The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-11
q'YEGOT YOU SNAPS BELASCO
ERLANGER SNEERS At CONSPIR-
ACY INDICTMENT TALK.

Crowd Expected = Managerial ElusginT
Match in COuFt-ManaGeF Nixon Ad'
nits Contract 20 Control 0S Theatres
copies Hard 10 Find-LeEal skating
David Bolasoo and his arch enemy, Abrn-
ham Erlanger, almost came to blows at the
close Of yesterdays session Of the trial
before Supreme Court Justice Fitzgerald OF
tho counter suits between Belasco and
Joseph Brooks over the accounting for
tho profits Of THE Auctioneer.- Belasco
and Brooks were nominally partners In the
production, but Belasco says that Brooks
was merely a dummy for Klaw 4 Erlanger,
who, he has testified only consented to give
him route for the show on his promise to
give them half the profits.
During the afternoon session Samuel
Uptermyer, Belasoo's counsel, ELECTED from
various witnesses the statement that the
Arms composing what II known as the
Theatrical trust namely Klaw & En-
hnger. Al Hayman, Charles Frohman and
Nixon & Zimmerman, had signed a con-
tract which bound them into a syndicate
and by which they control the majority Of
hr,t class theatres in the East.
When Justice Fitzgerald ado urned
court, Belasco, who had been sitting near
bis counsel jumped up. threw his hat and
overcoat on the lawyers table and stepping
toward Erlanger, shook his finger menao-
lngly in the latter's face. Klaw was stand
ing near by.
1--WE got you now where 1 want you
bissed Belasoo chopping his words as pair
Of SCISSORS cuts paper I'm have you in
dicted for criminal conspiracy, and I'll
hnd you in Jail before get through with
YOU This is the evidence that I've been
waiting for for years, and I'll show you up
DOW before the people
His clerical collar almost blushed at his
vigorous gestures and language, and the
iostling bystanders were ready for q free
exhibition of managerial fisticufs, but
Erlanger merely patted his white edged
vest and, linking his arm in Klaw's, went
out sneering.
When Belasoo's friends had hustled him
out OF the court room. he broke away and
dashed frantically hack. The crowd almost
broke down the doors 10 follow him. but
turned disappointed when he was seen
emerging triumphant, hat on head and
oyerooat on his arm. Then the Granger
crowd took the elevator and the Belascoites
the stairs.
During the morning session Benjamin
+. Roeder, Belasco's business manager,
repeated under cross examination his
testimony that Klaw a Granger, by putting
Brooks up as a dummy partner, had double
crossed lthe people across the street,
meaning the rest Of the syndicate, In order
10 let themselves In on Belasco's good
thing, the starring Of Dave Narield.
Samuel +. Nixon, of Nixon a thinner
man. the Philadelphia members Of the
syndicate, was then called by Abe Gruber,
changers counsel. He denied that II
was the custom in the syndicate to charge
big prices and allow rebates to favored
few. Nixon said he wanted to get away
In a hurry, as be had a date at Atlantic
sBetter wait a while, Mr.. Nixon, said
Mr.. Untermyer as he took him in hand
for cross-examination. by the way, isn't
your name Nirdinger, and not Nt1onG
YES admitted the witness, 'Ni1on's
my name for business purpose
Nixon then testified, though reluctantly
and only in response to a searching cross
examination, that in 1896 his firm had been
a party 70 a contract signed by HAyman,
Ii was renewed. Nixon said he had a copy
OF the contract 10 his Philadelphia ONCE,
but the original remained with Hayman.
Mr.. Untenmyer asked Nixon 10 produce
his copy. Nixon said he couldn't just then:
Then the, lawyer demanded the original
sWe haven't got It, replied Abe, and you
know 1t. You can't play with me that
CHATS just it, said Untermyer. Every
time We tried 20 play with you we found
We couldn't. You won't let us play with
you
Granger was next called by Mr.. Inter
myer, but denied having any copy OF
the contract, He didn't believe there was
any. Granger said that anyway II oniy
covered about sixty or siXty-hve theatres,
not all the houses.
Robert Walker, Al Hayman's secretary,
testified that HaymAn had the original OF
the contract In his possession. Hayman,
he said, is now automobiling In France.
That's a pretty safe distance from
here said Mr. Untermyer. Maybe it's
In his safe. Could you blow It open for us
and find out?'
You'll have to do the blowing yourself, >
replied Walker.
Marc Klaw, Changers partner, also
remembered the contract, but had no copy
Of II. He remembered suggesting some
Of it's terms, but was not allowed TO disclose
particulars.
Don't you think you we're skating on
pretty thin ice when you signed that docu-
inent pretty close 10 criminal conspiracy
asked Untermyer.
'Oh. l don't know replied Klaw. 'Tm
q pretty good skater anyway.
Nixon was then recalled and questioned
about the whereabouts Of his copy. OF the
contract He was doubtful whether he
could produce Il OF not to-day, and though
he begged to be allowed to finish his tesu-
mony and go TO Atlantic City, Mr., Inter
Inyer told him TO reappear for examination
this morning.
LET THE CHILD ALONE.