Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-15
By JACK ROSE.

All rights reserved, Any infringement
will be vigorously prosecuted)
| NEW YORK. Aug. l5.-The Chicago
man to whom Lee owed the $4,000 was
a loan shark. Lee always went to such
men when he wanted money.
/ Payment was made direct to the loan
shark by the theaters at which Lee APP
! peared.
] gave Lee all the money | had
about $2.O0O-and told him | would get
the balance. went to some friends
and borrowed $4,000 more.
We started for Chicago Before
was there one week ! found | needed
more money. AS Lee had no concep-
ton Of figures.
I came to New York and borrowed
another $1,000, returned to Chicago and
gave it 10 Lee
The show was launched in Chicago
at the Colonial theater shortly after
that 1t proved all that Lee claimed
for it. During all this time / didn't
touch a card or do any gambling.
was absorbed in my new venture.
Lee, who was treasurer of the firm.
had all the time to himself Soon I be-
gan to get suspicious that Lee was
gambling. | asked him about 1t. and he
assured me that he was through for
ever We then made all arrangements
to play a weeks engagement at Massey
hall. In Toronto, Canada, during the ex-
position but the engagement was still
about month off, and the plant need
ed some overhauling.
Borrowed to Limit.
| left Lee in Chicago and came to
New York to arrange for further book
ings. While here l received word from
Lee that he had let his foot slip and
that he had obligated himself to the
extent of $4,000 gambling He had given
our plant as security. He attributed
this misfortune to the absence Of my
restraining influence.
was in despair. | had borrowed
everywhere / could and didn't know an
other soul to go to for assistance, |
wired Lee to come to New York and
he did. l explained my awful position.
He was very penitent, and told me that.
after all, it meant only a couple of
weeks longer, when our Canadian tour
would straighten everything out
secured a new loan Of $500 from a
prominent play author and another of
$1,000 from friend of the family and
turned II over to Lee.
He went back to Chicago and | re-
ceived another message that more mon
ely was needed to make the journey to
Canada. | raised another $1,000 and
started for Chicago. BY this time / was
involved for about $1,000
When it came time to move to To-
ronto ! learned that Lee had never
paid the man who held the lien on the
plant, and he refused to allow the pro-
duction to move. Lee had lost all the
money gambling.
! had friend in Chicago who made
an arrangement to allow the produc-
tion to move. Before the first perform
ance was over in Toronto Lee collapsed
was put to bed and we despaired of
his recovery,
| borrowed enough money to bring
Lee and the rest of the company home
to New York He recovered, went to
Chicago shortly after, and died sud
denly. l went back to gambling again.
more involved than ever and with an
other sermon in the life of Henry Lee
on the curse Of gambling.
Harassed by Creditors.
was constantly being harassed by
creditors. Suits were instituted against
me. To none could | make answer
other than that I hadn't the money to
pay.
Judgments were secured against me,
and they still are unsatished.
My creditors at times dragged me
into supplementary proceedings to as
certain If possible how l managed to
live and provide for my family.
That is one of the unexplainable
other they do it. They don't really
know how themselves
| would go along for weeks at a time
unable to meet small household bills,
the rent in arrears, etc.
Then some day l would make a good
winning. pay all the bills and again
feel easy for a time.
was one of the large army of ap-
parently prosperous men about town.
Every once in a while | would secure
an interest in some gambling house and
while we were let alone make some
money.
Then would come a raid, the closing
of the place and further distress Just
living from one day to another hoping
against hope that some millionaire
wound drnn In 10 some nlacn l Mas