The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-09
LOVED BLANCHE WALSH
MELBOURNE M'DowELL SAYS
 SHE BROKE HIS HEART.
Claims That She Deserted Him and to Drown His Sorrows He Drank to Excess-Married
 While Drunk.

Melbourne Mcdowell, the tragedian who appeared in La Tosca' at the Au- ditorium, went to Kansas City, Kas, and signed & deposition in which sensational charges are made against Clarence M Brune, his former manager. says spe- cial dispatch to The Chicago Chronicle. The most sensational is that he was drugged and while in that condition was induced to sign away for $500 the rights of Sardou's plays and tricked into mar riage with Wilhelmina Strauss of Balti- more.
 The actor also ayers in the deposition that Blanche Walsh, with whom he star red after the death of his wife. Fanny Davenport, broke his heart when she left his company, which resulted in his drinking to excess, the habit causing all of his subsequent trouble. The deposi- ton was taken for use in suit filed sev- eral weeks ago in the Ramsey County District Court of Minnesota against Clar-
 In his. deposition Mir. Mcdowell charge sthat Brune, who, besides being the former business manager of MacDow- els company also played prominent other pieces, succeeded in getting him to sign bill of sale and release of i've of Sardou's plays, together with transfer of the executorship of the estate of the late T amy davenport MacDOWell.
 He was induced to do this, he avers because Brune represented to him that he was able to secure the return of Blanche Walsh to the Mcdowell Com pany and that he told Mcdowell that it would be necessary to sign certain pa sition Mcdowell states that he was broken down in health, caused by exces- sive drink and that while he was under the influence of liquor Brune secured his ufer ftYHa e, 4f.n a..A his claim as Fanny Davenports executor to the Sardou plays
 The most sensational part of the Mac Dowell deposition is that wherein he speaks of his last marriage. He says that he was put on board a steamer at New York. taken to Boston and from there to Newport News and was there married to Miss wilhelmina Strauss of Baltimore. He ayers that he has only a slight recollection of the affair and that he was drunk and broken-hearted" at the time
 Miss Walsh, to whom was engaged to be married'' he said, left me in New York at the end of last season a broken drank hard and necessarily and 1t was while in this wrecked physical condition that l met this Baltimore woman to whom I was married"
 Mcdowell further stated in his depO- Sitfon that he first met Brune in Minne- apolis, Minn., and later in Chicago; that Brune represented to him that he was man of means and an actor. He further alleged that Brune after they became associated together tried to be the whole thing" by billing himself in important parts while Mcdowell, the real star of the show, was all but relegated to the background. Mcdowell before becoming an actor was a sailor. He accounts for his ignorance of the forms of law and legal papers by saying that he never had occasion during his seafaring days to transact business and that he signed all papers presented to him by his man ager, MT. Brune, whom he trusted as friend.
 T have nothing to say about this af- fair" said MT, Mcdowell. after he had signed the deposition. My attorney, Thomas R. Hart of New York, has en- tire charge of the case. He is my neph- CIV. good lawyer and a man whom know to be my friend. I value the plays, the right of which I have signed over to MT. Brune. at about $25,000 although this suit will involve much more money be- fore it is settled"