Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-19
Especial corres1ondenee.) }

Especial Correspondence
Y ONDON, Feb. 5.-Truth long
known to the more intimate
circle of his acquaintances has
at last come out regarding poor
Addison Bright in lawsuit brought
this week by his executors. For many
years he was an extremely prominent
and curious figure in the theatrical
world Hc was one of Barrie's closest
and dearest friends and he enjoyed
the boundlcss confidence of men Ike
Charles Frohman and Beerbohm Tree.
Large sums passed through his hands
and no one ever seemed to question
his honesty. But after his sudden.
mysterious death, ugly rumors began
to circulate and some of us were
quickly to learn that for such rumors
there was only too solid foundation
in fact Bright used his position as
agent for Barrie, Doyle. Hornung.
Louis Parker. etc, to feather his
nest to the tune OF some $15O,OOO. He
himself left more than this and. as
his wife was a well-to-do woman,
when the truth was discovered she
made haste to offer restitution to the
people who had suffered at her huS'
bands hands. Bright, foreSeelng what
was about to happen, fed to Switzer-
land, and an overdose Of chloral put
a term to his fears and anxietles.
Even upon those who never approV-
ed his methods he exercised most
fascinating influence. He talked with
a charm and with a knowledge or
things difficult to resist. 1 remember
he came to me with Barries play
"The Wedding Guest" two days be-
fore its production and asked leave
to read It AS he recitcd the more
pathetic passages the tears trickled
down his cheeks and his voice trembl-
ed with emotion. Truly an amazing
nature In which good and evil were
apparently equally mixed
Poor Bright's proceedings came to
light one afternoon in New York some
three years ago. A famous writer who
was one OF his clients had as friend
an American newspaper correSFon-
dent in London who was running over
to New York on business. The drama
tIst had become suspicious and asked
the newspaper man to take over the
statements of moneys accounted for
by British from the American rights
of the authors play,and compare them
with the New York managers books.
The newspaper man. who was a good
friend Of Brights. said: II don't be-
lieVe your suspicious are correct. and
for that very reason, / Will gladly un-
dertake to compare the figures and
prove to you that he Is all right"
Imagine the correspondents conster-
nation when on reaching New York
he discovered that accountings for
extra matinee of the piece had been
systematically suppressed. although
the New York manager held the re-
ceipts for theml Later on. sometimes
two performances a week were omit
ted, and finally a whole week disap-
peared. There was nothing for tho
newspaper man to do except cable the
facts to his friend. who communicat-
ed with Barrie and Doyle and the
others. All of them were so fond Of
Bright personally that they did every
thing possible to keep the facts from
getting out
Ii is strange that the story has now
become public property through suit
brought by Bright's own executors over
a comparatively small matter. which
probably could have been compromised
at less expense than the suit cost. al
though they knew full we'll that to
bring this suit would bring out all of
the facts that Br1ght's friends and VIC
Tins had been trying to keep quiet.
Bright undoubtedly was largely re-
sponsible for J. NJ. Barries success as
q dramati5t Barrie showed him a
dramatiZatlon he had attempted to