New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-08
"HAMLETn IN DAKOTA.
FRIGHTFUL MORTALITY AMONG THE DAN
ISH NOBILITY.
now TINE RICHARD HELLER DRAMATIC COMPANY
FACED DEATH IN ALL ITS VARIOUS FORMS.

FACED DEATH IN ALL ITS VARIOUS FORMS.
New-Yorkers talk too illppantly about inc prov
nces." Especially IS this true In thes'rca cioioS'
II seems TO be thought that good things In THIS llne
never get outside OF this city. YET, not"nns'an"'
Ing, once saw Hamlet in Estelllne. Dakota, away
out near the provincial boundary, played IN way
think no company in NewYork could equal
Toward spring I'm 1854 the Richard lieeer ORA
matte Company came to Estcllne to play season
Of tho legitimate Amusement matters In town h"i
been quiet before that. One or TWO IarBecSc"
phrenologists. with their flowing locks caught back
carelessly behind their had wandered INTO to"h
spoken aimlessly and taken up collectiOh III tho
Baptist church. buncocd the Methodist minister on
watch trade and walked thoughtlcssly out OF town
without paying their board; but that was about all.
So when Richard IIecler came We all bought tckets
and went early. The play presented IN the Orahd
Opera House. which located over the Golden Larat
saloon. AS sat gazing at the four army BLANKETS
which made up the drop curtain, much specWauo"
was INDUCED in to what sort of play 1t was. ihe
bills said it was shakespeare's una9rroachabie crca
ton Hamlet or the Prince Of Denmark Jim Ebert
said no hored they wouldn't talk In Danish because
he only understood German and English The local
orchestra consisting Of Fred Robinson and the cabinet
organ belonging tho Presbyterian society, attracted
our attention for few minutes. after which the per
Torrance began.
Everything went on pretty well at first, though
ve noticed that Francisco walked little crooked and
t,at Hcrat, showed chair abe al Of him when he
came o. and heard Polonus INDUCING in blank prose
behind the scenes because the liquor wasn't as good
as at the last town. He was talking TO the Queen
and he said that kind Of stuff might do for Niger min
s-el companies or modern society drama troupes
but # wasn't the kind OF poison for the legitimate
We shortly after discovered that the Ghost had
been drinking. We had expected 10 find the GhoSt
sober. We didn't mind It when Marccllus pulled
fat bottle out Of his coattail pocket and took np
because they had Just made remark about the ar
being chilly, but did look for prohibition Ghost
Intoxicaon is one OF the worst habits that ghost
can fall into 1t is bad enough when mortal gets
skate on as they say Boston, several sizes too big
for him. but when a ghost dons such thing 1t be-
comes even painful. 1t looks suspicious when
a ghost has TO lean UP against the wall when he
beckons.
Hamlet didn't get on 10 the stage TIL the second
act though We could hear him behind the scenes play
ing poker with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and
occasionally overhear him telling the King that they
had got to slide along the best they could be-
cause he wasn't going to quit loser.
When the Prince of Denmark did come on. how
ever, he made it lively for them The character was
played by Richard Heller himself, and We gathered
from what he said while he was coming on that Guilden-
stern had cleaned him ont and he had had to stop.
the stage and slaughter him. and his sword through
the King lie said he had had it in for Fortnbras for
long time, and that for the King, he might as well
die first as last Besides he added. IL was kings that
had just downed him in the poker game and he would
get even with him where he could. The First Grave
digger then came IN and began to kick, claiming that
he had intended to that joke himself, but Hamlet
ran him through with bis sword and told while he was
dying that he intended to wind this thing up before
they came 10 the graveyard scene at all
The King, together with Fortnbras and the First
Gravcdigcer were Observed about this time going out
the side door headed for the bar Osrc also dropped
out explaining those near the door that he saw THIS
thing wasn't going to last long and he guessed he
wouldn't have to 60 on at all
Hamlet stepped on the stage moment, with bag
over HIS shoulder in which be said he had the heads of
Bernardo and an attendant and If the large and crit
lcal audience would him a moment he believed
lie would step down and take drink.
While arranging FOR the next scene, Laeres and the
Priest got involved In a quarrel whether there
should be one chair two at a table, and Laeries
drew his raper and the Priest took the chair and they
went for each other They both got down and were
struggling 10 rise. when Hamlet happened to return,
and yc:cd at them to stay down. stay down" he
howled don't You know you're deadl. Didn't you
lust kill each oherl What in thunder you trying
TO get up for?7 He made them stay down and Polon-
lus drew them of the stage by the feet Hamlet said
the blamed hams didn't seem TO know when they were
dead. II discouraGine he went on. to have set
around you that when they were killed, didn't know
enough to keep SIN and shorten up the play. They
seemed to act If they expected the star to do all
the killing Then he stepped mp TO the foOtghts and
said: q" am requested 10 announce that you can GET
the best brands of wines liquors anI cigars the
Peep O. Day saloon, corner OF second-st and Cayuse
ave. Fresh lager always on draught. Try the Peep
O. Day without fail7 He then bowed and went on
with the play.
The only shakespearean scholar in the audience
Page Ingcrsoll, who played poker for living and
read the inspired bard when business slack. Tie
admitted they rushing the killing too fast. but
he didn't say much I'll Ophcla came smoking
cigarette Then he turned and told those in the
behind that that was anachronism because they
didn't have cigarettes then. But IL didn't make much
difference, as Hamlet Immediately yelled TO her from
behind the scenes that sho might well get to
nuunery and drown herself first as last, he wasn't
coming. She made elaborate bow 10 the audience
and said Ladies and gentlemen: Please consider me
drowned and skipped gracefully off the stage. We
heard Hamlet tell the English Ambassador that there
was more than one way TO kill actor.
High words and the crashing Of chair were then
beard In the left wing and Hamlet a moment
later and said he sorry 10 announce that the
Player King and Player Queen had Just had falling
and killed each other. so it would be impossible
10 nave tndt scene. III uluD lnaAc nucN tuNettce,
however. he added, the regular King guilty
anyhow, and he had already settled him. He also
said that Francisco had been suddenly taken sick and
wasn't expected to live and he had got the second
Gravedggcr sitting on him trying TO hold him down,
so they couldn't appear either We could hear Fran
cisco Topping about the dressing groom his back
and bowling about JUST having seen a snake, we
readily excused him. Page said Il wasn't in the play
but we agreed we wouldn't make fuss about such
little thing.
An attendant came I'm at this point and an
nounced TO Hamlet that the Queen. Horaiio. Polonus
Rosencrantz and Guildensen had been drowned while
on their way 10 England Hamlet looked at ap-
pcangly as much 10 say: You see how every
thing goes tonight and that was all Page said that
from reading the play nobody would have any idea
that there such high rate Of mortality.
The next two acts dragged some Hamlet went
down to got another drink, and tLc,e wasn't any one
left except Marcellus and Rcynaldo, and VOltlmand
and Cornelius and a few lords and ladies and other