The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-08
HER GOWNS DIDN'T COME
REASON "TELEPHoNE GIRL" COULD
NOT APPEAR LAST NIGHT.
Bad Men in Chicago Were RESPONSE
ble-A Disappointed Audience
Will Play To-Day.

pear at English's Theater last night and
several hundred people who came down to
see the show were in consequence greatly
disappointed Had the Telephone Girl"
appeared it would have been in scant raj
ment, for she was without her wardrobe
and scenic effects. Two Chicago constables
armed with writ of attachment which
covered a large part of the company's
property were responsible for the "Tele-
phone Girls" failure to appear. Two per-
formances will be given, however, accord
ing to the original arrangement with the
management of the theater There will be
matinee this afternoon and performance
tonight.
The fifty members of the Telephone Girl"
company arrived in the city from Chicago
Sunday afternoon, but they did not bring
the elaborate and costly scenery and cos
TUNES used in the production, with them.
1t was expected that the effects would fol-
low and until late yesterday evening it
was thought the performance would go off
last night as advertised. Saturday night the
company closed two weeks run at the
Columbia Theater. Chicago, and Lederer &
Mcclellan, proprietors of the production
had arranged to bring the company here
Sunday evening in order to have plenty of
time in getting ready for the two nights
performance at English's. There was no an
tfcipation, when the Columbia Theater en-
gagement closed, that the constabulary
would interfere with the Indianapolis en-
gagement
1t appears that the ghost of one of George
w. Lederer's old alleged debts arose to
confront him and cause no end of confusion
in the plans of the Telephone Girl" The
story which comes from Chicago is to the
effect that two men who were employed by
Lederer years ago, before the Telephone
Girl was thought of, procured a writ of
attachment against him on Saturday after
noon. They claimed that Lederer owed
them something like 500 ON account of
services performed under an old contract.
1t is claimed that when the company left
the Columbia Theater Saturday night moth
ing was known Of these attachment pro-
ceedings among the members of the troupe.
Early Sunday morning the people were
aroused, and CONSERVATION prevailed when
it was learned that every stitch of scenery
used in the production had been carried
away from the theater during the night,
together with many of the costumes. Later
in the morning Lederers people were in
formed that the property was in the hands
of the law. Then there was great hurrying
here and there in an effort to locate the
STUFF. BY noon the effects had been traced
TO the loft of a livery stable on the West
Side. 1t had been hauled there the night
before by the conStables who had attached
II, and had recklessly pitched it into the
haymoW. Some Of the scenery used in the
play is very valuable, and 1t is estimated
that at least $4,000 worth of scenic effects
w was earted on by G the c ems to sat
noon the manager for Lederer & Mcclellan
round an attorney, who succeeded in pro-
curing writs of repleVin for the scenery.
and 1t was expected that the property could
be easily recovered in this way. The COM
pany then boarded the train for Indianapo-
lis, confident that the property would follow
on one of the night trains. But the con-
stabulary was obdurate. and refused to rec
ognize the writs of repleVin issued on Sun
day. The officers who tried to serve these
writs Sunday afternoon were met by the
constables. who were in possession of the
property, and these men were backed up by
crowd Of their West-side friends, who APP
peared to be spelling for fight. 1t was
and serve the Wrs then sunday sunday night the
Lederer people arranged with the Pennsyl-
vania Railway Company to furnish spe-
to Indianapolis in the event that it was not
recovered until too late to load 1t on the
regular trains
THE DETECTIVES FOILED.
AS a precautionary measure the owners of
the property employed two Pinkerton de-
tectives Sunday afternoon to watch the sta
bic where the stuff was stored, and pre-
from there. These men were instructed to
keep watch until the writs could be served
Monday morning. Sure enough, there was
an attempt to remove the scenery during
Sunday night, and it was successful The
detectives undertook to take a hand in the
business and were set upon and assaulted
One of the detectives was badly beaten and
able to make much of fight alone Yes
terday morning, when the officers went to
serve their writ. and take possession of the
property, they found the stable loft devoid
OF anything that looked like scenic effects.
The ,constabes had made a clever move,
and had hauled the scenery away from the
stable in separate lots. After an investiga-
ton of an hour or more the theatrical peo-
pie came. to the conclusion that the scenic
scattered all ever the city of Chicago
Manager Gavin and his business associ-
ates at English's waited anxiously yester-
day for some news of the~belated property.
There was constap' -49nand for tickets
at the box office all day. and at o'clock
the house had been nearly sold out AS the
heard from Chicago Manager Gavin began
to border on nervous prostraton. Louis
Telephone Girl" production with Clara Lip
man, walked up and down the lobby of the
theater, making vicious pulls at his mus
tache Every messenger boy who passed
the theater was hailed. Finally a lad CARRIED
in gray suit adorned with brass buttons
walked briskly into the lobby. -Four men
sprang at him at once, and the lad tried to
beat retreat. But he was dragged into
the office, and. with nervous fingers, he
fished yellow envelope out of his pocket.
1t was message from Chicago, and the
hearts of the theater people sank when they
read 1t. The message stated that the
scenery had been recovered too late to get
here in time for last nights performance,
but would be started from Chicago at 6
o'clock yesterday evening. The message was
received too late to advertise about the city
the fact that no performance would be
given, and the only thing to do was to notify
the people as they came to the theater last
night.
THE DISAPPOINTED CROWD.
By'a quarter to s o'clock the lobby was
full OF people and disappointment was writ
ten on many faces. The blow fell heaviest
perhaps on a bevy of pretty girls from the
telephone exchange, who went to the theater
early in order to get the best seats avail
able There was a dozen or more in the
crowd and they walked into the lobby in the
gayest of spirits.
That's downright shame"
Isn't 1t too bad"
Il just think that's too mean for any
thing
Let's go to the Grand, girls" and
dozen other ejaculation of chagrin and dis
appointment came from the group they
stood about the box office and heard the
| disheartening news. But they trooped out
of the lobby and became glad again before
they had gone a square. Many theater par
and there was much inconvenience and con-
fusion. Women in the daintiest of theater
| costumes came in their carriages, which
| they dismissed as soon as they alighted.