Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-31
HE RESENTS EPITHET OF
LIMITATION ENGLISHMAN''
RICHARD HARDING DAVIS n
THEATER BRAWL
Strikes Manager, Who Counters to the
Face, Cutting the Authors Lip
with His Diamond
Ring

NEW YORK, Aug. 30.-Richsrd Harding
Davis, the writer, went a few night ago
to witness a presentation of his comedy,
1.-THE Yankee Tourist" at the Casino at
Asbury Park. Mr.. Davis occupied a box
with a party of friends, and presently
thought he had reason to complain to
Walter Rosenberg, acting manager OF the
Casino. The latter requested Mr.. Davis
to step outside the theater and talk 1t
over
On the board walk the pair got into a
dispute, clinched and before they broke
away several light blows were struck
Neither combatant was fioored. In fact,
the bout was so tame that the policeman
stationed at the entrance of the Casino
did not think it worth while to interfere,
so there were no arrests The fuss over,
Mr.. Davis gathered together his ruffled
dignity. rearranged his somewhat mussed
clothing, scowled long and savagely at
his foe, and returned to his friends in
side the playhouse. Rosenberg. less dis
comffted than the other, warrior, reduced
his temperature by quaffing a glass of
root beer at nearby booth on the board
walk.
Fault of the Diamond
That is the Asbury Park version of the
story. Mr.. Davis himself was quite will
ing to tell a reporter yesterday his YER
sion of what happened. He bore one
slight mark of the encounter, cut on the
upner lin. which he attributed to meet
ing the diamond ring worn by his OPP
ponent.
According to Mr.. Davis, he and his
friends, among whom was F. F. CONFER
occupied one box in the theater, and an
other had been engaged by him for friends
who were late in arriving Just before
the curtain rose other persons entered
the vacant box and began to make them
selves at home Mr.. Davis demonstrated,
but they insisted that they were in pos
session and refused to go, so he sought
Mr.. Rosenberg
.I went to the box office, where Mr..
Rosenberg was standing" said Mr. Davis.
eat his first words, which were anything
but complimentary, / naturally bristled
nm asked him what he meant by speak
ing in that manner. His retort was more
than I could stand. / have my own IDEAS
of the ethics of names called by another.
and I must say that / resented the one
that he used in speaking to me-"
"What name did he call your asked
the reporter.
Mr.. Dayis-it was in the grill room at
the Waldorf that the interview took place
nut down the tea and toast on which
he was making a meal.
Atrocious Epithet
HE called me-" said he. deliberately
IAN imitation Englishman, or something
of that sort. Naturally / did not like
the term, for I hold, like to the lrishman
in Robert Louis Stevenson's story VINO
knocked a man down for calling him
Irish. that. no matter what one may be,
1t is not pleasant to be told so by another
So I hit him."
Mr.. Rosenberg hit back, Mr.. Davis said:
they clinched and struggled until the door
leading on to the board walk was reached,
and then varied assortment OF life
guards vendors of popcorn and summer
visitors managed to drag them apart Ana
Mr.. Davis discovered his cut upper lip.
So far as Mr. Rosenberg's condition is
concerned Mr.. Davis said he had not seen
him since their meeting, but he under
stood that Rosenberg would recover.