
Mccarthy said. feeling confident that the
demand for seats would be very large.
and In order TO secure an advantageous
position in the line before the boX-ofiice.
he rose unusually early, and reached the
Academy at o'clock. In spite of the
fact that there were only eleven men
in front of Mr. Mccarthy. he did not
reach the box-ofiice window for three
quarters of an hour after the sale had
commenced This he attributed to the
fact that attaches of the house were exc
cutting commissions for other people, one
man buying as many as nfty seats.
Mr.. Ellison stated that he arrived at the
Academy at $50. and. though there were
not many ahead OF him, he did not
secure his seats TIL nearly 10 o'clock.
This was owing. he said. to few of
Mr.. Leath's employees. who had gained
the front places In the line, and, de-
spite the objections and indignant pro-
tests Of those behind, persisted in hold
ing their places and procuring seats for
the late-comers. levying a tax OF 25 cents
per ticket.
THEY EXECUTED COMMISSIONS.
The facts as CLEANED by the reporter are
these: Five men, who are employed In
various capacities in and about the Acade-
my. received orders for tickets from n
number of gentlemen. and sat up all
night on the steps OF the house in order
to get places at the head OF the line and
secure the best seats for their patrons. in
consideration Of which they received a
commission OF q cents on each ticket. one
of the men. Philip Bottz. who was at the
head of the line. was commissioned over.
night by nine gentlemen TO make pur-
chases Of tickets for them, and as soon as
| the sale opened was, by virtue of his
| position. besieged by n number OF late
| comers to procure tickets for them. In al
Mr.. Bottz bought fifty tickets. Harry
| Bernstein. another employee, represented
| five gentlemen at the box-office, and re
| ceved numerous other applications while
| standing In line. Ben Lowry represented
| three prospective patrons. and his side
| partner. VIII Fisher. also an employee
worked among the crowd for commissions
| which Lowry executed. Another man whc
| Is said 10 have bought I'm execution o
| commissions was Writ Meade. who was
absent when the Dispatch man called a
| the Academy.
| THE TREASURER'S STATEMENT.
| Mr.. Philip McNiven. the treasurer o
the house, stated that from the time h
l
| pointed hour the sale OF seats was rapi,
and continuous. The attaches OF IN
house were not the only ones in line wh
bought large numbers of seats en- bloc
but acting evidently under instruction
bought and paid for two or four seats
| never more than stx--at a time, specify
Ing the location they desired. and tina
| no one hel1 the window for an instan
when not transactlng business.
| Mr.. Leath, who had facilitated the In
| vestigation by summonIng his employee
| to the boX-ofiice, expressed great regre
that any dissatisfaction should have beel
| expressed. He said that he did not reacl
the Academy until shortly before
| o'clock, and had received no intimatiol
| Of any irreguarty in the sac. He sal,
| that he felt confident no tickets had beel
| purchased for speculation by any of hi
| employees. and only knew OF one case II
which an outsider had done SO, and tina
was the brother of a former attache o
the house, who had procured four seat
and was Offering them for sale at
| apiece.
| Upon his attention being drawn to this
| he had gone personally TO the youni
| man, and to frighten him had threatened L
| have him arrested, although he was wei
aware that that was impossible. Refer
| ring to the stress laid upon the fact tina
| the men who bought so largely were HI!
| employees, Mr.. Lelth said the men who's
| names appear above work on the stag
| only when rehearsals or plays are goin;
| on. and outside OF that their time is thei
| own. He called attention 10 the fac
| that when the Highest Bidder wa
| presented here last season the same Oh
| jectlons were rife, but al that time tn
| men who headed the file were promlnen
| brsln ass-men, and deduced from this tn
| fact that upon such an occasion whoeVe
| was In front would be bound to receiv
| similar applications. He has ever sine
| his connection with the Richmond amuse
uent houses done his utmost to stol
| SPECULATION. as being detrimental 10 nj
| own interests. although as the ia'
stands II is perfectly legitimate traiiic
WILL RESERVE SEATS.
Mr. Leath said that as regards business
| men losing their time on such occasion
| as the present, he was always pleased u
reserve seats for responsible parties whe
ordered by telephone. The trouble lie
with the general public, and so long q
people persist in appointing deputies sue
untoward incidents are bound to occur
| since there Is no reason, from
commercial point OF view, why MI
| L.eath should not sell out the house e
bloc to one man. II he could find a Gus
toner. In connection with the above, MI
| Ieath took occasion 10 say that a mum
Der Of seats still remain to be sold, an
some OF them are the best In the house.