Rival Magicians Battle Over Infringed Trick
Waters the Great and the Great Maurice the Combatants
The Amalgamated Brotherhood of Magicians became more amalgamated last Thursday afternoon, when two of the brothers, Waters the Great and Maurice the Great mixed it pugilistically on West 46th street to the accompaniment of jazz bands and vocal selections from the surrounding resorts of the music publishers. Waters accused Maurice of infringing on tricks which he (Waters) had originated, to which Maurice replied that Waters was another, and several of them. Waters retaliated in like language, in the course of which he called Maurice everything but a magician. This got Maurice's goat, and to show it he butted Waters with his head. Recovering his perpendicular, Waters charged and ripped Maurice's coat, tore his trousers and rolled him in the gutter, at the same time massaging any part of the anatomy which happened to be in his vicinity.
After they were separated Maurice walloped Waters over the head with a concealed egg-bag, and also broke a perfectly good walking cane over his person, following which he exited hurriedly toward Eighth avenue with his disordered wardrobe in ruins fluttering behind him. The speed was too fast for the Great Waters, now greater than ever, but inclined to embonpoint and short-winded, who watched the Great Maurice do the disappearing trick while he (Waters) caressed a swollen jaw and bloody nose.
The aftermath of the encounter was the suspension of Waters from the N. V. A.—Variety, June 14, 1923.
Waters has since been reinstated in the N. V. A.—Ed.
Originally published in the M-U-M in Vol. XII, No. 12, (Whole No. 123) in New York, June 1923.
