Articles on Grau and the leasing of the French Theatre

“Mr. Jacob Grau, the lessee of the French Theatre, recently obtained an injunction in the Common Pleas restraining Wm. B. Duncan from prosecuting summary proceedings in a justice’s Court, to dispossess him for alleged non-payment of rent. He alleged that he had given Duncan a bill of sale for the scenery, worth $12,000, whereby it was agreed that no rent was to become due until November last. Mr. Grau then went to Europe to engage artists for the theatrical seaons, but on his departure Duncan sued to dispossess, notwithstanding Mr. Grau had expended $40,000 in beautifying and improving the tehatre, the decorations to become the property of the owner at the expiration of the lease. A motion was made yesterday to dissolve the injunction, which was granted, Judge Van Brunt holding that as no rent was due up to the beginning of the dispossession proceedings, there was a plain defence to those proceedings, and there was no reason why the Court should interfere by injunction restraining their prosecution, especially as the statute provides that those proceedings shall not be stayed by the order of any Court.”

“Yesterday about eleven o’clock a few unhappy looking gentlemen assembled in front of the French theatre [sic] in Fourteenth street [sic]. Among them were Mr. William Butler Duncan, Mr. S. Salomon and Mr. Frederick Pullman, the first principal stockholder of the French theatre [sic], the second chargé d’affaires for Mr. Grau and the last present lessee of the theatre. Mr. Grau being in Europe of course he was physically incapacitated from attending. To give the reason of this meeting it is necessary to go some way back in the history of the theatre. In the spring of 1869 the French theatre [sic] was without a lessee. Mr. Bateman and Mr. Grau both endeavored to get it. Mr. Grau offered the most, and the theatre was handed over to him for five years at a yearly rent of $20,000, comprising the house on Fifteenth street [sic]. At that time Mr. Grau was quite wealthy, having made some $135,000 on the Ristori engagement. Mr. Grau paid down $10,000 deposit, and commenced immediately to improve and enlarge the theatre at a cost of some $30,000 to himself. This was at his own risk, and he was supposed to get the benefit of the enlargement. Immediately after this Mr. Grau’s opéra bouffe company came over from France, and is generally very well known to have lost a great deal of money for its manager. In fact, so much that little by little he lost all he had, and gradually got behind hand in his rent. When the opéra bouffe broke up Mr. Grau was some $10,000 behind hand, and during the summer, the theatre being untenanted, the matter got worse and worse, until Mr. Grau in despair vouchsafed some property he possessed to met [sic] the demands of the stockholders, who were rather hard on him, considering that he had made such notable improvements and been to such expense for their theatre. Again, lately, Mr. Grau got in debt for rent, and, when owing some $12,000 here, he suddenly left for Europe, leaving his affairs in a very bad state of collapse. Immediately Mr. Duncan, the banker, commenced a suit in the Supreme Court against Grau to dispossess him on account of non-payment of rent. It was on this decision that the sale took place yesterday. The lease was first put up for sale for the three years and a half unexpired term, and after some desultory bidding was knocked down to Maurice Friend for $300. It was announced then that anybody who sought Grau’s unexpired lease would have to pay Grau’s arrearage of rent, amounting to $12,000, besides the $20,000 a year. But Mr. Friend paid his deposit like a man. Then the costumes, scenery, and properties of Mr. Grau were put up. As they were not exhibited, though, the list seemed very long, no one knew what they were. The highest bid was James H. Taylor’s, stage manager of the Grand Oprea House, to whom they were knocked down for $200. It seems doubtful whether he will get them, however, as Mr. Duncan, in leaving, enjoined that nothing be allowed to leave the theatre without his permission.”