The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-04-06
A TRAGIC COMEDY.
An Anecdote Of the Actor Forrest as
Told by Jefferson.

Joseph Jefferson tells the following
anecdote Of Forrest in the Century,
.'0ne of the characters, being overcome
with nervousness, reversed his questions
to Metamora. giving the wrong lines, and
of course receiving an absurd answer
The audience. recognizing the confusion
OF the dialogue, began to laugh, and of
course this made matters worse. The act
terminates with the Indians great
speech, From the east to the west, from
the north to the south, the loud cry
of vengeance shall be heard and here
he hurls his knife into the centre of the
stage. where 1t quiyers defiance as the
curtain falls. In his anger and excite
ment the blade failed to stick IN the stage
and bounded into the orchestra, the han
die hitting the double-bass player on the
top of his head, which was as innocent of
hair as a billiard ball, so as the curtains
came down the old fellow was stamping
about and rubbing his bald pate TO the
delight of the audience.
Il realized now that the storm had
burst in earnest and that total wreck
would soon follow. Knowing that could
not avert the catastrophe, and having no
desire TO face the tragedian's wrath, like a
polite but disloyal captain deserted the
ship and went in front to see it go down.
Byron says of a battle, oh, what a sight
therei' to which Prentice adds, and is
not there himself The latter was now
my case. | was not there myself, and |
did not intend to be. 80 from the secure
corner of an upper private box / watched
the progress of the most disastrous per-
Torrance had ever seen.
As the curtain rises on the last act the
tribe of Metamora should rush through
the woods as their leader calls them; but
by this time the braves were so fright
ened that they became demoralized, and,
as the foremost rushed through the open
ing in the woods his long bow got cross
wise between two trees This not only
precipitated the redskin over it, but the
entire tribe followed, tumbling head over
heels into the middle of the stage. |
trembled now lest The big Injin' would
refuse to put in an appearance. At last,
to my relief, the audience Quoted
down and Forrest strobe upon the stage.
If | remember the story. at this point
Metamora's wife and children had been
stolen away and murdered. His pathos
was fine, and by his magnificent acting
he reduced his audience to attention and
enthusiasm. All was now going we'll,
and looked forward to a Happy termina-
know had nearly reached its climax.
"a funeral pile of burning faggots was
then brought on. at which some pale-face
was to be sacrificed. The two Indians in
charge OF this MISUNDERSTANDING article
set it down so unsteadily that a large
sponge, saturated with flaming alcohol.
tumbled off and rolled down the stage,
leaving Il track Of fire in its wake. Put
it outp said Forrest, put it out! where
upon the TWO Indians went down on
their knees and began to blow alter
naJeiy in a see-saw way, singing each
others eyebrows at every puff. The audi
ence could not stand this comical picture,
and began to break forth in laughter.
Let the theatre burnv roared Forrest. At
last one tall Indian. supposed TO be second
in command, majestically waved off the
two who were blowing, and stamped with
his foot with force and dignity upon the
flaming sponge, at which a perfect foun-
tain OF burning alcohol spouted up his
leather legs. He caught fire, tried to put
himself out, rubbing and jumping about
frantically, and at last danced off the
stage in the most comical agony. For
rest made a furious exit; the curtain was
dropped, and in the public, in perfect
the crowd as it went forth, aud l never
saw an audience at the end of fiye-act
comedy wreathed in such smiles"
Stage Notes.
Next weeks attraction at the Academy
of Music VIII be sSimms and Pettit's
latest success, Master and Man,
Those fayorite inelodramic stars. Mr..
Joseph j. Bowling and Miss Sadie
Hasson, supported by an excellent COM
pany, will commence weeks engage
inent at Jacobs Theatre tomorrow, when
will be presented, for the first time in
Hoboken, their new sensational nelo-
drama, entitled 1.-THE Red Spider.''
Daniel Suily's successful engagement
closes today with two performances of
"The Corner Grocery.
Some Of the mining sharks III Butte
A~u-~ ~
The famous opera singer, one night Be
tween acts they slipped behind the scenes
and presented hsr with a block Of mining
stock, making great flourish Of trum
pets about It a local paper, mentioning
the al1nir. says OF the mine; The Hia-