The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-14
MR.. PICKERING
Hears Both Sides of Thea
ter Trouble and Departs.

first triumph.
This is in the visit to Worcester yes
terday afternoon of M. P. Pickering,
secretary of the Boston Theatrical I'm
ion, who came up for the purpose of
making an investigation into the
charges preferred against Manager
Wilton by the men discharged Mr.
Pickering came to Worcester early yes
terday morning, and Immediately
sought out Manager Wilton at the OPP
era house, learning from him the condi-
ton Of things, as he believed they eX-
listed, stating as he promised to state,
the true condition of everything re-
garding the matter as it concerned all
the parties.
Just what transpired at the confer
ence, the public is not to know just
yet, as the secretary came here under
orders to say but little, and he was
further instructed not to express opin-
ions regarding the probable outcome of
the matter. Manager Wilton, however,
expressed himself as perfectly salts
fed that all will be lovely when the
meeting of the executive committee
shall make known it's decision.
There are barrels Of argument put
together by the various forces which
Manager Wilton has to contend with
and never in the history of his house
has such a trouble existed before
Night and day the old employees of
Wilton are working their energies to
have the cause result successfully for
them, and, like the man of amusement,
they believe the case is all theirs
Secretary Pickering went to Boston
shortly after the end of his investiga-
ton, and before leaving he made a
general statement for The Spy. He
stated that he had secured the facts
of the case as Manager Wilton gave
them, and he felt that he had secured
a successful investigation into the
troubles, believing that he could make
an intelligent report to the executive
committee on his return.
The discharged employees are now
charging that in order to guard against
any invasion of the theatre by them,
Manager Wilton has openly violated a
state law, in having the stage entrance
doors locked. The doors are marked as
exits" and serve as such in case of an
emergency According to the statutes,
they must be kept unlocked where they
are used for such purposes, but the
men who were working for Manager
Wilton last week declare that ever
since the trouble these doors have been
locked and that had there been any
emergency demanding their immediate
use, they must have first been unlocked
to allow the additional mode of
egress.
David Doran and the other old stage
hands declare that this alleged viola
ton of the state law is to be called
to the attention Of the state authori-
ties; in this case, State officer Joseph
M. Dyson. Mr.. Doran told The Spy
man last night that there were several
additional matters to be brought to the
attention of the public later. He called
at The Spy office last night to say that
one of the hands engaged to take the
place Of the men discharged, had in
turn left his new place and gone to
the Worcester Theatre.
Doran told The Spy man that Man
ager Wilton was not so generous with
his men or his money as his statements
would lead one to infer. Mr.. Doran
claims that on many occasions he has
not only had to wait for his own
money, but has been obliged to pay
the hands under him out Of his own
pocket. This was because Manager
Wilton was short Of money, but Mr.
Doran stated that all money advanced
to him in this way was made up. He
had secured every cent due him for
work and SO had the other men, as far
as he knew.
The Spy man called on Manager Will
ton at his office in the theater last even
ing. He was busy in the ticket Office,
but extended an invitation to the office,
lighted the gas, stroked his head, and
then looked up to be questioned. Man
ager Wilton was asked in turn about
the various charges with which the
men, through Doran, now accuse him,
and he firmly and positively denied ev-
cry word Of their statements. He said
that there was no truth in the story
that he violated the law regarding the
exits Of his theater; that Dave Doran
was not telling the facts of the case
in saying what he did about the pay
ment of the men; that James Doran,
one of the new men. was not through
with the house, but that he was tenn
porarily at work in the Worcester the
alter last evening, and that it was true,
as the old stage hands said, that John
Gallery was a new man behind the
wings.
Manager Wilton submitted to The Spy
man his books to show that the men
had been paid with his own money, and
not with the money of any other man.
Manager. Wilton expressed himself as
satisfied with the condition of things,
however, and said that he believed the
action of the executive committee
would not be aYerse to him. He was
deeply in anger over newspaper stor-
les, which seemed to favor in any way
the action taken by the discharged
stage hands, and said that he wanted
nothing more to do with them.
Mr.. Doran has a letter from the man.
ager of "On Land and Sea" company,
the play on the boards at Lothrop's
last week, the scenic rehearsals for
which were the initial cause of the
whole trouble. The letter is in reply to
a telegram sent to P. j. Reynolds-the
manager-by Mr.. Doran. Manager Rey-
nolds says in his letter;
My opinion is that you are justifable
in not giving a rehearsal, and will say
that consider you and your assistants
worthy Of your hire, and men compe-
tent to handle any show. But, with
the small amount of men employed 1t
was impossible to strike and set in any
quick order, and the insufficient lights
made the change in the second act
what it should not be- but it was
through no fault of you or your assist
ants. If had a theater tomorrow,
would want no better man than your
self, M. Curtin and your fellow work
men, with me A man who caters to
the public is, in my estimation, cutting
his own throat when he antagonizes
organized labor
1t will be remembered that Manager
Wiltons reason for discharging the
men was. primarily, that they had re-
ION Land and Sea- and that they
were not working for the best interests
of the house.
Tt is expected that the report of the
executive committee will be made to-
daV