The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-08
RECOLlgCTIONS' or AN OLSzTIME
ACTOR.
n Incide-re at the rsetropolita=r-See-
ter IN Its Psi,1y Days.


ter IN Its Psi,1y Days.
Many of oCs citizens, resident Of tie Cap
itsl city duri,g war times" will rerlsmber
the familiar fcvm and face of Captain, John
B. Miller, N:seteenth Usited Stats In.
fantry, who ws- On duty in this city 5eversl
years during tie var az United StateAAEus-
tering and Disearsing Of-esr' He was one
OF the oldest OF the old character that
drifted into Indianapolis With other cssses
of driftwood daring the Nigh tides that
ebbed and flowed in the war perioi He
served CALAMITY all through the Mexican
War anu afterwcrd, during seasons CT al
eventfUl life ''piay ed tragedy" behind the
foot-lights. One ecason, that OF 1851. be WIS
a member of the CID National Thester Con-
pany, Cincinnati, supporting Forrest for
whom he had the most profound admiration
and regard) during four -7ssks' er-sgs-
ment His love for the stage Was q passion,
and during his thTcs years soo1rn il In
dianapolis he rarely missed D performance
at the old Metropolitan Thcrts-. especially
If the boards were occupied Sy the ',egiS-
imate.n His nature was always extremely
sociable, and he possessed a vein of genial
humor and bluff hees tiness that made e de-
lightful 10 listen to she "reminiscences and
anecdotes with which be used 70 while evey
the time at his office n the ola United Ssstee
Headquarters. Wallace BLOCK, corner of vir-
ginis avenue and Maryland street. He nlain-
tsined that 40 actor o. actr ess sncnld be well
paid. and 10 illustrate bow dis struusly small
salaries resulted. housed TO tell this in
cident in an initials way. VS. Mr.. HoT-
rest was filling an engagement at the
ST. Charles Theater. in New Sfie4ns. While
at the zenith OF his great powers. His hsbst
was always to attend -ehearssls and see mat
each one up in his ''raFs-" and thas
every detail was brought out distinct and
complete. During tho rehesyscl. here Sc oxen
of every thing seemed - move III smoothly
until the appearance Of ;supe' on the
siege, whose missioa was 20 announce
the arrival of some IMPORTANT Der
soDage, and which Ee procesded TO de-
very slovenly and mechanical manner NJ.
Forrest, with great oath, pusssog aside and
silencing the supernrmerary, md by vcF Oh
instruction, struck ors OF his dramatic stti-
could do, and then turning to. his pupil,
asked * he could NOT do X that Way The
somewhat dszed ana, awe struck. ''saps'' re-
Piled why, DO; 90 you suppose /. could
i would be play ing ia this tSsster for % .
week. One of the great cha-stas OF Captain
Miller's CONVEX sati0I. actor Ike. vas his
complete Identification with tiA text and in
strict keeping with the spirit Of the ssory re-
lated.
During the NJ anazeraent of he NsS=opoir-
tan Tbeater by the lSRensed Eilsy, Captain
Miller gave his last performance being then
about sixty ghs years of aga. 1t was dur
ing the spring OF 563. and the bil. YES Da-
mon and PVT hias"-she Captain assuming
the role Of II anon" while tbb tbsn young
actor and leading man OF the Metropolitan
company, 10 an X. Hi played "Pythias"
The theater was jemmed. and oil wanted to
give the "olC man { chance" His concep-
ton of ths p art was ''old-time" in its quaint
ness, and .iull Of idiosync7akjes and re-
bUstuonsne ss-as near q ocpt OF bis great
dramatic fpd, FORREST as his feeble power,.
could imits tie.
1t vas during this same theatrical sec.
son that an incident occarrsd, the writs-s
hereof being unwilling and
conspicue Us witness, the recollection Of
which ca never fade out. Jsmes Proctor.
the great leather iuDged 3yagSdisn. whoss
tragicsi school was that OF the, old Bowo-y,
and Eh(, could, feet and foani stamp shs
ground and paw the Air with ali the vigcr ct
DGrbs IN bull IN the face of red flag, was
hlliSg n engagement st the Metropolitan.
After 'orrest os WIS Captain KILLERS IDEAL
uIEedj IN. The Captain invited the writer
hereof to accompany him 10 8 performance
OF the thrilling [? tragedy, Clio. tie Ar
mOTer.," with Proctor cast IN the title
role. We went early; an. be-
causs of The Captains infirmity Ssrd
ct hearing, We sat n his accustomed place,
the first W in front of the oEshecsra-
Everything went well through she first, Sec
enc. and tnird aots. The tragic scenes of
this bloSd-thirsty tragedy had got our CON-
panion into glow o. enthusiasm ap i his
countenaDce revealed state of great pleas
ure. The eeGer will remember tie story
run somewhat thus. VIZ. Clio" tsa armorer,
is har As sed beyond endurance By the acts of
gang of ban aits, and in the forth act,
while pursusd by them, he tn pa upon one
museGlar fsiloz ("6io'' himself il supposed
TO De a powerful giant aud vNth his
armorsrs slsdge hammer in his band, knocks
| tha bandit clear off the stage iatb the wing"
This brave act was the signal for g5eat and
dtalening applause. the house bei5g two
thirds fillsa with soldiers. and that portion
Of the audience WAS in q biCk state OF excite
ment Bah as the play goes, w1ea the scene
shifts, va md Clio" has made- . grievous
mistass and killed his best freed who, az q
I spy, was dressed in the cloth.a of bandit
and cSns equently mistaken foE en- enemy.
4 Then fellows great larAents.ibas by ''Gio"
in susA . subdued voice, that it'became oisli-
! cult Tor Captain Miiie0, owiDs &C his partial
deafness, TO hear, but 1he Captain sat With
head and neck craned forward and his right
ha1i up to his ear. ISotsit 2Bta0ding IA this
extra effort 10 hear bis uneasiE3ss indicated
that he was loosing the pAths.:c sentences
SIS they fell from Proctczas h5s Tais wss
more than be could stans. 7At resier csn
: imagine amusement and thzt of tie "a IA
sDce when Captain Miller, amid q deatsly
ebllLetS tlat LeIEdOed l1e entlre nO4ses
with his open Land SAIL 70 his ea-. in slow
and Measured words. said; "a little
loudet. Mr.. Proctor. If you plssss.~ All
eyes were instantly turnsa toward ocr hero.
and Awas but &c s0sd until tie ludicrous-
Dess Of tia reouest appeared to al. when
suoa storm of clspping, sts<,ping, whist
ling. yelling and eat.calls arss3 g never be
fore shook old Dury FROM parauet Il
gallery. After minutes OF thewilieet noiix
and confusion it would oie Gown and -
( resumed more 6ercely than before, and 1,
was . question FOR some kms IS to whether
the play could proceed. The embarrassment
OF the writer can bettsr be imagined than
described during thiS din. feeling small
enough to have crazlsd through a. a1ges
| hole. III such an exit had presented itsei 1
This "Reminiscences II one Of enary equally
pupeent incidents OF poor old Captain Nil
ler. since deceased, whose pers&aalisy % i'm
| pressed itfelf OF the mind ii the writer
| than = aix&aaxas uaax-n old h. 49, LII