The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1900-01-12
MISS MORRISONS STATEMENT.
ACTRESS TELLS THE JURY OF BAD TREAT
TENT AT THE HANDS OF LEIDEN.


the story Of her wrongs and her wan
derings. She began her story as fol-
lows:
"My name is Julia Morrison James.
My stage name is Julia Morrison.
am in the theatrical profession. l was
born in Kansas, as we'll Rs I know. I
had some foster parents. can't state
exactly how long after was born be-
fore my mother died I do not know
whether my father lived after my real
mothers death. was married before
/ was fourteen years Of age. didn't
know until after my marriage that
they were not my real parents. Their
treatment was most severe. They
would put me up in a corner aud take
my ears and hold them against the
wall and beat my head.
"My husband and myself went from
Lafayette, La, to Paterson, N. ]. I
then clerked a short time in New York.
For q while we boarded on West For
tieth street, then East Fortieth street.
then went with the Mr.. Plaster Of
Paris company.
"After 1 was employed by Harris,
stayed in New York awhile and re-
hearsed-went to rehearsals every day
and worked hard. Leiden was with
the company at that time. Upon the
first few occasions he was very gem
tlemanly. He found no fault what
ever. He told me / was great and ex-
cellent. 1 exhibited to Mr.. Leiden
my costomes which had to wear.
'In Peekskill, New York, the wit
ness continued, 'Leiden came up to my
room. The door was open and 1 was
lying on the bed with my head toward
the door. I supposed it was my hus-
band who came in. The next knew
there was pair of arms around me,
and he made an indecent proposal.
It became necessary for the witness
to tell what Leiden had called her,
and she said, Cant 1 write these
horrible things?" When told she must
use the language, she proceeded.
81 heard Leiden soy to his assistant
not to send out Autograph of myself,
as he expected to get rid OF the
Here the witness used words unfit fol
print.
''He frequently called me bitch.
Here the witness used language unft
to print,
Referring to the incidents before
the tragedy at the Chattanooga opera
house, just previous to the tragedy
she said:
81 arrived at the opera house (
minute or two before II. heard Mr.
Leiden say to somebody, what mus
= I do with her?' He looked so angr!
that I started toward the steps. HI
{, came and shook his fist in my face
He said: 4 didn't call the rehearsal
because the piece needs rehearsing
J but to see if you would come. H
) said, 4 would address you as a lad,
= if / thought you were lady, 20,
| bitch. He said that wasn't fit to b
7 in a dog show. He kicked me In tn
: abdomen and slapped me with hi
hand. He started to slap me again
s but Mr.. Breeding interfered. Fl
l wouldn't let him hit me again. 81
Q asked me why in the hell I didn't sen
/. that damned pimp of mine up, an
s he'd break his neck.
''I made no threat that I remembe
=. of to put ball through Leiden. l a
. ways carried a pistol in my bosom
i My husband gave it to me in LaFay
cite, La L made no statement that
o would see Leiden before the curtai
>. went up that night There is no trut
e in that.
d ''That night I went to the opel
l. house with a maid. Mr.. Breedin
y showed me my dressing room. I ha
g on street costume. The time I Wa
i to appear on the stage in the play wa
:: fifteen or twenty minutes off from tI
y time the curtain went up. My pa
70 did not require me to absolutely dreI
d at all The very dress 1 have ON M
.e Leiden told me looked beautiful
81 and had worn it in the play
.. CATER reaching my dressing roo
t. I took off my hat, opened my grip an
m took out my keys to open my trunk
a. That evening, she stated, Leiden hs
gone to the toilet room where 81
le was, while she was sick, and had O
n fered an indigntty, which she told
E. the court, and which is unfit for Il
m prints.
81 pushed him away and pusht
le him out of the toilet. He slapped n
III violently. A colored girl came aft
at me. The colored girl followed me l
OF the steps. There was no one in fror
:" / found the steps very narrow. I W
to just in the act of stepping up the ste
when Mr.. Leiden leaned over and sa
IS in low voice, What in the hell
in you mean, you ; I'll kill you!
ng lost consciousness here. 1 believed
woe oroinos 70 corru ont his thraats