The San Francisco call., 1905-04-18
THRIFT OF THE THEATRICAL big SIX"
REVEALED BY MRS. LESLIE CARTER
ACTRESS APPEARS AS WITNESS
Corroborates es-
tlmony Of David
Belasco.

I Soi ICis tiIC dClISSS, WAS d Witness TO-
day in the case of David Belasco, the
playwright, against Klaw & Erlanger.
Mrs. Carter was called by Samuel I'm
termeyer, counsel for Belasco, to testify
regarding meeting between Belasco
! and Nixon & Zimmerman, theatrical
managers of Philadelphia, at which
! she was present. Belasco had testified
regarding this meeting when he was on
the stand last week soon after the
opening of the trial of the suit, in which
he seeks to prove that Klaw & Err
LANCER were his partners in the produc-
ton of The Auctioneer" with David
Warfield. Mrs. Carter's testimony to-
day corroborated that of Belasco re-
garding the Philadelphia meeting.
Mr.. Belasco told Mr. Nixon" said
MRS. Carter, that he had been obliged
to give Erlanger so per cent of War
fields profits. Why said Mr. Nixon, L
did not know that And then Mr.. Nix
on said that his time would come, when
ne (Nixon) could bring Erlanger to
terms for double-dealing.'
Abraham Gruber, counsel for Klaw
& Erlanger, objected, but was over
ruled.
NIXON USES PROFANE WORD.
Did you know Mr. Brooks at that
| t1me?" asked Untermeyer.
Yes, but his name was not men
toned. Mr.. Nixon said he wanted Mr..
Belasco to keep away from the theater.
for he wanted to get 'Zaza' opened and
tney were trying to serve papers on
him."
Did he use profane word?'
Yes replied Mrs. Carter. Mr.. Nix
rnrr1I l,<,sr 4
a second and smiled-'hell to pay"
Have you ever talked to anybody
about this case?''
Il certainly have. 1t has been on my
mind for year and / have talked to
everybody about it.
What did you tell Mr. vidaver Of
counseI?"
Z told him what 1 knew, and that is
what am going to testify to-
What did you say you were going to
testify
Just as have told you"
Won't you please tell 1t again ?"
asked Mr.. Gruber- Il love to hear you
talk
Thank you," said Mrs. Carter. .ft
is so kind of you. / told Mr.. vidaver
that they were trying to do Mr.. Belasco
out of all his money and of how they
tried to get 'Zaza' away from him.
No, ] mean what you told him YOU
were going to testify as to the Nixon
interview
Il am trying to tell YOU" said Mrs.
Carter. Il told Mr.. Vidaver just what
I have told you.
''Mr. Nixon said they (KIaw & Err
langer) had tried to jump Belasco
from one part of the globe to another;
that they were trying to make him
spend his money; that they were
afraid of him with money, and were
afraid of him anyway. Nixon said he
had none of the money and he was
going to call Klaw & Erlanger to ac-
count for their actions
You are friendly to Mr.. Belasco, are
you not?''
Not only friendly" replied Mrs.
Carter, but thankful-grateful from
the bottom of my heart
KLAW TAKES THE STAND.
Marc Klaw, member of the firm of
klaw & Erlanger, was a witness at
to-day's session of the court. Klaw
produced some check stubs at the re-
questaof Untermeyer, but several which
were wanted in connection with the
case were missing. The witness prom
ised to produce them. Untermeyer de-
clared that subpenas served on Klaw
& Erlanger have been repeatedly dis
obeyed by them.
I'VE are. going to get at the bottom
of these books, and we will show you
how they are kept before we get
through he said
Klaw said his firm cleared $4,000 on
THE Auctioneer" and also received its
share of the profits from the theaters
where the play was produced. His
firm, however, never was a partner in
THE Auctioneer,' he declared, except
through Joseph Brooks, and IL was
from Brooks that Klaw. & Erlanger re-
ceived the $4,000.
You paid Franklin Bein a check
when you were trying to stop Belasco
from producing The Music Master ?"
asked Untermeyer.
IF we did, we paid 1t for Brooks" )"
the witness replied.
Hermann p Aaron, bookkeeper for
Klaw & Erlanger for seven years. said
there was no account in certain
ledger which was produced except with
Klaw g. Erlanger. One page was writ
ten David Warfield Company" The
bookkeeper testified that all the ex-
penses of THE Auctioneer'' were
charged to the expense account of
Klaw & Erlanger.
When Untermeyer called for Robert
Walker. confidential manager for AL
Hayman. Walker did not respond, and
the attorney handed up a subpoena and
body attachment.
David Belasco, the. plaintiff, then was
recalled to the standSto rebut some tes-
timony given by some of Klaw & Err
langer's witnesses earlier in the trial.
He denied that he ever told Joseph
Brooks that he was much gratified at
the success of THE Auctioneer'' or
that he ever thanked Abraham Erlang-
er for having got Brooks as a partner
for him.
What was the theatrical situation in
1900 and 1901 as to getting a route ?''
asked Untermeyer.
II could not get route without the
assistance of Klaw & Erlanger. / could
have got one or two night stands, with
long jumps could not get the assist
ance of Klaw & Erlanger without Civ
ing 80 per cent of the profits AS said
before, am bottled up In New York"
Untermeyer then informed the court
that, with the exception of Walkers
testimony, his case was finished He