The San Francisco call., 1909-02-21
TOM WILLIAMS SUIT
UNLIKELY WINNER
Frank Pefley May Have Coin
Sailed Away, but He Can
Not Be Located
Former Manager OF Alice Mel
sen Has Left Denver and
Abandoned Business

Astonishment is expressed locally
and in New York by those who know
that Tom williams. the racetrackman.
should have started such an unlikely
winner as a suit against Frank Perley.
who was his associate in the angel days
when Williams was supposed to have put
Alice Nielsen on the stage Periey is
not now in New York and he has quit
the theatrical business. The general
impression is that Williams viii never
recover the $4,000 for which he has
saed Perley on an account which was
started in December. 1900.
While it is conceded that PerIey is
now making no show of ready money.
some people are inclined TO the belief
that he has a good deal of coin ~salted"
away in safe place. Among those
who hold that view are associates of
Alice Nielsen. Miss Nielsen, who is in
New York. will not discuss the matter
Henry Ach was in New York few
weeks ago. according TO a dispatch re-
ceived last evening from The Calls
New York correspondent. and while
there stopped at the Knickerbocker
hotel on the quest of Perley. NAch is
attorney for Williams and it was he
who filed the suit in this city Friday
Ach wanted to serve papers on Perley.
PERLEY LEAVES DENVER
According to word received in New
York yesterday PeTley is now with the
Babcock electric carriage company
with headquarters in Denver. but Den
yer advices received later said that the
man had given up his business in that
city and left the place.
Nat Roty, who formerly was man
aser OF the San Carlin opera company
with which Alice Nielsen sang a few
years ago. met Perley at the Auditor
ium hotel. Chicago a few months since.
he said in New York YESTERDAY Perley
told Roty that he was out of the the
atrieal business for good
In theatrical circles of New York *
is agreed that Williams was Alice Mel
sens angel while she was starrinS
in The Fortune Teller in 1900 and
lost great deal Of money. The opera
ran in Chicago at the, 1'Owers and Stu
debaker theaters and later in New
York at the Casino. Eventually it
came west and Miss Nielsen sang at the
Columbia theater in Powell street
MANAGERS METHODS SCORED
When in New York Williams and
Miss Nielsen were seen frequently to-
sether at prominent restaurants.
AT that time Perley was manager for
Miss Nielsen. Miss Nielsen mad enough
of Perley before they severed business
relations. it is said. ana both she and
Williams had no hesitancy IN denoUnc-
ing the manager and his methods.
After her tour under Perley Miss
Nielsen sang under the mana cement Of
the Shuberts in Don PasqualeT at the
New York casino.
At the present time the former
/ TivoH favorite is engaged in concert
work Recently in New York she sang
at social function gwen by Mrs j. s.
Haggin and at the present time she is
touring the south Under the auspices
of the Joseph Jefferson memorial fund
she will sing at Palm Best1 Florida.
February %. and two days later will
appear at JacksOnviITe. Next October
she will return to the Operatic stage
with the Boston opera company in a
new theater now being built in Boston.
SINGERS SECRETARY TALKS
Miss Nielsen's present address is the
Hotel Willard. 254 West Seventy sixth
street, New York. She declined to be
seen yesterday when The Call corre-
spOndent asked for her
Her secretary and best friend said
Miss Nielsen mad not had any cOmmu-
nication with Perley for seven or eight
years. "She was only a young un-
sophisticated thing when she was under
his management, added the secretary
!tOnHucn-ldAASs anu size NHtW nOlnln&
OF the business end or the arrange
ment."
"Perley is said to be penniIess now
suggested the correspondent.
Il don't see why he should be-" re-
piled the secretary with cynical
laugh. He made enough money man
aging Miss Nielsen"
rs it true that PerIey owns a home
on Long island?' was asked.
No; 7 believe it is at Larchmont. n.
Y. but 1 guess Perley is shrewd enough
not to have it in his OwE name.~
An effort was made last evening to
see Williams at his Pacific street home.
but up to a late hour he had not ap-
peared.