Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-23
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
ACTING THAT CAUSED A MURDERER TO
CONFESS HIS CRIME.
Dramatic Scenes in q German Theater
The Old California Theater
Company-Stage Notes.

Herr Possart, the German tragedian-
now visiting this country-once, while he
was enacting murderous part, by his real.
istic rendition so strongly affected mur.
derer who was in the audience that the
latter, amid great excitement, ran from
the theater and gave himself into the
hands of justice. The story was told me
last week by an eyewitness of the scene
The dramatic incident occurred about
thirty years ago, while Herr Possart was
playing an engagement at the Stadt Thea
ter in Breslau. The police at the time
were vainly endeavoring to fathom MUIR
der which had recently been committed
there. The victim was an old knife-gIinder
named Auger, who lived all alone in a
frame-house on the outskirts of the town.
He worked all day at his trade, and at
night shut himself up in his house, asso.
ciating with no one. He was looked upon
as miser by all who knew him, for it was
| y,
| generally supposed that his wealth was
secreted in his house.
On the night Of January 20, 1861. the
| inhabitants of the town were thrown into
great excitement by the discovery that
| Auger's house was in flames. When the
fremen arrived they could not find Anger
anywhere. After the flames had been sub
dued they found the dead body of the
miser on The floor. He mad been brutally
murdered. The police tried to find the
murderer but could not obtain even the
slightest clue.
At this time Possart was playing r.
Gottschalk's Indian tragedy called ''The
Nabob." 1t is founded on early Indian
history during Lord Gives regime. The
time of the drama was 1857, and the plot
and negotiations of the East India Com
pany and the Nabob were represented.
This play used to be very popular one
in Germany, and the part taken by Pos
sart was one of his best performances He
played the part of the Indian Mattali.
| In the second act he attempts to assas-
nate Lord Give, President of the East
India Company and Governor-General of
India. This was powerful piece of act
ing. Mattali tried to steal quietly upon
Give and stab him. Just as he was about
to strike the fatal blow he was caught
and Immediately he buried the dagger
which was intended for Lord Give in his
own heart.
Ten days had elapsed since the murder
of the old miser, and on January 30.h the
Stadt Theater was crowded to see "The
Nabob" played. In the front row of the
| gallery was a young subordinate officer,
Sergeant Geissler, with his sweetheart,
Anna Richter. The audience became
greatly interested during the first act of
the play, and in the second act the ex-
citement was intense Geissler was verv
much worked up over it and sat as if en-
tranced as he watched the plotting of the
young Indian against the Governor
As the plot developed he eagerly watched
| every movement, and as Mattali was about
to kill Lord Give his nerves were strained
to their greatest tension. He sat as il
transfxed, gazing at the actors, and when
the Indian was seized before he struck the
fatal blow Geissler started and became
greatly excited. Miss Richter spoke to
him, but he did not heed her. He al
ternately flushed and paled as he watched
the remorse and disappointment of the
young Indian. The perspiration stood on
his forehead in great beads as the dagger
was turned towards the Indians heart, and
as he struck the blow Geissler, with a
loud cry, leaped from his seat and rushed
bareheaded from the theater. The con.
fusion in the theater was great The cur
tain was hastily rung down. Many lef,
the house, while others wondered what had
happened. After quiet was restored the
play proceeded
In the meanwhile Sergean; Geissler had
rushed from the theater to the nearest DO
lice station, and there gave himself up as
the murderer of the old knife grinder. He
was locked up, and within few days tried
He confessed having murdered the misel
in order to steal his gold, but had been un
able to find the money. Then he fired the
building in order to hide all evidence Of
his crime. He said that Possarts power,
ful portrayal of the feeling of the mimic
suicide forced him to make the confession
He was sentenced to death, but the SEN
tence was committed to life imprisonment
by the higher Courts on the ground OF
having confessed. The Governor of Ba
varla recently pardoned Geissler, after the
latter had been imprisoned for twenty-nin,
years.
NEVER TOO LATE TO MEND"
Meeting that old actor and gentleman
"Joe" Proctor the other day, visions of tina
blood-curdling Indian melodrama, 9Th,
Jibbenanosay," was brought to mind
Proctor in his prime stood fully six feet
built in proportion, and in the weirc
makeup of the Avenger was a sight to re
member. Old-time plays are coming tc
the front, and meeting Friend Joe put me
in mind of the production of 'Never Toc
Late to Mend" at the California Theatel
in the 70s. The California Theatel
boasted then of having the finest stock
company in the United States, and it wa.
no idle boast, either, for it had the people
Proctor had manuscript copy of the play
written or revised by Charles Read, the
author of the novel. 1t was put on II
splendid shape on the big stage of the the
ater, and it had splendid cast. Both
Frank Mayo and Bill Mestayer (who was
then the heavy man of the theater, and he.
heavy man still), Mrs. Saunders, Harry
| Edwards, Emily Melville, E. J. Buckley
j. I. Raymond. Raymond, as the low
comedian, was cast for Jakev, the
Australian native, but Raymond die
not cater to the idea of blackins
up, and E. L. Walton was tole
off to play it. He made tremendous hi
in the part, receiving each night cal
before the curtain for bit of pathetic act
ing that no one had dreamed of when the
play was put in rehearsal The scene
represents the overflow of river. Mayc
is prosecuted innocent, wanders to Aus
tralia to find evidence to clear himself O
some accusation, taken down with fever il
a hut, no companion but the native boy
Jakey, who hears the rumble and roar O
the approaching flood, and begs his master
to fly for safety. The man, wild with de
lirium, refuses to 60. The boy, standing
at the door Of the hut, describes the com
ing of the flood. Certain death await:
them if they stay. Too weak to carry the
master, the boy goes back to the fever
stricken man, and, putting the master:
head in his arms, he croons lullaby and
rocks him to quietness and sleep. The
soughing of the wind among the trees, the
breaking timber and the roar of the com
ing flood, the lightning flash and the boy
in the midst of all grooming death ditty
would bring the house to Its feet in wild
tumult of applause. They had no tank
then, but the play was great 60, and
would be again to-day.-Duniop's Stag