New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-08-24
Player Sought
TO Thrash Him,
Says kegerrei!s
Trial of Damage Suit for
3 100000 Against John
Drew and % Other Stage
Folk Begun in Court
I Books of Diary Used
Spy Accusation and Suspen-
sion From Club Laid to
Conspiracy to Ruin Actor

Trial Of damage suit for $100,000
brought by Robert B. Kegerreis.
former member of the PLAYERS. against
John Drew and twenty-three other
members and officers of the club, was
begun yesterday before Judge William
c. Sheppard and a jury in the Fed
eral District Court.
Kegerreis alleges that in October.
1915, the defendants entered into a
conspiracy to injure him in his pro-
fession as an actor and to bring about
his resignation, expulsion or suspen-
sion from the Players through the cir
culation of slanderous stories.
Although he was on the stand for
almost four hours. the compliments
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
The most damaging testimony Ke-
gerros could draw from his diary was
to the effect that certain individua.
members Of the Players had during
1915, 1915, 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 -, 1919, when ne applied
to Justice John NJ. Tierney in the
state Supreme Court for reinstatement.
the secretary OF the club reported
that he had been restored TO member
snip on July l6, 1916.
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 a provision of its con-
stitution.
Names of Twenty-four Defendants
The twenty-four defendants are John
Drew, Edward S. Van Zile, Harry Rowe
Wilson, Otis Skinner, Nicholas Biddle,
John Blair, David Glassford, Guy Mich
ols, George c. Riggs, George V. Denny,
Salisbury Field, Frank l.. Warren jr,
George Foster Platt, Harold W. Gould.
Oliver HEREFORD, Jules Guerin, Reginald
Birch. James Barnes, Clayton M. Ham
iton, Herbert C. Wright, w. Lawson
Butt and Frederick Esmelton
When. the case opened there was a
question raised by the defense as to
the Jurisdiction of the Federal Court.
In order to establish this William Berg,
counsel for Kegerreis. called the com
plalNant and several of the defendants
to the stand.
= i l.
was 4 citizen of the State Of New York,
while Humphrey 7. Nichols gave his
home as Maine. David Glassford told
the court he was a globetrotter and
Rad no permanent home anywhere. He
said he was born in Australia, and at
the present time was . director in the
Players. kegcrreis declared himself a
resident of Pennsylvania. This ap-
peared to satisfy Judge Sheppard as to
the courts jurisdiction.
The complainant gave his age as
forty-one ard said he had been an actor
since 1900 and had played with Mrs.
fiske. james X. Hackett, Henri eta
eros men and in several STOCK and
vaudeville companies. He said he was
q member OF thc Players in 1913 was
familiar with the clubs constitution
and knew all the defendants personally.
Accord ng to the witness, it was a
discussion he had with Francis Wilson
in the clubhouse on October 80, 1915,
which caused the alleged conspiracy to
be launched against him. On this occa-
sion, Kegerreis said. Mr. Wilson had
just come from the National Arts Club,
next door, and mentioned the POSSIBLE
ity of obtaining certain speaker to
address the Players.
81 questioned the advisability of
this said Kegerreis, land Wilson sud
denly turned on me and said: We'll,
Herman Ridder is going to address US
you, you Hun
Wrangle Over Testimony
The witness also told Of going to
the bar of the club on the night Of