Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1890-09-06
ATerrlble Audience.


Having had a long rest from act
ine, returned to Melbourne to play
a short engagement with my former
partner at the Haymarket, ana then
sailed for Van Dieman's Land, nov
called Tasmania. This lovely island
had formerly been convict station
where life sentenced prisoners irom
England had been sent. There was
at the time speak OF, and is now
most refined society in Tasmania,
though among the lower classes
there was n strong flavor OF the con
Wet clement. acted "The Ticket
ot-Leave Man" for the first time 10
Hobart Town, and there was much
excitement in the city when the play
was announced At least one nun
dred ticket-oi-leave men were IN the
nit on the first night Of its produc'
ton. Before thecurtain rose, look
ed through it at this terrible audi
ence; the faces in the pitwere study.
Men with low foreheads and small,
peering, ferret-looking eyes, some
with fiat noses, and square, cruel
laws, and sinister xpressions, -leer.
ing, low, and cunning,-all wearlnga
sullen, dogged look, as though they
would tear the benches from the PIT
and cut the theater of its scenery
if one OF their kind was held up 10
public scorn upon the stage. THIS
shows the power of the drama. An
author might write an article nbus-
inc them, oran artist paint picture
showing up the hideous deformity OF
their features-all this they could
bear and even laugh Mt; but put one
of their ilk upon the stage in human
form, surrounded by thesympathetlc
story of a play, and they would no
more submit to nm ill-usage OF him
than they would to personal at
tack upon themselves.
The first act Of the play progressed
with but little excitement. These
men seemed TO enjoy the humorous
and pathetic side OF the story with
great relish: but when | came upon
the stage in the second net, revealing
| the emaciated features of n returned
convict, with sunken eyes and a
closely shaved head. there was Il
painful stiffness in the house. The
whole pit seemed to lean forward aud
strain their eager ewes upon the ."euei
and MS Bob Briefly revealed 70 his
sweetheart the secrets OF the prison
house" there were little murmurs oI
recognition and shnkinas ofthe head,
as though they fully recognized the
local illusions that they so well re-
membered; deep-dawn signs for
he suffrrings that Bob Ind
gone through, and little smoth
,red laughs at some OF the old
aforementioned Inconvenience o.
prison life; but then, Bob was hero
and their sympathies were caught by
The nobleness of his character ant
MS innocence OF crime, ms though
each one of these villains recognized
now prosecuted he and Bob had been
As the play progressed, their en-
thusinsm increased. Whenever Boil
vas bounded by a detective, or il
treated by the old jew. they woul,
howl their Indignation mt the actors
} and when he came out unscnthed II
|. the end Of the play monument q
perfect innocence, they cheered TO TN
very echo. This performance rem
lered me extremely popular witt
some Of the old ''lngs" Of Hobar
Town; and was often accosted OF
The street by these worthless and toll,
some touching tale OF their early per
solutions In fact they quite locke,
On me as an old pal" These courts
,ies we're very fattering, but tn
/ inconvenience that / was caused b
being poked in the ribs and winke
; at now and then, as much rs TO sny
/ alright, old boy, we know,-you' '
: been there, rendered my favOritisr
, among these fellows rather irksom,
; Joseph Jefferson, in The Century.