The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-06
WAR IN The WINGS
UNA CLAYToN'S HUSBAND AND HIS
Ex-PARTNER IN A KNOCKOUT.
THE POLICE CALLED IN.
BUSINESS DIFFERENCES THE CAsUs
BELLI.

Morey Furnished the Experience.
Trouble Began in AtIanfa-COmpn-
ny Was Booked for Atlanta and
AshviIle at Same Time-Ashville
Man Attached Receipts for Dam
ages-Simpkins Went TO Whining
ton and Morey Sold ont to Miss
CIayton-SimpL<ins Hurried to Sn-
vannah and Assaulted MOrey on
StnGe mt Theater Before Matinee
PerfOrmance-Snvan Receipts
Attached, but Miss Clayton Says
Company Is Her Property.
Many times has Francis Morey been
knocked down and thrown around a stage,
while playing the mimic villain,
but the assault made upon him
on the stage of the Savannah Theater.
before the matinee yesterday, was not
of that sort, and a. B. Simpkins, his
former business partner, will answer a
genuine charge of assault before Record
er Myrick, in Police Court, this morning.
Norey is manager and leading man In
the Una Clayton Company and is the
husband of Miss Clayton. Simpldns was
Morey's business partner, and al the open
ing of the season was the angel of the
combinaton-that is, he furnished the
money and Morey furnished the brains;
or. more properly speaking, the expert
ence. Shortly after l o'clock yesterday
Simpkins struck Morey. and, ii is said,
cursed him. The actor jumped in a cab
and reported the affair at police head
quarters, with the request that his as
sailant be placed under arrest. Patrolman
Broom was instructed to arrest Simpkins,
who was walked to headquarters, where
he furnished bail for his appearance in
Police Court this morning. So much OF
the story is undisputed, and the remand
er can be best told by each mans story
Morev is wei known in Savannah as
an actor He and Miss Clayton were here
last season with the Woodward Warren
Company and it was during that engage
ment that a partnership with Simpktns
was agreed upon. Morev says that Simp-
kins was to furnish all of the money,
while he was to put his experience into
the firms stock in hand. He says that
meters were progressing nicely when
Simpkins decided that he would make
good manager and insisted upon taking
charge of that end of the business. He
got the company in a hole by signing
contracts to play in Asheville and Attain
ia al the same time.
The company opened in Savannah on
Aug. 20, but the trouble did not begin un-
til last month. The Asheville man put in
an appearance in Atlanta and attached
the box office receipts, claiming that he
had been damaged $500 by the failure Of
ahe company to appear at his opera
house. Morey says that at that time
Simpkins wanted To start out the Cres-
cent Stock Company and placed a man
in the box Office at the Deceive House to
beat the attachment Simpkins agreed,
Morey claims. to turn over the Atlanta
receipts to him, but instead he pocketed
the money and went to Wilmington. N
c., leaving a representative named Hew-
lett behind.
when Simpkins did that he broke his
controct with me-" said Morey. land Miss
Clayton announced that the company
could no longer use her name. All the
paper was for the Una Clayton Company,
and we were at standsttn. l consulted
two attorneys in Atlanta, and was adj
vised that l could sell out, even in the
absence of Simpkins, to Miss Clayton,
and I did so. Miss Clayton engaged me
as her manager and representative, and
we continued on the road / notified Simp-
l1ins' representative what / had done and
turned up in Savannah pretty hot in the
collar and announced that If he could not
get justice in a legal way he would 9TH
erwise. I called at police headquarters
and explained the situation to the chief,
but later decided to let the matter drop
until Simpkins undertook to put his threat
into execution. ] was placing some scene
ry in the cellar at the theater and pre-
pairing the stage for the matinee perform
ance when Simpkins came In. He APP
peared to be pretty hot, and using a vile
and ungentlemanly phrase struck me on
the side Of the face. Then it was that l
had him placed in custody"
Mr.. Simpkns, who is a native of Flori-
da, and quite well-known in Savannah,
where he has relatives, tells an altogeth-
ed different story. He admits that he put
mp his money against experience" and
says that the experiment. has
cost him in the neighborhood of 81 500 in
hard cash. He says 1t is true that he
booked the company for Asheville and At
lanta, at the same time, but that he gave
the customary two weeks notice of his
cancellation of the Asheville engagement
He denies that he pocketed the money
collected in Atlanta, and declares that il
was used to pay the salaries of members
of the company.
MIR. Morey agreed to allow me to 60
QUE with the Crescent Stock ComDanv
Clayton troupe" said Mr. Simpkins to a
representative of the Morning News. 81
went to Wilmington, and some time later
received telegram from my man, Hew-
lett, to the effect that Morey had sold the
company to Miss Clayton. hurried to
Savannah, but could get no satisfaction
from my partner, although he had been
very pleasant when l left him
in Atlanta. l did not care "a
cause any trouble and gain any
notOriety and only desired an AMIGA
BILE settlement. Yesterday Morev's prom
erty man told me that Morey was prep1r-
ing to hide away some scenery that I
had paid for. and / started for the thea
ter. / saw him putting the scenery away
and being mad, struck him. do not
remember just what l said, because OF
my anger. / have already lost a good
deal Of money, and am losing more nv
remaining in Savannah, but / want to bc
treated fairly. My money paid for the
scenery, and II is my property"
Simpkins had alta HIM nts issued against
the box receipts for S13s, claiming that
he is acting for three performers who
left the company In Atlanta. These peo-
pie are now with the Crescent COMPANY
and Simpkins says that he feels that he
is responsible to them for the amounts
due because he was a partner when the
services were rendered The serving al
Il.