New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-13
MUSIC AND THE DRAMA.
HER ATONEMENT.

Her name was Martha West. and she was " unfor-
inmate She had been Tilted by Barton Hill, who
also had lifted Miss Morton, and who was naughty
man. Barton Hill lived in house made mostly of
w ipdows in the suburbs of New-York. Mrs. Morton
called ON him here and told him that her son was
coming and perhaps might hurt him but was COM
forted when Mr.. Hill said that he had just received
$l25,0 by express from town and would at once
go to Europe. Brother Morton then entered and
sent his mother into the garden and asked Barton
Hill for Miss Morton's love-etters, saying that he
would come back for them later, after walk Win
his mother Martha West now came through the
middle window and told Barton Hill that she
wanted money for the support of their child put
this cruel only sneered i'll her face and pushed
her across the room-whereupon she went out u
the prompter and got pistol and shot him anu 'na
was the blessed end of Barton Hlll-whose rIonon
valet Felix Morris. ran away with tine pl%',o'0
Martha West was promptly arrested, ana MIS- Nioi-
ton as promptly made morning call on her AT INC
police station. Brother Morton also called. ana MIS-
Morton told him that she was sorry he had done IL
whichcaused him to enlist soldier to hght against
JEFF Davis. Martha West was then discharged, anu
her father who met her at the station SAID that 10
him she was dead This led her TO visit the Cort-
land-st. ferry without any bonnet on her head, and
TO state that she wished to die. But here she met
shop near by where she consumed coffee " for hive
cents and when she reappeared she said she felt
much better After which she went South as hos
ptal nurse and stayed three years. Brother Morton
soon became one of the patients, and she produced
him one night in City Hall Park TO tell him that
his regiment would soon march up Broadway. Mrs.
Morton, and Barton Hills French valet, and the
police captain, and the newspaper boy, likewise
came there, and part of Gilmore's Band. which
C,o, NJ
Guilty and the march scene business from " Ours,
repeated the effect with parade
The movement of the piece having thus
been arrested. Brother Morton was ar
rested also; and the landady came INTO
court and witnesses were examined and lawyers
made speeches and Brother Morton proved
already to be false knave" and 1t came near TO be
thought so when Martha West suddenly clutched
at wild bound the glory of having killed Barton
Hill and fell down in the cOnvulSive agOnies of ST.
Vltuss dance. Joyful cries for Mr. Arson Pond
then resounded throughout Haverly's Theatre, and
Arson Pond. with every appearance of being fright
ened to death at what he had DONE in devising and
writing this play of Her Atonement.' emerged to
view for one spasmodic moment, bowed, and fled
little child named Oracle Foster, acting the news
boy aroused the only legitimate and rational
interest of the night, by a remarkable display of
precocious talent There was more of the foOery,
but 1t had become unbearabe long before the fourth
curtain. The style of Her AtOnement" is eXecra-
BILE The mechanism Is clumsy and feeble. The
statements of actual affairs untruthful and
absurd. The treatment of human nature-as in the
relations of the father and his outcast daughter and
the mother and her imperil cd son-would be
mOnstrous if it were not silly. A more feeble
minded production than his has seldom becn i'm.
posed upon the public patience. The actors did
what they coulI to IT. Mr., l.. X. Shewell re-
appeared and bore an absurd part with manly
esrpestness but the audience did not to
recognize him. Miss Rigls spasmodc action and
painful a ,pect of imminent Mysteries were for
while effective bur the sympathies tire, and
good nature gently murmurs the sacred name OF
bromide of potassium. Even lavender might, in
the case of Martha West, prove 10 be her atone