Evening journal., 1896-05-23

the Extensive Dusiness-Mfs Aopeys DO
rious Illness Complicated Matters.
NEw YoRK. May 3-After an extend
I'd and brilliant career as operate and
dramatic managers, after introducing TO
tho American public the greatest actors
and singers OF Europe, after presenting
grand opera on more splendid scale than
has ever before been attempted In this
country. Nessrs. Abbey, Schociiel q 6rau,
controlling the Metropolitan Opera House
and Abhey's theatpr in New York and the
fremont theater IN Boston, have found
themselves In serious financial difficulties
and have made an assaignment Tor the
benefit of their creditors
Their operatic ventures since 1891 have
given them magnificent profits, but with
two or three exceptions, their dramatic
undertakings have been most disastrous,
and the latter have not only swallowed
up all the groat gains Of the opera season,
but have run the firm into such debt that
they End Themselves. as firm and as IN
dlvidunls. practically stripped Of evory
dollar that they owned.
Tholr condition has been serious for
some time but they had good ground for
hope that they could pull through suo.
cessfully The CRISIS was preoipitated by
~
operatic affnirs. which were highly sue
cessful were largely under Mr.. Grau's
management and the season having boon
finished, there was no trouble In that III
rection The artists had been paid, had
gone to Europe, and most OF them had
been re-enqaged for next season. Mr.
Schooilel was mainly In control Of the
fremont thonter in Boston, IN which the
firm was proiitably Interested. The gener-
al theatrical speoulntlons, such as the LII
lian Russell company and other engage
ments made IN the firm name, were more
particularly under the hand OF Mr. Alb
hey Then, too, while Mr.. Grau busied
himself with operate matters and Mr.
Schoe.iel with Boston affairs, Mr. Abbey
was the general hnancier or financial
manager OF the firms interests As re
suit of his inability TO attend to business
his partners found themselves In most
embarrassing position The firm dramnt-
80 business was going on from bad to
worse. and Mr.. Abbey was lying at tho
Gilaey House too ill to give his partners
aid or assistance.
The End Is Reached.
When Mr. Abbey recovered sufficiently
TO be able 10 converse with Mr.. Grnu and
MIR. Schoaffol, who had boen summoned
from Boston tho situation was clearly
placed before him. Tho pnrtners all saw
that Il was impossible 10 longer hold out
against tho continuing heavy drains upon
their purse and that an assignment was
inevitable.
A consultation was held with several
gentlemen who are intimately associated
with the Metropolitan Opera House, and
with othors, business and personal friends
OF all three partners, the assignment was
decided upon and papera signed by Colo
mel. a. Rand Of Boston and Dir. Luis j.
Phelps OF Olin, Rives u Montgomery bo
Ing named as nssignoes.
There have boon humorous rumors ailoat
OF lato 10 regard to tho large indebtedness
OF tho firm. and among those who have
quietly gosslped about the total that IL had
reached it has been said that 10 would
amount 10 5000, 600.
This Is q gvoss exaggerntlon, according
10 the belief Jf those who are In n position
20 know something OF theatrical affairs In
general. When tho assignoos have made
tholr report. II will probably bo found
that the sum total owed by the firm does
net exceed saOO, o00, and possibly 10 may
provo TO be a somewhat lesser sum-
Against this the firm have numerous as
sets. which n carefully nursed and NOT
s200. O01, or at least $3.50 000
This does not include a sale OF tho firm s
lease OF the Metropolitan Opern House, Tor
that cannot ha disposed OF. BY the very
act, OF assignments 10 Is cancelod. They
have other valuable properties and con-
trncts. and n the creditors are patient ana
the assignees are allowed 70 produce al
that Is possible from the assets, tbs hrn
will ho able To turn oVer--iHdeed, have
tCrnod oycr--whnt should produca enough
20 fully caucel ono.hali of thelr indohtod-
ness How the balance ia TO l'o met re
pnains fot The future to determine and Ia
largely depondont on the generosity oi
creditors on their Willingness 10 Jet tiH
firm. who hnyo now voluntarily given M
every dollar that toey own begin lie oNei
again ANA redeem thoir lo'scs.
Tho opera seasons since 1871 have boon
continuous Successes hut tia $500, O0u
pronls could not stem tho tido Of dramatic
disaster that has been soitng against the
firm Among al the long list of great nnl
lessor nclcrs and actresses whom tho firm
have managed during the past few years
Irving and Isrnhnrdt are almost the only
ones who have brought profit 90 th'
partners, tho Lillian Russell company
heading tho disastrous list with losses o
nearly S200.0u0 Somo cf tho stars lost
only o few thousands 20 tho firm. but
most OF them ran up into the tens Of thou
sands on the wrcng side Of tho lodgog.
such business could have bat ono end
Ing And Il has como 90 last In the com
nloto ruin of the memhc OF the grea
frm.
Convicted Of Assault and Robbery.
NfoRn1sqOwN. n j. Nav % Tho iur,