The Alhambra Theatre Scandal
A variety theater proprietor vanishes with thousands of dollars, leaving his troupe and local contractors empty-handed.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Three months ago, S.A. Miller, a Swedish man from Montana, opened the Alhambra variety theatre on Second Street. The establishment was popular and appeared profitable. However, on Monday morning, when performers arrived to collect their wages, they found the office empty. Miller had fled—presumably to Victoria—taking between $3,000 and $4,000 in cash. He left behind a long list of unpaid debts, including building costs and salaries for numerous performers, stagehands, and bartenders. It is believed Miller feared the opening of the competing Bijou Theatre and chose to cut and run with the cash he had hoarded.
“It finally dawned upon the unsuspecting employees that Miller, the proprietor, had skipped out, and that they must whistle for their last week's pay.”
The collapse of the Alhambra is a classic 'boomer' era disaster, capturing the precarious life of early variety performers who were often the first to suffer when a business failed. The incident serves as a reminder of the transient, high-risk nature of Seattle’s early entertainment industry.
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