The Washington times., 1920-08-25
SUESACT0RS
FOR$10O,QOO.
John Drew and "a Others Con
spired to Ruin Him, Claims
Ex-Player.

NEW YORK. Aug. 25.-Trisi of .
damage suit for 100000, brought ~
Robert B. Kegerreis, a former mem
ber OF the Players, against John Drew
and twenty-three other members and
officers OF the club, was begun
before Judge william C. Sheppard
and a Jury in the Federal dis
trict court
Kegerreis alleges that In October.
1915, the defendants entered into Q
conspiracy TO injure him in his pro-
fession as an actor and to bring about
his resignation from the Players
through the circulation OF slanderous
stories.
Although he was on the stand for
almost four hours. the complAinant's
memory of the events on which the
complaint Is based was vague. and in
many instances he admitted that he
could not answer the questions of his
own lawyer without first consulting
his diary. which he had with him, IN
six well-filled volumes.
QUOTES FROM DIARY.
The most damaging testimony Ke-
gerreis could draw from his diary was
to the effect that certain individual
members of the Players had during
1915, 1916, 1917, and 1918 accused him
OF being In sympathy with the Ger
man Empire
Kegerreis alleges. among other
things. that he was suspended from
the Players without "a hearing and
that on June IL, 1919. when he ap-
piled to Justice John NJ Tierney In
the State supreme court for reinsta ate
ment. the secretary OF the club re-
ported that he had been restored to
membership on July 16, 1915.
According to Warren c. Van Slyke,
attorney for the twenty-four defend
ants. Kegerreis was dropped from
membership subsequently for non-pay-
ment OF dues in which move. the law
yer said. the organization was simply
living up to provision Of it's con-
stitution.
The twenty-four defendants ars
John Drew. Edward S. Van Zile. Harry
Rowe Shelley. Humphrey T. Nichols.
Francis Wilson. Otis Skinner, Nicho-
las Biddle. John Blair, David Glass
ford. Guy Nichols. George c. Riggs,
George V. Denny, Salisbury Field,
Frank l.. Warren, jr.. George Foster
Platt, Harold w. Gould, oliver Her
ford, Jules Guerin, Reginald Birch.
James Barnes, Clayton NJ Hamilton.
Herbert c. Wright. w. Lawson Butt
and Frederick Esmelton.
The complainant gave his age as
forty-one and said he had been an
actor since 1900 and had played with
Mrs. Fiske, James X. Hackett. Henri
eta Crosman and in several stock
and vaudeville companies. He said he
was a member of the Players in 1918.
was familiar with the clubs consti-
tuition and knew all the defendants
personally.
According to the witnesses, it was
a discussion he had with Francis Will
son in the clubhouse on October 80.
1915, which caused the alleged con.
spiracy to be launched against him,
On this occasion, Kegerreis said. Mr..
tional Arts Club, next door, and men,
toned the possibility of obtaining .
certain speaker to address the
Players.
CALLED "HUN,- HE CLAIMS.
"I questioned the advisability OF
this" said Kegerreis. "and Wilson
suddenly turned on me and said:
Well, Herman Ridder is going to ad-
dress us next week. I guess that
will please you, you Hun
Wt.h the assistance of particu-
larly plump volume of his diary,
Kegerreis told how william Mackay
came to him one night and said he
wanted to know whether a certain
thing he had heard about him were
true.
II asked him what it was" the
witness said, land he told me that
Guy Nichols had told him that I had
laughed when heard about the sink
ing of the Lusitania."