The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
THEYCALLED THISFU
COMEDIANS WHO PLAYED PRACTI-
CAL jokes OFF THE STAGE.
True Story OF an internationally Fa-
nous One, OF Which the Husband
Of Nelson Was the Victim.
Philadelphia Times.

recently there has been newspaper
revival Of stories of the internationally IA
nous practical joke played years ago by
those clever comedians, William ]. Florence
and E. H. Sothern. upon the husband of
Adelaide Nelson. Few OF them possess any
but the faintest germs of truth Here IS the
tale as it once fell from the lips of genial
Billy Florence himself shortly prior to his
death in this city:
Philip Lee said he. was the husband
OF the beautiful and gifted Adelaide Nelson.
since whose death we have never seen a
Juliet upon the stage to equal her. Lee was
the son OF an English clergyman. and in
demeanor and apparel was gentleman. He
accompanied his wife to this country, not
as her business manager, but simply as her
husband. He was harmless. pleasant, gen.
tlemanly fellow with but little knowledge Of
American ways. 1t Is not true. as has fire.
quently been stated, that he knew so little
Of this country that he expected to see buff
faioes plunging down Broadway and Indians
tomahawking people in Central Park, New
York. nor was his establishment at the abb
sence OF such surprising adventures the
inspiring cause of the joke of which he was
made the victim. Its inception was
in this way: At the time Lee
IDS III llls city, III the Idu OF
1877, he was the guest OF the Fifth-avenue
Hotel, New York. where / was also stay
Ing, as had been for years, and Mr. Soth-
ern was quartered at the Gramercy Park
Lotos Club. which was then far down
town. and. as We We're about leaving
the Englishmen some attention, invited him
10 accompany US TO the cd chop-house kept
by George Brown, and there have a bite
and sup before going to bed; We walked
~ xxror
opposite the Glenham Hotel our attention
was attracted by a disturbance across the
way, evidently caused by brawl between
policeman and some jovial young blades.
Lee. who was very curious about everything
he saw, exclaimed Bless met what's that?
Mr.. Sothern replied In the most nonchalant
manner, as he continued walking on, oh,
only another dead man.
Another dead man! gasped Lee; Lord
bless me. what do you neanT
oh, that's nothing exclaimed Sotnern,
with a 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 /
don't care 10 be summoned as a witness
befoTe the coroner every day of my life.'
markable country
I'VE finally reached Browns and, having
secured table. We ordered chops and ale.
Sothern and myself had not prearrapged
any joke upon our guest, but he had given
me a wink which / knew meant mischief
and ! was ready to play SECOND to any part
ing Sothern suddenly reached over and
placed his fork in one OF my CHOPS, attempt
ing to remove 1t to his plate. l prevented
this by the insertion Of my own fork and
then said. In calm, but determined tones
Ned, don't like that to which Lord Dun
of that suffering star nobleman. Mr.. Flor
eDce, I don't care whether you like IL or
not; want that chop.
With that | sprang upon him with up
lifted knife and grabbed nv dea beloved
friend by the throat and he seized me in
similar way, while he apparently made des-
the melee which ensued the table was upset
and chops, ale. dishes, knives. forks and all
the other appurtenances descended upon
poor Lee in a shower. Brown, the proprietor
OF the establishment, who knew US both in
timately. rushed forward and separated U.s.
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.
THE DINNER.
THAT was the inception OF the famous
Lee dinner hoax. Sothern came to me aft
erward and said he desired to give the Eng
iisnman a dinner at the Gramercy Park
Hotel in order to introduce him to the GUS
toms of the great American people, and
said that the only part he desired me to
take in 1t 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. 1 knew, of course, that some sort
Nelson's husband, but I pledge my word
that was not fully let into the secret, and
was not advised of the programme. At the
designated time escorted Lee 10 the ban
Quet room, which was on the first floor in
the rear OF the hotel office found out aft
erward that py special arrangement with
Mr.. Judson, the proprietor, the doors and
windows had been well padded and covered
SO that no noise from within could reach
beyond them. The apartment was lighted
John Mccullough, Harry Montague, ]. S.
Polk,s Charles Gaylor, all of whom had
achieved fame upon the stage. Dan Bryant
and Nelson Seymour, the most famous negro
Ministries of their day; Commodore DicKin-
son. of the New York Yacht Club; George
Brown, of the chop house, which bore his
name; gentleman named Cooper, and, of
course, Sothern, Lee and myself. None
other than these was present.
Think OF how few Of that jovial party
tague Sothern. Lee, Seymour, Bryant.
Brown and Cooper are all dead; the only
survivors of that occasion are possibly Polk.
sGaylor, Dickinson, and they may have
The oysters had been disposed Of" con-
tinued Florence. land the soup had just
Gaylor arose. and, in very impressive tones,
spoke about as follows: Gentlemen, think
this is most suspicious occasion to bring
about peace between two men who, while
strangers. were once devoted friends. / do
not think that rancor could exist in any
heart at gathering of this kind. To be
sure, Ii may Ill become me TO act the part of
a peacemaker, for, while il Is true that
have shed human blood that my right hand
has been red with the gore of another, ii
unphantly acquitted of the offense and that
a jury OF my peers said that / had acted
only in self-defense.'
.sYou can readily imagine that this took
the breath out of my friend Lee, who had
been seated upon my left. He whispered
anyoner / looked at him warningly and
put a finger on my lips as / whispered back.
sSh-h-hs 1t was nothing; only his mother.
heard him mu,ter. My God.' as he shrunk
in his chair, and then he leaned toward me
and whispered. OF whom is he speaking 2
him. bat I Warded him off by saying. You
will learn 1t all in a moment. His words
might apply to any two men about the
board. because every fellow here has killed.
his man.
THE FAMOUS POET"
Just then Gaylor threw light upon the
subject by saying. as he pointed with one
hand toward that clever negro minstrel, Dan
Bryant, and the other toward that equally
famous delineator of cork numor. Nelse Sey-
mour. of course, gentlemen. it is hardly
necessary for me TO say that I refer to
Americas most famous poet. William Cullen
Bryant, and that equally distinguished gen.
| tleman. NJ. Seymour, the son of the talented
| Horatio Seymour, and / now request that
| these two gentlemen shake hands across the
| table and let the bloody feud which has ex-
| listed between them end here