The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1879-03-08

come On, but three times thai
Christ speaks to them are they
prostrated on their knees, till he
tells them to rise. Peter draws
his sword and cuts off the ear vi
one who attempts to hold the
Master. He rebukes him, say
ing: WhOsoever kills with iron
by iron must die" which seems
an error, as we are told that Peter
was crucified, and with his head
dOWnWardS. Christ restores the
ear, is bound, and unnecessarily
hustled about the stage, to the
amusement of the audience, most
of whom l found laughing, and
not in criticism of the perform
ance as acting.
He is taken to the House of
Caiphas, where he is accused and
ordered to be carried before PLATE.
Next is the scene Of Peters denial
of his master, the poorest imita-
tion possible of cockcrowing is
heard, convulsing the galleries
who break out into repetitions.
Judas having repented, wishes to
return the silver pieces, and on
refusal by the priests to accept,
he throws them down and rushes
out; the priests decide to buy
the Potters field. The escene chan
ges to a wood, Judas soliloquises,
takes a cord from about his waist
and hangs himself to a tree (pre-
viously hooking a support into a
ring in his girdle at his back this
cord by the way is the regular
knotted cord of the Franciscan
friars and seems chronologically
out of place. The whole scene is
supremely ridiculous, no knot is
tied and the cord hangs loosely
upon his breast. though his feet
dangle, his head is thrown On one
side, and out lOlls an immense
tongue; the climax of absurdity
is reached by two devils appear
ing evidently borrowed from the
pantomime) and, amid red flames,
carry him down through a trap in
the stage. In the next scene Mag
dalen petitions Claudia Procula
pilates Wife) to save the life of |
Christ, relates her story, converts
and the two importune
Plate who comes in and who pro-
misses to do what he can. Next,
PLATE says some very harsh
things to the priests and refuses
to sentence Jesus for mere bias
phemy, in fact raises The question
that has disturbed all Europe, the
of Church and State;
out they accuse Christ of treason
in that he claims to be King of
If the Jews, thus offending Tibe-
'ius Cesar, and threaten to go to
Rome and complain of Plate
as an accomplice, thus dri-
ven, PLATE calls for water declares
Christ innocent, orders him to be
crown of thOrnS is put
lpon his head and a scarlet man.
lie, and he is mocked; finding sew
9ral appeals to lthe people vain,
plate condemns him to be crucifi-
I'd between the thieves DimaS and 1
festas, but orders the incription ;
Jesus of Nazareth, King of the
'ews" to be put on the cross in
creek, latin and hebrew.
The procession to Calvary really
vas impressive. Christ bearing
lis cross, with wounds SO we'll ]
as to seem real, comes to I
he front of the stage and falls q
the priests, fearing he
nay die on the way, counsel 1
est, and ask if any one is willing c
o carry the crOss-Simon CirineuS t
ffers; Veronica comes forward S
nd wipes the Masters face with d
napkin, on which an imprint of .
he features is left; Mary appears
ut is torn away and faints in the ,
rms of Magdalen and John.
The curtain next rises on the