The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-30
A BENEFIT THAT
DID NOT BENEFIT.
Money Collected for the Widow ana
Orphans of Herman Johnson.

Manager ] =. Howe of the Seattle
theater was kept busy last evening tuFh7
ing away q 10: OF victims OF misplaced
confideuce wiso came 10 see an a.iessd
benefit perf0rrna nee for the widow aai0 or
phans OF Herman Johnson they al ne
tickets, ranging III prices frefn . 10 %
CENTS. ard ali claimed that they had
bought them from strangers who had en-
listed tie.r sympathy along ~i1n lIlelt cas.
for the widow and orphans ihe satse.
portion Of these who were turned away
last evening took the matter phiosofhieai-
ly with few terse. pointed remarks suSh
as 'hilked again. and others eqodHy ceiI-
prshensiye, while a very few became IN
1ignanr and expressed themselves ID q
manner 20 lead TO the belief that fnoas,
ands OF dollars at least were involved Ala
of those who came and were turned AMY
disappointed were unanimous in the nope
that the poor widow got the oefeiit OF lle
money SO . collected. even II they were
swindled and deprived OF the QaesIohao.o
pleasure OF sitting out an amatelr pei
Torrance.
The Seattle theater having been 80 free
~ used in connection with what appears
TO have been a petty swind-e, much IN
censed Manager Howe. When seen last
evening he said:
About two weeks ago stranger came
10 me and asked 10 rent the Seattle the
ater fer benefit performance for the
widow and orphans OF this man johnson.
who was killed in the Northern facilc
freight yard November ). / gave him
my terms and told him that he would
have to bring some one 10 assume the re-
sponsibility of the rent, which would have
to be pad in advance. He subsequently
returned with George Spencer, of the
firm of DeMers and Spencer. who agreed
To- be responsible for the rent OF the house
and see that il was paid In advance.
Mr.. Howe told him 10 come back again
In a few days and he would draw up the
usual contract. This Mr.. Spencer did not
do but about week later man claiming
10 be Mr.. Spencer's attorney, called on
Mr.. Howe and told him that Mr.. Spencer
not satisfied with the way things were
going and that he would not be responsible
for the rent of the theater. AS no contract
had been signed MIR. Howe readily agreed
to cancel the verbal agreement made, but
insisted that whatever public arrangements
had already been made in which the name
OF the Seattle theater entered should be as
publicly countermanded. Mr. Spencer
called shortly after the visit OF his attor-
ney and to him Mr.. Howe repeated the
same injunction so that no unpleasant al
terrnath such as last evenings should oc-
cur. Mr.. Spencer promised to do So ana
incidentally mentioned that some Sill had
already bean collected for Mrs. Johnson.
This was the last Mr. Howe heard OF the
affair until yesterday. when telephone calls
commenced coming III making inquiries
about the benefit and ending with last
evenings siege with disappointed seekers
Of amusement.
Most of the parties holding tickets said
they had bought them from some young
lady, or ladies. who were soliciting about
town and in the residence district. II s
not as yet known how much WAS collected
in this way and how much. il any OF II,
found its way into the pockets of the
poor widow.