New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-24
THE ORA MA.
A CELEBRATED CASE.

This is q melOdrama, IN Six acts, translated,
IN rough English from the French of MeSsrs Dennery
and CormOn and last night it was made known for the
first time to American audience at the Union Square
Theatre The Interpretation Of it consumed four hours
and-excepting at few vigorous, pathetic and startling
moInents-xasa ;rievous rational patience
In "a Celebrated Case the spectator sees the image Of
murder. which done in France, on the eve OF TIE
battle OF FonenOy. aud for which an innocent man was
made suffer years OF cruel punishment till at last in
mysterious and eircuitOus il was brought home TO
the guilty hand. The circumstances OF the crime
peculiarly hdeOus. the innocent man is condemned,
for the murder Of his wife, on the testimony OF his child
The circumstances OF the discovery are peculiarly COM
plex The guilty man,-as in Henry Dunbar" and
other fetiOns OF this timeworn pater1-assuues the
identity OF O person connected with the crime, and,
after various escapes from exposure and much sus-
pense he is baed in his maintenance Of it and brought
70 Justice. The old model, however, has. In this in
stance been dressed in garments and cmbellished
with some surprises. The parting OF the condemned
father with the innocent. prattlng child, who
has ucOnscOusly convicted him. ana the meeting Of the
wretched galleyslave with the grown girl, in after
years are made to afford brilliant and an affecting
contrast Adrot is made, likewise, Of certain Pc
cuar Jewel, the instrument for the discovery OF the
actual criminal narrowing situations IN brei are strung
always upon the thread of experience which is very
horrible and which Is attended by various expOstOns o;
the force OF picturesque climax. The story might
be told with less repetition; and it is story OF
the kind that loses much OF its interest when
the heart OF its mystery has been Laid bare.
The spectator is wlshful to know how it will
turn out and, !sympahizng with the anguish OF those
who uniusy SUFFERS glad at last that eliminates in
Justice The substantial merits OF the piece lis
casona scenes acute agony relieved by violent action
OF natures that are taxed beyond endurance. To
heve its incidents and reveal its plot would
be to weaken readers interest in it, and
not to rehearse its incidents is to leave reflection well
nigh silent. There marked characters in the
p;eca and there is nothing IN its language. II
has situations and-in views Of FOnteDoy, after
the battle, and Of TOulon and the adjacent sea-
II has beautiful pictorial establishment. It,
sentiment that OF fiia affection, is pure; and
in its complication Of the lives and emotional troubles Of
two Young girls, it deals skilfully and tendcry with
lovely and difficult themes. At its best however it is
no more than a sngularity willie at its worst IL is the
common blood and thunder Of wild and whrling story
papers and the stage Of ancestors received capital
stage setting last night and sgenerally competent IL
usration and it well received There arc persons
who like to sup full OF horrors and who Gcfy intellect
ual nightmare; TO them commend it. Mr.. C. r.
Coghlan acted tne convict in very powerful man
ner, and Mr. ]. H. Stoddart depicted a ser1o-
comic Irishman with deep sympathy and cf-
feet. The acting cannot receive the attention
II merits. The piece will probably keep the stage for
considerable time 1t does rival The Two Orphans
but IL clever exhibition OF the style Of nyen-
ton which gave vitality TO that drama.