The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-25

In an Interview yesterday, Jake
Wells. general manager of the Wells
Amusement Company. the Bijou Com
pany and the Leath Theatrical Com
pany, related to representative oE
| The Times-Dispatch story that re-
Ivealed the inside history of the theat-s
rical situation ii, Richmond, a story
I that has not. in It's entirety, ever been
unfolded before the public.
1 From the statement of Mr. Wells 1T
appears that about six years ago the
! Leath theatrical Company was formed,
| with $4,000 of capital. OF this sum
| $4,000 was preferred stock. which
was assigned to Thomas G. Leath. the
president of the company. and was to
draw per cent. with certain salary
to Mr.. Leath as president of the COM
pany. The remaining $4,000 was sub
scribed to In equal amounts by ths
other members of the corporation
Morton Rosenbaum. Allen G. Collins.
Charles Mckee. w. Greanor Neal and
Jake Wells. Under the terms OF the
agreement between the subscribers. the
stock was to be pooled among six trus-
tees who were to be the holders of the.
stock, and who were to elect the off,
GERS and directors OF the company
Accordingly, the trustees met ami
elected themselves directors. with
Thomas G. Leath as president w.
Greanor Neal as treasurer. Jake Wells
as manager and Allen g. Collins as
secretary and counsel
Contract Rather Vague.
Under the terms of an old agree
ment, which had existed between Mr..
Leath and Klaw & Erlanger. the new
COMPANY inherited vague sort OF con
tract with Illaw & Erlanger. under
which the Leath Theatrical Company
was to play the syndicate attractions.
and Klaw & Erlanger were to send to
1.-The company "the best line OF attrac-
tions that go out OF new York.
| Upon the death of Mr. Leath. Mr..
Neal became the executor of his es-
| tate and thus controls not only his
own interest, but that of Miss Monte
| Leath. who has inherited her brothers.
| interest in the company.
Jake Wells, the manager OF the
/ company. who has enjoyed a great deal
of popularity in Richmond since the
| old days of the first Bitou. when ne
started in a new field. and won the ad
miration of theatre-goers by ringing
| down his curtain time and again on
acts that he thought were unsuited to
| the public, has, for more than two
years. been trying to break away from
the autocratic rule of Illaw & Erlan-
ger. He has realized that through the
arbitrary rulings of the syndicate, the
public OF Richmond and OF Norfolk
has been barred from the opportunitx
of seeing many of the best attractions
, that have put out on the road, and in
the theatres which he alone practi-
cally controls, those of the Bijou cir
cult and of the Wells Amusement Com
pany, some thirty In all ranging from
Evansville. Ind, to Augusta, Ga, he
has favored the open door,
Neal Against Omen Door.
Mr., Neal, on the other hand, con-
sistently stands bv those who have
been "his friends" He states that
the Virginia Theatre COMPANY which
| owns the Academy OF Music that fs.5
the building. and the Leath Theatrical
| Company. are both perfectly willinS
| to sell out. either to Klaw & Erlan-
| ger or to the independents, but that
he is opposed to an open house. The
/ situation Is somewhat involved in that
| the Virginia Theatre Company Is own
1 ed, In equal parts, by Greanor Neal, the
estate of Thomas G Leath and Oft"
Wells lake Wells's brother and he
/ Leath Theatrical Company is owned
/ by six different interests, as SET ostr.
i above.
4 II seems to ba clear that friendly
as the,, are personally, Wells and Neal
Il are diametricaily opnosed @ each
4 other as to the policy OF the house, andS
4 that the final decision rests with the
Il board OF directors OF the Leath Tlieatrs-
II cal Co. Messrs Rosenbauni. Col iSs, III
II Kee. Wells and Neal. as to whether or
/. not Richmond people viii have the cp-g
portun!ty OF seeing any productions ex vi
j capt those aligned With the syadicats.s