Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-02-08
AT THE THEATER.
A NEW PLAY IN NEW YORK THAT HAS
CAUGHT ON.
John Needhams DOuble"-A Drama Founded On
the London Career Of John Sadlier-Nellie
McHenry in Her New Play Of Cham
Lightning"-Thsatrical Gossip.

McHsnry in Her New Play Of Cham
Lightning "-Thsatrical Gossip.
New YORK, February 7.-Jom Sad
lier had a short and lively career in Lon
don fifteen or twenty years ago. He ac-
auired popularity and reputation for
probity. He figured in financial bust
uess, became member of Parliament
and was made Lord of the Treasury.
His rapid rise to eminence was less re-
markabe than his downfall, however,
| for his scoundrelsm in several enter
prises was exposed, and he sought in
suicidal death refuge from punishment
in life. Many believed that his demise
was a false pretenSe TO cover his Hight,
but there was no good reason to ac-
cept that theory as the truth. Sad
ier undoubtedly killed himself.
But Joseph Hatton saw in the
subject theme for popular novel,
and in the story which he wrote the
notorious swindler became John Need
ham, whose character and clrcum-
stances were like those of Sadlier up to
the point of the real suicide. The man
of the fiction, when about to swallow
poison, accidentally came across phys
zeal counterpart Of himself. After muir
dering this stranger and taking posses
sion of documents proving his Inherit
ance to a fortune in America Needham
imperSonated him until, being at length
unmaSked, the pretender swallowed
poison and died.
Upon that groundwork OF fact and
fancy Mr.. Hatton constructed drama
John Needham's Double" which was
acted for the first time last night at
Palmer's Theatre. Its value consisted
solely in the dual role which it provided
for Mr.. T.. Willard, and the interest
aroused by the performance was almost
exclusive TO the dOingS of that actor.
His success was marked, for he i'm
pressed himself upon the observer much
! in the same manner that Henry Irving
does, although in less degree. NO
body who witnessed the crime OF John
Needham as wildly depicted by Willard,
will ever forgetit. His temptation TO do
the deed. his formation OF the plot, his
commission of the crime, his behavior
under suspicion, and his death when
the exposure came, were all represented
with no betrayal of effort or artiilce,
vet with an effectiveness rarely sur
passed. During the half-hour occupied
by the murder and the incidents I'M
mediately connected with it the play
was a monologue for Mr.. Willard. but
no stageful of actors ever kept an audi
Gnce more intently eager TO hear every
word and see every motion. Inc man
agement of the double impersonation
involved the use Of dumb counterpart
of the principal actor for only minute
or two. An ingenious alienation OF
light and darkness in the room enabled
Mr.. Willard to be one man ana then the
other, and so the intensely melodrama-
tic episode was given in a way to chill
a susceptible spectator and at least en-
gross a critical one.
Mr.. Hatton had made the dramatlZa-
ton of his story, seemingly, for the sin
gle purpose of Mr.. Wizards assumption
of the resembling men, and, judged by
it's success in that respect, 1t was good
achievement. But the other characters
were mere sketches, and the scenes
prior to the crime were not interesting
or amusing. One parsonage, Ken
tucky LAWYER. was a rather humorous
caricature, and Burr Mcintosh did well
by him. Others in the cast had light
tasks and were equal TO them.
"Chain Lightning is the title OF
play newly produced at the Columbus
Theatre on Monday evening, and the
pleasant reception accorded 1t by
large audience has been repeated night
". 1t is manifestly a drama built to
suit Nellie McEienry, VINO in the
course of the evening plays five char
acters. two of which, the Wild Rose
and Fraulcin Gretchen, being partlcu-
larly good. Chain Lightning belongs
to the category of wild West dramas,
and introduces several of the conven-
tional types of camp and mining life
the DownEaster, the travelling Snowman,
the wild Irishman, the customary villain,
and the old aunt from way down East.
The villain having possessed himself
of the title deeds TO a mine. II becomes
necessary for Wild Rose, also called
Chain Lightning, to follow him and re-
cover the documents to save her father
from ruin. Miss McHenry, who is
pleasantly remembered by certain
class of metropolitan theater-goerS, has
lost nothing save her slender figure.
Her voice has all It's old freshness and
strength. while her reSiStless flow OF
animal spirits and her surprising powers
of endurance, which enable her to keep
up rafting pace every minute she is
on the stage. make her one of the most
entertaining variety actresses of the
day. .Iosepha Crowell as Aunt Lizzie,
e. 4. Eagleston as Eph Hardpan. and
Frank Doane as travelling comedian
were very amusing, and they added ma
terially in keeping the audience in good
humor. The author Of the drama Is
Mr. Charles +. Mclean.