The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-04
LEFT CAST HERE
Manager of "Don't Lie to Your
Wife, Took Money Alongs
But SOubretfe "NaiIed'' Him at
Santa Fe Station.
LADY MITATOR THE HERO
BIuffed .Bouncer" and Owner,
He Asserts, Turned Green.
And Show Is Busted Far, Oh So
Far, From State Street.

She was just a little soubrette in an
alleged musical comedy show, but.
oh. boy, what biff she handed Jack
Osnier. one of the owners of the
Don't Lie To Your Wife" company.
which appeared at the Grand Monday
and Tuesday nights. and then blew up.
blown before it reached Topeka; in
fact, before it ever started ON the
road
Nine of the Thespians were left
flat" in Topeka, according to Fred
Biggs and George Meyers. among the
AMUSED" members of the cast. Frank
Braden, advance man for the show.
beat it Monday night with the first
days receipts, they say, taking with
him Anita" who was scheduled to do
a tight-wire ballet number. Then
Oshier blew" with HandIon. the
comedian. and his wife and the chorus
girls, they charge.
The Don't Lie To Your Wife" show
was a scrambled affair. The cast was
recruited In short order, rushed thru
| a nine-day rehearsal in Kansas City.
where a chorus of Twelfth street
9iggs, and had played only two or
hree engagements before making To-
oeka.
Perhaps the performances at the
Grand were rotten. but. IL we take the
word Of Biggs and Meyers for it. the
company put on an outdoor show in
. The stage extended from the Colonial
hotel to the Santa Fe station.
Let Biggs. who used to be a female
! impersonator in the Sells F'loto circus.
tell the story. II Fred's language gets
bit violent, don't censure him too
l faer f1Af far Ia
personator.
"Oshier and -Braden skipped with
| the coin and the chorus girls and left
| the principals fiat" Bigg's story goes.
'Handlon. the comedian. and his wife
! also skipped. In fact they were IN on
! the scheme.
I'VE were in our room at the hotel
| waiting for Oshier's answer to our de-
nand that he pay for our lodging. We
we're scared of that man. Handlon
was with US for awhile. feeling US out.
Later one of the boys rushed in and
said Oshier had beat it.
/ Fifth Street to Santa F'e.
! 1--WE grabbed our hats and coats
| the women members were right with
us-and chased down Fifth street to
] the Santa Fe station. Oshier was on
| the platform when We rushed up. with
his bouncer. big bird who used to
| be in the circus, by his side. I went
up and grabbed Oshier and asked him
where he was going. I never saw a
| man so scared in my life; he actually
/ turned green. He kept calling
| Charlie Charlie for his bouncer to
/ come and protect him He was crying.
/ too. Charlie sidled over with his hand
| in his pocket like he had g gun. but
/ Miss Nelrose. our soubrette, who
!, played the part of Pansy. grabbed hold
1 Of Oshier, slapped his face and
/ knocked his hat off. The latter. still
! crying and without his hat, ran for
i the train and climbed, aboard. His
/ hat remained outside. He showed me
a telegram inside the car. where he
I had an offer to put on tab show.
I. With Handion and his wife he had
/ taken the chorus girls. and had left
1 the principals. all members of the ac-
! tors Equity association. in the lurch.
Biggs Would Dramatize It.
'If we could have put on this race
| down Fifth street and the scene at
/ the station instead of Don't Lie to
! Your Wife it would have been a
/ riot 1 was SO mad I didn't know
/ what to do, but 1t was so funny / had
! to laugh. / don't believe you could
! get anybody to act the part of Oshier,
/, tho, for no actor could get as white
as he did when we grabbed him and
/ when Miss Nelrose knocked his hat
! off"
j Oshier has taken his tab show out
on the road. according to Biggs, and
the principals have gone to Kansas
:, City to bring action against him and
/, queer the show.