The morning times., 1897-01-25
Mr.. MANSFIELD HAS CONE
He Cleyerly Escaped the Deputy
MarShals of Washington.
MISS DOUGLAS CONTRACT
1t Was n Verbal One, But Her At
torney Thinks 1t should Be Full
fiIled-Eleven Weeks of Back
salary Claimed by the Actress.
Her Attorneys statement.

Had we for a moment supposed that
Mr. Richard Mansfield was that sort OF
a trickster. and wouldresort to such barn
storming methods to escape the process
of law and service OF papers, we would
have adopted more rigid measures in deal
ing with him, and would have trapped him
in his little gHme.' said Mr. Charles j.
Murphy, who represents Miss Ethel Doug
las in the action which that lady has be
gun against the actor.
The manner in which Mr.. Mansfield
evaded the two marshals who tried to
serve notice OF Miss Douglas suit against
him, was told in The Morning Times.
The facts in the case have never been
accurately published" said Mr. Murphy.
ION July 8 1895, Miss Douglascoptracted
with Mr.. Mansfield To appear in his com
pany at o salary OF $50 per week. He had
just then leased the Garrick Theater in
New York, and it was hisinteuti0n to have
his company remain there during theseason
OF 1856. The contract was a verbal
one, as are all Of his agreements. Owing
to his Illness, however. Mr.. Mansfield was
unable to produce the plays he had intend
ed at Garrick's. Having undertaken the
management of the Hollands and Miss
Douglas services being at his disposal.
under neT contract with him, she was as
signed to that company Mr.. Mansfield did
not open at GarrickS until late in NoyeIu-
Der While the Hollands were playing
here at the Lafayette in December, 1895,
a notice was posted to the effect that the
company was to disband That is one of
Mansfield's fayorite tricks
''Tfen it was that Miss Douglass came
to me in regard to collecting the re-
nIainder due upon her contract. which was
to run until the middle of June, 1896.
This was some time previous to the be-
ginning of Miss Sanders trouble with
Mansfield, so that the claim that we
waited until that was disposed Of and
brought the case in Washington to take
advantage of Mr Mansfield, is without
foundation.
THE notice of dsbandment was re-
voked, and the Hollands did not quit
until April IS Miss Douglas then wrote
Mansfield that she was at his disposal
for the remainder of the term of the con-
tract, which had nine weeks to run. She
received no reply, and we have repeatedly
attempted to settle this ma tier out of
court, but Mr. Mansfield always ignored
il until papers were taken out on Satur-
day, and action brought for $3.50 back
salary. The other tw o weeks are made up
for time lest when the company was in
Montreal, where the theater was con-
demned and for holy week, during which.
the Hollands did not show, and for w hich
Miss Douglas. did not receive her salary,
though no exception was made in the con-
tract.
1T appears ridiculous that a man of
Mansfield's standing, character and abil
ity should be crouching and sneaking
through back alleys, and through peoples
Kitchens to escape the service of papers, if
he is in the right as regards this mat
ter 1t is but an acknowledgment of the
weakness of his case. / can only say that
papers will he taken out and served in
another jurisdiction.
Mr.. Mansfield was preparing for his de-
parture to New York when seen at the
Storeham by a Times reporter yesterday
morning. He had TO fears of papers being
served upon him before he could get out
OF town, yesterday being Sunday. He was,
as usual, naughty and dignified in his
bearing, and would say little regarding
the matter He denied that Miss Douglas
had any claim upon him whatever. She
was engaged for the Hollands, he said,
and had been given the regular two weeks
notice before the company disbanded. He
said he had simply kept out of the way
of the officers in order Co avoid the tTo-,ble
and annoyance, not to say the losA of
money, in coming to washington to defend
himself or else allowing the case TO go by
default