St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-30
IAN EX-CONVlCT.n
Synopsis of Hal Reid's Melodrama
Shortly to Be Produced.

Shortly to Be Produced.
Members of the stock company Or
gained to produce j. Hal Reid's melo-
drama. IAN ex-Convict," met at the
office of Frank f. Davis. in the Boston
block, last evening, and it was decided
to put 81, 200 into advertising matter at
once, to engage leading lady of ma
tlonal reputation and strong company,
to report at Minneapolis for rehearsal
May IL. The following is synopsis of
the plot OF the piece: Jack Murton, a
young, industrious fellow earning $4,000
year, is at the rising of the curtain on
the first act, confidential clerk in
the employ of Mr.. Harcourt, broker,
who, approaching Jacks services, is
about to make him one of the firm. This
is agreed upon, and Mr.. Harcourt goes
out OF the office to obtain the necessary
papers, when Bill Jones enters the
place and recognizes Murton, man
who had served four years in Sing Sing
at time when Jones, broken down
crook, was also there. Jones threatens
to expose Murton unless he receives
money for his silence, which, under
the circumstances, Murton decides
to give him. He therefore ex-
tracts from the safe of Harcourt
thousand dollar bond intending to re-
place it later in the day with one of his
own. HarcOurt returns with the papers
that are to make Jack an equal partner,
is about 70 sign them when De Voc, the
william in the piece, who is Harcourt's
nephew, denounces Murton as robbing
the safe. This HarcOurt will not be-
lieve, when De Voc -prOclaims Jack as
being IAN eX-COnvict," and Jones turns
traitor and cOrroborateS De Woes state
ment. As Jack refuses to give an eX-
PLANTATION he IS cast out. Harcourt
noticing his daughters great agitation
asks the cause, and learns for the first
time that Jack and Madeline (Harcourt's
daughter) have been secretly married.
After Jacks strong scene with Har-
court he resolves to give up his wife
and hide his shame in the company of
such as Bill Jones. The second act, six
years later. finds Jack Murton a dis
graced, disappointed man sitting
amidst the filth and slum of a thieves
headquarters, low GROCERY. Bill
Jones and Red Darby, thinking Murton
has knowledge of certain crimes they
have committed, get him drunk. and
promise to go with him to rob house.
thereby becoming as guilty as they, and
forever secure his silence. The second
scene i'll the second act shows Made
lines (Jack's wife) boudoir, where she
is in the act Of singing her little
Jones. Darby and Murton are seen
coming through window for
the purpose of robbery. The
burglars hide behind curtains and
wait until such time as Madaline shall
have finished her evening prayer and
retired. Murton is placed in a chair in
his drunken condition. AS the dying
sounds of his child's prayer, God bless
mamma and papa and everybody"
come to his ears lie recognizes his wife's
voice, which brings him to his senses.
AS Jones and Darby are about to
strangle Madeline and ransack the
hands of their supposed accomplice,
Jack Murton. Jones and Darby escape
through window. Madeline awakens
and exclaims: ''Who is this good man
that has saved all our lives? and recog-
nIzes her husband. is about to approach
him, when he exclaims: stop! Who
am L? l am an outcast on the face of |
the earth. l am that despised thing
known to the world as 'an ex-convict.'"
In the third and fourth acts, during
wRRh several attempts are made to
loses his eyesight, he has returned to
the home of a friend of his wife, know
ing only he is with friends, when, one
day. little girl runs i'll, and he recog-
nizes the sound of the voice of |
his little siX-year-old daughter. Muir |
ton is wearing bandage over |
mis- eyes, which is not to be removed |
until eight daysafrom the time it was
placed there by the doctor, he will at
the end of that time know if he will or
will not ever see the light of day again. |
This is the seventh day, and he calls the |
little girl to him, asks her name, who |
her mamma is, if she ever saw her |
papa, if she is happy, and is answered |
in simple baby talk, when the little
girl. be coming curious, pulls the band
age from Murton's eyes, when he rises
and exclaims: my God! 1t is the
light! Heaven has given me back my
sight through the touch of my baby's
fingers" After this a reconciliation
takes place. Murton saves Harcourt
from ruin by examining the books of
the broker, and finds Harcourt is ON the
verge of being ruined by De Voc, who
has, since the opening of the play. kept
the books of the firm. De Voc is de-
nounced, Murton is made a partner,
restored to his wife and child. given his
eyeSight and good name. and shows
there is some good in human nature