The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-18
Charles Sidney O'Brien and
Burt Williams Contest
For Laurels.
NO LACK OF AFFIDAVITS
Opposing Music Companies Viii
Storm His Honor With Scores
of Dispositions.
III take along my razZer.
OATS for Jimmie Frazer,
For he am de coon what's
Gu.in No n atanl nah annoli.


That's the way the song runs. The af-
fid avits of the Zeno Mauvais Music Com
pany run otherwise. According to the
trend of about thirty of those midable
documents which Judge McKenna will be
called upon to hear this morning the party
who not only intends to steal "Mah An
geline," but actually has stolen it, is the
Schla m N & Broder Music Company.
These two organizations are the largest
music publishers On the coast and the
serious difficulties which have arisen be-
tween them are due to the rival conten-
tons of two colored men as TO who wrote
the popular coon" song, which has out
rivaled 1.-The New Bully"
Charles Sidney 0'Brien is the colored
composer whose claims to the authorship
of "Mah Angeline" are championed by
the Mauvais Company. O'Brien is conf
cal little man of exceeding blackness. His
appearance on the street suggests that he
had just stepped from an end chair at a
minstrel performance. O'Brien says he
wrote "Mah Angelina" away back in the
| sos, and that he sung it with more or less
success at the Midwinter Fair. Among
other places. he SAYS he with two other
Camp. This contention is borne out by
James h. Love, one of the camp mana
gers, and by a negro known as the Black
Diamond, who is now in jail. This fact
does not particularly prejudice O'Brien's
case, however, as the Black Diamond is
said to have given the other side an aft.
| davit also.
The Sehlam- Broder Company bases its
claims to the song on the alleged author.
ship of Burt Williams. Williams is big.
ger man than O'Brien, but not q whit
blacker, albeit burned cork would never
change his complexion. Williams, &C
cording to affidavits galore, which will be
| introduced to offset those in support oil
O'Brien's contentious, wrote the song
while working at the Midway Plaisance
on Market street. The Mauvais people
have an affidavit from Edward Homan
| proprietor of the Plaisance, that Williams
never worked there prior to 1894, and so, il
O'Brien sang NAH Angelina" at the Mid.
winter Fair, Williams claim crumbles.
The Schlamm- Broder company's attor.
ney, John M. Chretien, says they will
have no trouble proving that O'Brien did
not sing the song at the fair. To prove
this he has affidavits of the members oil
Cassasa's band, who were constantly on
the alert for catchy airs, and also from the
three gentlemen who were associated with
Love in the management of the 40 Camp.
They declare neither O'Brienn or any
other colored man ever sang there.
There seems to be a serious difference OF
opinion as to the accomplishments of the
rival songwrights. The Mauvais people
do not hesitate to say that Williams is a
black personifcation of ignorance, who
has followed the highly intelligent and
much-traveled O Bren about until he had
succeeded in partially memorizing the
words ard air of NAH Angelina" which
he has had published as "Dora Dean.'
The publishers of Dora Dean" for it is
under that name the Schlam M Broder
Company produce the song, say that the
colored man with the Hibernian name
cannot sign his name, much less could he
write such song as he lays claim to.
To these and many more much-sworn-to
contentious Judge McKenna must listen
patiently to-day. The matter comes up in
a motion to dissolve a temporary iniunc-
ton which the Schlamm-Broder Company
obtained some time ago, Should the
moving party be successful the matter will
be set for trial, and before the matter is
finally settled it will be contempt to
whistle "Mah Angelina" or "Dora Dean"
within possible hearing distance of Judge
McKenna's chamber.
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