The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-22
JOHN L. AS AN ACTOR.
The Ex-eluQger Delighted Those Who
Went to see Him.

Went to See Him.
Ex-Slugger John L. Sullivan was an
object Of curious interest at the theater last
night. He is the principal feature of
Honest Hearts and Willing Hands," and
although he has very little to do or say,
whatever he did event" with the audience
There was a great deal Of curiosity to see
Sullivan. and as soon as 1t was known he
was In town yesterday morning a crowd Of
men and boys besieged the Pulaski to get
glimpse of the famous pugilist. Very few
were gratihed, however. Sullivan took a
short stroll soon after his arrival, and then
returned to the hotel and went to his room,
where he spent tile remainder of the day
He had dinner in his room with his party
and very few people were admitted to see
him. The hotel clerks said that he was
asleep and did not wish to be disturbed.
1t was a mixed audience that greeted the
pugilist at the theater. Nearly all the seats
in the parquet and dress circle were occu-
pied, and the galleries were crowded. It
was pretty fair crowd. too, all things con-
sidered. About twenty-five ladies were In
the audience,
Honest Hearts and Willing Hands, was
written by Duncan Harrison especially for
Sullivan, as was very apparent
Nevertheless, 1t is very good play,
Astounding in plenty Of old-time heavy
villainy and heroic situations The COM
play the parts Of "John and James DAILY"
two brothers. Harrison, as John DAILY"
is the hero Sullivan, as James DAILY"
comes in for a secondary part
The play begins at Days range, the home
of the Days, and after love scene between
the young Irish boy and his sweetheart,
there is a wild runaway outside John DAILY
ha0 nd &c lad loxrn Ru,.
being dashed TO death. He returns with his
brother, the two bearing the lady between
them.
Sullivan was greeted with a whoop OF
applause He bowed and the applause was
repeated. 1t was some minutes before it
ceased. There are a lot of dramatic scenes
in the first act, and every now aud then
were tremendously applauded. In fact,
every time Sullivan spoke, it was the signal
for round of applause
Arthur Dare, the heavily villain, came
on in this act and had his villainy shown
up by his cousin, Miss Poiquford, whom
John Daily had just rescued and whom both
men are in love with. Sullivan did not
figure in the second act at ALL The villain
does a great deal OF work, snares his father
in the meshes, robs and then murders him
and manages to place the murder upon John
DAILY.
The third act shows Sullivan as "James
DAILY, i" the blacksmith at the forge, with his
| assistants, who get off some good Irish
songs and dances.
Sullivan's gigantic proportions were well
set off by his blacksmith's costume. He
this act. He had number of lines and
got them off without any hitch.
His speech was very good, too,
| and did not SAVIOR Of the tough.
The happy family is finally broken up by
| the ill news brought by the brother, who Is
pursued as the murderer of Gen. Dare, the
| villains father, and flames Dalyn shows
up as his brothers defender aud right-ha
man. His evident Willingness TO do up the
villain and anybody else that interfered, was
enjoyed by the audience. When Sullivan
called "Gen. Dare" 'bald-headed old
scoundrel," the gallery went wild. There
are lot of cross purposes in the fourth act,
but the villains efforts come to naught.
The great feature of the play, and which
many Of the audience came specially to see
was the boxing match in the fifth act be-
tween Sullivan and Joe Lannon, as "Tug
| OBrien, the Hired Thug" This scene il
entirely irrelevant to the story of the play,
and is evidently thrown in TO give the
crowd a chance to see Sullivan SPAR Lam
non is no sardine himself. and has put up
several good fights during his day. He is
| q " tremendously hS1NS LlehAl, Oue IL was
evident that Sullivan could do him up in
no time in a real fight.
The crowd applauded as Sullivan ap-
peared on the stage in tights. At the word
| the contestants went at it in lively man.
ner and did some apparently heavy
/ sparring. Il was very plain
| though, that the heavy blows fell
very lightly upon the combatants, Sullivan
| striking sometimes only with the palm of
| his hand. The champion appeared TO be
more at home in the sparring match than
| any other portion of the play, and smiled
throughout. There were three rounds of
about a minute each. Sullivan gave hi,
antagonist light tap on the neck in the
third round. and laid him out dead, 30 *
speak.
! The grand denouemenr followed immedi.
diately upon the prize fight and everything
was rigated. The crowd hardly waited
for this, though, and began to leave as soor
as the sparring match was over.
; After the play Sullivan was taken in 9
| carriage by John J. Sullivan to his place
on Bryan street, where he met q few friends
| Sullivan told several anecdotes and gave al
account of his affair with the negro waiter
in Richmond, in which he was doused with
hot coffee by that waiter. He said he would
have surely smashed the waiter IL be had
caught him. He will spend to-day in Sa-
vannah with J. j. Sullivan and few other
friends.
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