The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-27

on trial before Judge Utley. Redmond
sues on behalf of himself and three
others, known as the Cartoon quartet
to recover sos alleged to be due fol
services rendered in speciality work
There was good deal of green
room gait to everything and everybody
in the open space fronting the bar.
Manager Wilton, of the Park Thea
tire, sat sedately in front of the bench
looking for all the world as though he
was about to listen to the first rehear-
sal of a good thing for next season.
Thomas r. Henry, manager of the
Columbia Theatre, Boston, held down
a modest seat at the far end of the real
settee, waiting for a chance to tell al
he knew about theatre programs, ex-
cept those that bore the name of Steve
Brodie.
AL. Harris, who is now presenting
my Friend from india" at Lothrops,
and who once upon a time was the
manager of "On the Bowery," shook
himself up considerably in a mental
way in his struggles with Lawyer Sui
Ivan over the question Under what
circumstances and conditions does a
manager become a proprietor or pro-
prietor a manager, and how and
when?" He explained it to Steve's sat
isfaction and his own although the
question IS Sll4l III the oil ~ Ao1 a.
everybody else who listened to it is
concerned.
Charles Barton, the business man
ager, lessee and Pooh-bah of "On the
Bowery,' took the stand and started in
as though he were about to make a
deal for new play and new company
all through. To most all questions on
which he was supposed to be a walking
encyclopedia, he answered Possibly"
Thomas H. Davis, of Davis & keogh,
was in the court room in spirit and in
deed. if not in the flesh. He had sent on
a deposition that his firm was the
owner of ION the Bowery" and as Law
yer woodward read it to the court it
made Brodie grin from ear to ear.
Frank Mallard and William Redmond
were on hand bright and early ready to
do anything to win. Mallard himself
said they were equal to any emergency,
and that even when they were with
Brodie's show they were under con-
tract to assume old mems parts, two
bank burglars, a Jew and a couple of
Irishmen.
1t was a fine theatrical setting to a
farce comedy that would make a for
tune for any playwright who could
place it properly on the boards. And
over all, browning all, here, there and
everywhere, was Steve, the indomitable
and irrepressible Steve Brodie the man
whose Bowery saloon is known from
Manila to Millbury, the man who
dropped from the Brooklyn bridge into
the East river and lived to tell of it,
the man who conducted Darlington
Booth through the slums of New York
and then faced a court of justice in be-
half of that famous salvationist, the
man who has fed 10000 newsboys and
saws he is willing to feed as many
thousand more.
oh, If that scene, in all its exactitude,
even to the detail of Judge Utley's
smile as Steve cried Il object" could
only be brought out in the metropolis
You might close your bowery saloon
then, Brodie. and boom a theatre all
your own.
Frank Willard said that the Cartoon
four had been engaged by Barton. At
the time Barton said Brodie was the
proprietor of the show. After the sea-
son opened, Brodie said one day: I've
sunk $1,000 in this show, but might as
we'll have spent the money that way as
on my rheumatism or in gambling. "
one day, on the way from Buffalo to
New York. Redmund remarked that he
was feeling bad. Brodie replied:
THAT'S all right. II any one is sick in
nv company his salary goes right on.
/ suppose you know, boys, that I'm your
boss" On another occasion. Willard
said. Brodie made the remark that
Anything that Charlie Barton does is
all right; he's my manager"
The prosecution brought out these