Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-13
JOHN L., ACTOR.
Chicago Opens Its Arms to the
New Star.
an AUDIENCE THAT WAS SOLID.

tracted by the willy and Insinua ting
Reporter A Dose of "Medicine''-
Startling Effect of an Annoyance at the
Bath-Criticism OF Miss Sybil John
stone-A Lecture on Morals.
CHICAGO, Oct. l3-John /. Sullivan.
late premier knock EN- about of the
world, now delineator of the histrionic
art, appeared at the Haymarket theatre
in this city in the play written to give
him chance TO develop his talent, Hon
EST Hearts and Willing Hands" Did
anybody go to see himi Well, the very
reportorial pencil smiles for its whole
length at such a question. The house
was packed so full that sand could not
have been sifted between the people. And
the audience. 1t was prOmiscuous one.
1t represented all classes, but principally
the class that looks up to John as sort
of deity Did he &C The critics are
non committal. The fact that John L. is
30 handy with his ''dukes" probably had
q softenin2 effect and caused a careful
toning down of criticism
An Interview with the Star.
After the performance was over a scribe
took his life in his hand and asked an in
terview. 1t was granted. The distin-
guished American said he was feeling
rocky" and when he made this remark
ne took dose of medicine" Actin
romes easy to me-" said he, "and haiu't
never goin' back to fightin'; there's moth
in in it for me any mora like the stage,
if anybody should ask you. | am becom-
ing infatuated with it, and"
"Ah! but" interrupted the reporter, "to
what may not such infatustion lead?
Think of the temptations that surround a
young man in the theatrical profession.
the perils of vice, sin, aud Satan's wicked
infiuence-in short the morality of the
| stage!
Mcclure on Stage Morality.
We'll, l should chase rat. 1 have
never seen anything ont of the way.
Those blokes that breaches against the
stage as an immoral agent are dead wrong,
! d'yu understand They amt in the game
al all Why, see here"-he laid his ham
| ike, heavy hand on his callers knee and
| leaned toward him. The fat that has
| grown on his front rolled down over his
DE and he said: The tendency in thea
/ tiers Is all toward higher moral grounds.
/ Sentiment Is growing against tights, the
| sense OF the public III a homogeneous mass
! Is rising tn overthrow the saiaCious pictures
| of he spectacular performance, and leg
| shows are on the bum now, d'yu seer The
| leg innate drama is coming to the front,
See Me and Booth and Lawrence Bar
rett have recently declared against them,
aud Lawrence is right if any body should
/ ask you. Iou can put big money on
| HIM
Doesn't Approve of Sybn.
and what do you think of Sybn John
/ sons latest production in New York;"
Miss johnson is creating an extreme, ~
said he, That Is nyether"-it will be no.
| uced that Mr.. Sullivan has adopted the
! feStl etc pronunciation of neither-"com-
/ meniable nor proper In all my life
/ never did anything so indecent as she does
when she covers her body with small
| apology for fi2 leaf, and I've been a
! pretty tough mark at that, all right, all
| right. Nouse fellows has roasted me often
| enou n, anyway. Now, Miss johnson
| can't cut much of figure with such play
actin. 1t won't go as | say. The drama
/ as Booth, and Barrett, and Dune here an
me has made it, is the only true legiti
I lldtc SCHbOi- anu liitt the Only one Indt
| can succeed y
What the Stage Needs.
Shortly after this John retired to the
bath room. Then his voice, coming out
of the blowing, spouting and sputtering
he was creating in the bath. said:
| What the stage needs is more of Us
who are lovers of art, more of estheti
cism, might say. We need more purity
! In plays-oh, d it"
WI ats the matter, Johns" cried Mr.
Harris on. startled and alarmed at Thu
sudden exclamation.
'Soapl hOwled the fighter Soap! In
my eyes" For lack of space the mum bel
OF dasles requisite to reproduce the elias
sic and refined malediction, of which art
Mr. Sullivan is the exponent in a merica
and truly great master, is omitted. Tn,
room sInelled as if John had stepped or
box Of matches.
Been Libeling the Ex-Fighter.
The bath completed the great and only
innocence o'erspread his face as h.
dropped dejectedly into a chair
They We had me drunk half dozeI
times he said slowly and sadly. "HaC
me all b)ozed up here the other day il
| PittsbuTg, and they're all lies-out
rageous, yillainous lies II John Sullivan
gets drunk it's telegraphed all over tn,
country. Other men get drunk NOR,
than me and it amt anything l hav
been III sused and abused and treate,
badly Bat | don't care for the whole O
'em, if anybody should ask you. i know
my business and can tend to it. l aim
asking no odds of any of 'em, and it
about STA to six whether I'm any toughe
than SOM M hers