New-York tribune., 1902-12-03
RFLASCO FIGHTS THE TRUST.
MEANING OF HIS ACTION AGAINST 1hE
AUTHOR OF THE WooING OF
WTSTARIA."

Oi+te,hoefer counsel for David
Fsslssco Yesterday obtained order from Justice
Fitzgerald in the Supreme Court for the arrest OF
.sr,7oto wetanna~ otherwise Mrs. Burton BAD
roct -be author Of japanese stories. In q sun TOT
1Jhel Instituted against her by Mr. Belasco TO re-
cover $4,000 damages. The order for the au'hor
arrest was placed in the hands OF TWO oePutS
sheriffs hail being fixed at $50 Last hish' 'iie
author had not been found
Miss Onoto watanna announced few days ago
that she intended apply for an injunction re-
.trainfns Belasco and John Luther Long from pro-
ducins their play. The Darling OF the Gods- be-
cause il contained an outlaw prince and a giant
ana three similar characters which appear In one
of her stories. "A japanese Nightingale the risn's
or which she has sold TO klaw & Erlanser- She
charged Mr. Belasco with having maoe use OF tiei
Ia7snese plav which she had submitted TO MINI
and evolved the play to he brought out oy MIN anu
Long
Mr. Belasco's motives in asking for the oroer ol
arrest are something more. however tnah uis oe
SIRE to recover damages II was felt on bro1o"es
last night that matters had come TO an open rup-
-,,rs be,ueen Mr. Belasco and the firm of kla"
& Erlanger one Of the most powerful nnernOeIs
Of the so-caned Theatrical Syndicate and thet MI
Belasco desired force the fight BAD piood mas
existed for some time between these managers
TO The Tribune last night Mr., Belasco made the
following statement concerning his position
Nv purpose in causing the arrest OF MIS- Bah
cock iOnota Watannal is 70 stop once ana Lor an
fecte9 whenever 1 dare present new play That
nv aro5u
Tn1nage am perfectly aware. but through MIS-
IA bcecE who will now have 10 give an account
oT her claims against in court hope to reach
Tegritr as a manager and a man. have never
mai Hrs Babcock in my life, nor have / read
.i+he- of her books. OF Of which
Klaw & Erlanger have announced that they nave
nlrchasAd the dramatic rights, The first heard
nT Mrs RaDcock about two months ago, AT
y hich time nv play had neither bAen put in re
hearsal nor read any who could possibly
have Of its plots. characters or incidents
Al that time she informed prominent morning
ware v.r- anxious have her bring suit against
me for plagiarism. l laughed at the whole matter
for knowing that The Darling of the Gods was
entirely original with Mr.. John Luther Long and
rnvself ] could not conceive OF any person being
foolish enough make such charge But it
was the last shot my enemies locker. From the
daT started work this production l have been
hareSsAd in every direction almost as anX-
ieus 10 get this case into court and settled once
for all as ] to have the ''Du Barry contro-
versv clinched. All 7 claim is the right of any
This whole affair from start to finish is a
spiracy TO throw nasty slur on my name as a
playwright and manager the eve Of new
production, in which | have Invested great deal
of money. and with the courts to help l in
tend unr1ask few of the real culprits Further
more. find that Mrs. Babcock's story. The
Wootng of W'istaria'' was not published until last
September. Our play was finished early In June
BY causing the arrest of this woman I hope, in
dent whereby other playNrgtts. when they happen
70 be successful, may be able to take drastic
protect themselves against similar peTse-
cufions