Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-02-13
A COMIC TRAGEDY.
A serioas Play Made Laughabls BY
Numerous Blunders.

6umerous 1lunoore.
From Joseph Jeiferson's autobiography,
now running in the Century, we quote
the following anecdote of Forrest: zone
of the characters, being overcome with
nervousness, reversed his questions to
Metamora, giving the wreng 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 it quivers a defiance rs the
curtain falls. In his anger and excite
ment the blade failed to stick in the
stage, and bounded into the orchestra,
the handle hitting the double-base player
on the head, which was AS innocent of
hair as billiard ball, so as the curtain
came down the old fellow was stamping
about and rubbing his bald pate, to the
delight of the audience.
81 realized now that the storm had
burst in earnest, and that total wreck
would soon follow Knowing that I
could not avert the catastrophe and hav-
ing no desire to face the tragedian's
wrath, like polite but disloyal captain
! deserted the ship and went in front to
see it go down. Byron says of a battle,
'Oh, what sight to- him who has no
friend or brother therep to which Prem
tice adds, and is not there HIMSELF The
latter was now my case. was not there
myself, and / did not intend to be- so
from the secure corner of an upper
private box watched the progress Of the
most disastrous performance / had, ever
seen.
3tAs 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 frightened that they had become de-
moralized, and as the foremost rushed
through the opening in the woods his
long bow got crosswise between two,
Trees This not only preoipitated' the
nedskin over it, but the entire tribe fol-
lowed, tumbling head overheels into the.
middle Of the stage. ] Itrembled now lest
the big Injun' would refuse to put in an
appearance. At last, to my relief, the
audience quieted down and Forrest strobe
upomthe stage. If l remember the story.
at this point Metamorais> wife and
children had been stolen away and mur-
dered. His pathos was fine, and by his,
magnificent acting he reduced his audi
ence to attention and enthusiasm. ALL
was now going well, and l looked for
ward to happy termination of the play,
which was thankful to know had nearly
reached Its climax.
"a funeral pile of burning faggots tswas,
then brought on, at which some pale face
was to be sacrificed. The two Indians in
charge of this mysterious-l looking article
set it down so unsteadily that a, large,
sponge, saturated with flaming alcohol,
tumbled off and rolled down the stage.
leaving track of fire in its wake. Put
it outr said Forrest, put it outp where
upon the two Indians went down upon
their knees and began to blowalternatelY
ina seesaw way, singeing each others,
eyebrows at every puff. The audience
could not stand this comical picture, and
began to- break forth in laughter. Let,
the theatre burnt 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 perfect fountain of burning
alcohol sp0uted up his leather legs, He
caught fire, tried to put himself out, rub
bing and jumping about frantically, and
at last danced off the stage in the most
comicali agony. Forrest made furious
exit; the curtain was dropped, and the
public, in perfect good nature, dispersed,
mingled with the crowd as it went forth,
and never saw an audience, atsthe end
Of tive-act comedy, wreathed I'M SUCH
smiles"