Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1886-07-07


Mr.. Raymond and bis fine company
produced at the Grand last night, for
the first time in this city, Pinero's great
Engliah comedy. 1.-THE Magistrate.
From beginning to end IL is brim full Of
genuine fun. without being at all coarse.
All the parts are excellently balanced,
so that each one in the exceptionally
strong cast has good deal Of good work
to do. And by the by they oil do II
wsll-thoroughly well.
Many Of the large and intelligent
audience present may like to see little
analysis Of the play, as IL is compare
lively new-quite 80 on this coast. The
San Francisco Post, OF recent date, gives
The following excellent analysis:
About 1873 the reading world of Lon.
don was convulsed by the appearance OF
a little book named the "Silliad." II
was a cheap, tawdry publication, writ
len In the poorest kind Of blank verse,
but Il sold by the hundreds Of thou.
sands, and when a dozen editions had
been exhausted and the police had given
the publishers hint not TO sell any
more, copies originally worth a shilling
sold for twenty times that sum. The
book purported to give the night adven.
lures Of fast young man among the
fashionable resorts Of the half. world,
and there was nothing sensational about
the work except that the young man
whose adventures were recounted was
none other than the Prince OF Wales.
One Of the chief adventures of the
Prince as there related occurred In no.
torious wine and supper house known as
"Kates," which is situated at the
top Of the Haymarket. According to
the "Silliad" the Prince, accompanied by
viscount Cole, Lord Harrington and
some other bloods had the i'll luck to be
enjoying little supper in Hates when
the police made raid on the place for
violating that peculiarly British law
which iorbids the selling Of liquor after
l2P.M. A peculiarly pig-headed SER
geant was in charge Of the police detail,
aud though all sorts Of brides were
offered and all sorts Of threats made.
nothing would serve his purpose than
that the whole party. including the
Prince must go to the station house.
He did not propose to be bluffed by an
alias. So to avoid scandal which, II
reported, would perhaps have cost Wales
his throne, his faithful friends gave bat.
tie to the police. managed to get Wales
off In cab, and spent the night them
selves in the cells Of Bow street police sta
ton. This story is no doubt the founda-
| ton for "The Magistrate, which Is really
| a two-sct farce stretched out into four
act comedy. A respectable magistrate,
| Eneas Posket, has q wife whom he
married as widow, and who deceived
him about her age, matter of five years.
But she had a son by the first husband,
who was nineteen years OF age, and she
is forced to cut the lads age down to
| fourteen to save the embarrassing
dilemma Of appearing as mother at
twelve years OF age. and some five years
before her marriage. Her doting old
husband marvels at the precocity of the
boy, but suspects not, and all Ia peace
In the family till one day word oomes
that Colonel Lukin, an old friend Of the
husband, who has been in India, is com.
ing to dine The wife suddenly remem.
bers that Colonel Lukin was the god
father of her boy, and his last unofficial
act nineteen years before, on the
eve OF his departure for India,
was to assist at the christening and give
the infant silver mug. In an instant
the awful consequence Of a meeting and
the revelation flashed across her mind,
and conoocting white lie to the effect
that her sick friend, Lady jenkins,
needs her presence. she leaves her house
with her sister in search of Colonel
Lukin As soon rs she isgone her awful
boy induces the magistrate to go of for
a spree to fast resort, known as the
Hotel DIES Princes. Now, 1t chances that
Colonel Lukin is an old visitor to the
same resort, and is supping there with
Captain Horace Vale, the lover of Mrs.
Pc .ket's sister, and there the two ladies'
seek the Colonel. An interview is had.
the Colonel pledged to secrecy about the
boys age, aud the ladies consent to take
q little supper, when in PUSHES the
proprietor to say that II is after twelve
o'clock and the police are making a raid.
the parties are slowed away under tables
and chairs. only to be ANONYMOUSLY
lugged out by the police, with the ex.
ception Of the magistrate and his awful
stepson, who are chased for miles, and
escape. The next scene is the police
court, where the magistrate is called TO
try the Captain, Col. Lukin, his own
wife and sister-in-law for the offense of
the night before. He Is so excited that
he gives them all seven days in prison,
without the alternative OF fine, and
goes home to soak his head. But q
brother magistrate. who has sense,
plays the Edmonds system, yanks the
cases out of Posket's court, puts them
in his own court and dismisses them all.
Then they go to Posket's house, have a
terrible row, and finally all is explained