The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-19
ROW BREAKS UP GoRDoN-sHAY
OPERA COMPANY.
EYES O9APED IN MOURNING
Result of Meeting Between Owner
and Manager Makes Work
for Doctor.

From grand opera to melodrama
is quite a change and mi that it is
natural to believe would tax the pow
ers of versatility of the actors, but
according to copies of Montreal news
papers that have been received the
GOrdon-Shay combination OF singers
that was here a few months ago made
the change in quick time and SO far
as some OF the members were con
cerned with considerable success. FL
nancial troubles and alleged dishon-
esty on the part of the manager, J. s..
Gordon. are the causes that led to the
transition.
When the company sang Carmen"
in Billings it was known that it had
had some pretty hard lines, others
than those written by the composers
with whose productions it struggled,
and some racy stories preceded it's
arrival. The elimination of its career
OF doubtful singing and financial UNI
certainties is told in the following,
taken from a Montreal paper:
The members OF the company are
reported to be in dire straits, living
at cheap boarding houses while await
ing salaries that some OF them say
may never come. J.. S. Gordon and
Judge Shay are the managing owners
OF the. concern and, as a result of the
closing of the tour and several other
interesting circumstances, show signs
of deep distress. Mr.. Gordon is go
der his eye, and Judge Shay is said
to show marks of teeth or his arm.
Rose Cecilia Shay is Cor was) prima
donna OF the company. This was her
second starring tour. She is the daugh-
ter Of Judge Shay, a Cincinnati police
court lawyer, who arrived here the
other evening in response, it is said,
to a telegram from his daughter. Shay
says he found Gordon's accounts short,
and both decided to have a confer
ence. A room was chosen, and, in
stead of a conference, a verbal bat
tie, and later a physical encounter
occurred. The advance agent and the
tenor OF the company, Joseph Fred
erick, were also present. Gordon's
right y shows EMBARRASSING marks,
and his head is cut. Shay's left eye
is blue, and he says he had six stitches
taken in his left arm, where Gordon,
he alleges, bit him
Gordon says Frederick hit him with
brass knuckles, and there is a general
hurting of accusations on all sides.
Gordon says mis- accounts are all right.
Shay says he is a liar. Most OF the
company speak very we'll of Gordon,
saying he is a good fellow.
In the meantime the company is
wondering where it comes in. Gordon
and Shay both declare they are doing
all they can to return the stranded
members to their homes. The seem
cry and costumes have been attached.
Shay's Version.
Following the foregoing was the
subjoined statement OF the trouble by
Mr.. Shay:
"The company started out Septem-
Der Is last, and was to end, and did
end, its season in Montreal. l arrived
Saturday night and demanded an ex-
animation OF Gordon's accounts. In
a short time l. discovered many hun
dred dollars not accounted for. An
explanation was asked for, but Gordon
concluded the best answer would be
a fight, since, according to his own
statements, 1t was manifest he was
short in his cash. However, after a
mix-up, Mr.. Gordon began to realize
he was also short in his training for
a fight, and, with the instincts OF an
animal, commenced to bite, but in a
few moments changed his tactics and
begged for mercy.
Although l was very angry at the
time, I could not strike him again.
To show his sincerity in his appeal
for mercy he has ever since given
genuine evidence by having his eyes
in deep mourning. AS yet he has been
unable to explain his shortage"