The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-12-10

urday in the Superior court and will be
concluded Monday. Ii was a suit for
S5s7. ~ brought BY young women's or
chessra of Portland against Henry W.
Staples, proprietor of the Old Orchard
house at Old Orchard Beach for breach
OF contract with them and for damages
to professional reputation. Only i've
mem bers of this orchestra bring suit and
their bill against Mr.. Staples Is as fol-
lows:
For ssrvices at the Old Orchard
Houss July ., 10 and IL. y 20 10
For SIX uniforms at $40 IS each. 62.2S
For damages for loss of employ
ment for eight weeKs less three
days, s39e.9s
For damages to professional repu-
tation. 100 %
Total, 1857. 10
This suit Is bassd upon the mu slcal
ability OF the orchestra in question and
the story In brief of the controversy
which led to the bringing of the snit
against MIR. Staples 10 as follows:
Mrs Fannie l. Thompson Of Portland
has been the manager OF the Csrciotto
Ladies' orche stre in Portland for about
"a year and a half. The name of this orga-
nizatioD was later changed to the Zylpha
Ladies' orches tra and Mrs Thompson
wrots several summer hotels last winter
applying for an engagement OF this or
chestra for the season she got letter
from Mr.. Staples of the OLD Orchard
house who asked for an interview with
Mrs Thompson. Mrs. Thompson and
Mrs. Hanson went out TO Ola Orchard
and saw Mr.. Staples and as the result of
this interview Mrs, Thompson engaged
to furnish q ladies' orchestra of ssven
pieces at S62 a week with board and lodg
iug and also to provide uniforms and
give first class music satisfactory to Mr..
staples. After making this agreement,
Mrs. Thompson wrote to Miss Undsrhill
OF Winchester, and Miss Southland of
Cambridgeport, Mass. and engaged them
to play with her orchestra. The other
mem bers besides Mrs. Thompson and the
two young women above mentioned
were Mrs, Lena K. Hanson, Blanche o
Cram, Grace Graves and Lulu Spear. Miss
Cram was the leader of this organization
and Mrs. Thompson the manager and
agent On February first of last year the
orchestra began practiciDg three times
week until two weeks before their en-
gagement at Old Orchard was to COM
mencs, the second week in July, when
they prsoticed every day. They went TO
the Old Orchard House Monday, July
9th, and remained there Monday, Tues
day and Wednesday. On the last day Mr.
taples sent for Mrs. Thompson and told
her that he was unable to keep her or
chestra any longer as the music furnished
by them was unsatisfactory and that
his guests were complaining OF it. MRS
Thompson demanded payment for the
services already rendered, but he refused
to pay her, saying that Mrs. Thomp-
sons orchestra had damaged his house
thousands of dollars worth" MIR. STAPLES
finally consented to provide the young
women with transportation to Portland.
The question In this case seemed to
hinge on whether or not Mrs. Thompson's
orchestra had furnished first class music
to Mr.. Staples and whether or not Mr..
Staples had violated his contract In dis
charging them.
MIR. Robert L. Whitehouse appears rs
counsel for the plaintiffs who are Mrs.
Thompson, Mrs. Hanson, Blanche o.
Cram, Grace Graves and Lulu spear.
The counsel for Mr.. Staples are MIR.
George II. Haley and b. r. Clsaves OF
Biddeford.