The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16

night performance. This assumption
proves to have been correct, M. Richie
pin, who has returned to Paris, hav-
ing sent Mrs. Brown Potter q letter
expressing his appreciation of the
manner i'll which "Du Barry is pre-
sented and acted by her. i am still,
so his letter runs. under the charm
OF your original creation which is at
once both spiritual and impassioned,
and of your attitudes, sometimes
mutinous, sometimes tragic, and al
ways imprinted with rare beauty, a
noble pride and an exquisite grace.
Your Du Barry appears to me one of
the most splendid figures 1 have seen
during my dramatic career"
AWARDED DAMAGES.
If it were not stated candidly that
the new piece about to be produced
by George Edwardes at the London
Daly's is an adaptation from French
opera by Messenger, playgoers here
would be likely to entertain uncharit-
able suspicious concerning its possible
genesis. The last two attractions at
this theater We're "A Country Girl
and The Cingalee." When the run
of the first was about half over Il play
wright named Augustus Moore ac-
| cused Edwardes of having cribbed
! several of the best ideas in 1t from
scenario which Moore had submitted
! to him, but which the manager had
rejected. The dramatist sued Ed
wardes and SO far proved his case
that he was awarded $500 damages.
Later Edwardes produced The Cinga-
| lee," which ran nearly a year. And
now, after one of the most sensational
theatrical trials ever held in London.
a special jury has ordered Edwardes
| to pay $4,000 to a writer named
Fraser on the ground that 'The Cinga-
lee' is practically a copy Of piece
called "The Hanjiahn," which Fraser
| originally submitted to Edwardes, and
which the manager declined to pro-
| duce. The evidence proved so con-
! elusive that little comment upon 1t Is
called for.
| When Captain Fraser, who is an Eng
lish officer stationed in India. first sub
rnitted his manuscript of THE Han
| jiahn" to Edwardes the latter imme-
| diately opened negotiations with him
regarding its production, but these were
! broken off because Fraser declined to
Edwardes-J. L. Tanner, author of
4 "The Messenger Boy and THE
/ Orchid'-and Fraser's manuscript was
sent back to him. When The Cingalee"
was produced the book" was credited
! to Tanner. who is regular member Of
/ Edwardes' staff. But between this play
/ of Ceylon and the play of India, which
he had offered to Edwardes, Captain
| Fraser discovered such unmistakable
singularities that he lost no time in
bringing the suit which has just been
concluded. 1t Is remarkable that Ed
wardes ever allowed it to go to trial.
The Cingalee'' has been produced IN
| the United States and its main theme
probably will be remembered.
=! In Captain Fraser's play the heroine
was 10 make her entrance through a
| tangle of irises, which grow wild In In
/ dia- In THE Cingaiee'' the heroine,
! Nanoya, Is first seen looking through
tangle Of irises. But these flowers do
not grow In Ceyloni Edwardes specific
ally denied having passed on Captain
F'raser's scenario to Tanner to be used
as he saw At, and Tanner as vigorously
denied having utilized the military
mans ideas. If. however. the whole
thing was an accident the verdict for
Captain Fraser of $4,000 is likely to
prevent the occurrence of such mis-
takes in the future SO far as the man
agement of Days Is concerned.