The Theater Manager's Midnight Exit
A local theater manager vanishes into the night after pocketing ticket receipts and leaving a trail of unpaid debts and angry performers.
"Jack" Thompson, manager of the Family theater on West Main street, is missing from his usual haunts, and a number of Walla Walla creditors are viewing his departure with keen regret. Thompson's career as a vaudeville entertainer is said to have come to a sudden end Monday night after attachment proceedings against his theater were warded off, giving him time to dispose of the house and pocket Saturday and Sunday night's receipts. A number of performers are also said to be looking for the manager for the last week's salary. Thompson's debts will probably foot up a couple of hundred dollars, including a gas bill, newspaper accounts, and various small bills. After a hurried canvas among several friends, Thompson had previously borrowed enough to stave off creditors, but now his present whereabouts are unknown.
“A number of performers are also said to be looking for the late manager for the last week's salary.”
This story highlights the precarious economics of vaudeville and the lack of protections for working performers in the early 20th century. Wage theft and 'skipping town' remain modern workplace issues, though today's 'Jack Thompsons' leave behind different types of digital debt.
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