The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-11-21
L0ND0N'S DAILY D0INGS
FIocking to See the Facts of the
Magnetic Girl.
A VERY CURIOUS SUPPEI
How the Salvation Army Dined Six HIM.
dred Professional Thieves-Miss Corn
wallis West will shortly be Married.
ESPECIAL TO THE NEws.l


bott, the Georgia Magnet" who is ex-
hibiting at the Alhambra, and every day
the excitement increases over her per-
formance, which is not only being dis
cussed In the ordinary critical way by the
papers, but they go so far as 10 write lead
ers on her, while the Times has been pub
fishing some correspondence on her pow
ers. The evening papers, too. have fallen
in line and devote columns to what must
truthfully be declared to be one OF the
most remarkable exhibitions we have
ever had here.
The Alhambra itself is besieged for an
hour before the doors are open by an
eager crowd which is anxious TO secure
places in those parts OF the house which
cannot be reserved beforehand, and the re
suit Is that Leicester Square, about
o'clock, holds a surging, seething mob
good natured, it is true, as London on
pleasure bent invariably is, but eager, to
opportunity that may occur to get into
the house before everybody else.
The reserved porti )ns OF the house are
closely booked week ahead of time, "a
thing hitherto unknown in London music
halls, and during Miss AbDott's perform
ance the house becomes so crowded that
its audience is only limited by the impossi-
bility TO admit more people without in
fringing the censeing act.
The Star has been publishing what pro-
fesses TO be an exposure OF the ways she
does her tricks" and last night issued
challenge to Miss Abbott, which was ac-
cepted with promptitude and dispatch"
Accordingly a reporter from that paper
went on the stage and was utterly defeat
ed. while the audience-like audiences
generally which delight in seeing the dis
comfiture of a would-be too smart indiyid-
ual-roared itself )arse
All sorts of conditions were imposed and
she was requested to change chairs, plat
forms, billiard cues. etc, all of which she
fornfSH'after having conceded everything.
After little while Charlie Mitchell was
spied among the audience, and there were
loud cheers for him TO try and lift the
magnet. He accordingly rose and went on
the stage. He took off his coat and waist
coat, and tugged and pulled with all his
might, but even his tremendous strength
availed nothing in moving Miss Abbott,
and he turned TO the audience and said,
81 can't do it.n
Miss Abbott was engaged with several
doctors and scientific men yesterday after
noon for them TO test her in all ways that
their skill and ingenuity could devise, and
she stood them all, although they ex-
tended over period of several hours.
Edwards, who had the first chance of
securing her services for the Empire
Theatre, which is the accepted rival of
the Alhambra in the variety business, re-
fused the offer and is now a very disap-
pointed man, for whether she be a fraud,
as some of the papers contend, or not, she
is undoubtedly the biggest draw known
here in years.
Many OF the members of the American
colony who believe tE2 yhole affair is a
gigantic fake are laughing at the way
staid Londoners are being humbugged.
Miss CORVALLIS West, the beautiful
daughter of n beautiful mother,
will be married at ST. Margaret's,
Westminster, and naturally the wedding
will attract great deal of attention. Her
wedding dress will be a beautiful confec-
fection of the time of the first empire, and
instead of the orthodox, wreath of orange
blossoms, her hair will be adorned with
veritable crown of diamonds.
A very curious supper which has been
widely discussed was that given on Thurs
day night by the Salvation Army to 600
professional thieves. The table was laid
in the hall in Oxford street and the guests
were furnished with an excellent meal of
meat, vegetables, plum cake and pudding
with tea and coffee. IL was a motley gath
ering and furnished a splendid object les
son TO those who care for studies of
crooks" while it must be confessed,
those believe in the innate goodness of
man coming out when away from baleful
influence, must have been shocked when
they saw these human beings or creatures
with all human attributes eating like
wolves, and grasping and tearing the vic
tuals before them as If they were starved.
To Judge from their appearance, they were
physically and intellectually unfit to fight
the battle of life in a square and honest
fashion.
An incident which requires no COM
ment, for it surely tells its own story, is
furnished in the case of one of these
"honored guests" who picked a pocket
outside the hall and was marched off To
supper. Perhaps, in his case, though the
individual displayed at too careless regard
for his surroundings, or it may be the
crook in question took pride in the pur-
suit of his profession and wanted to show
that his skill could surmount more than
ordinary difficulties and at the crucial
moment his nerve failed, he bungled and
was lost.
The Shelley Society, which was founded
by that society founder Doctor Frederick
j. Furnidall, the author of the
recently disbanded Browning Society,
is making preparations for the
observance of the hundredth anniversary
of the birth of that poet, and it has de
cided that the most fitting tribute TO his
memory on this occasion will be a per-
formance of his tragedy, the Cenci. This
will occur i'm May next, and will be the
second representation of that work.
The single condition TO insure the pro-
duction of the tragedy is the raising of
special fund of glO0 for the necessary ex-
penses-a small amount enough to ade-
quately give play which requires
great number of actors. Still the Shelley
Society did produce this play in 1886, with
cast which included Mr.. Herman Vein
as Count Cenci, Mr.. Leonard Outram as
Orsino, Mr.. Rudolph de Cordova as Gia-
como Cenci, Mr.. George r. Foss as Mar
zlo the chief assassin, and Miss Alma
Murray as Beatrice. IL was stage man
aged by Mr.. DE Cordova who, since this
was the first performance of the play, had
naturally to invent all the business"
and devise all the groupings, as well IA
make all the other arrangements for the
performance.
The play was produced at the Grand
Theatre, lslington, and was memorable,
not only for the brilliancy of the acting,
but because the audience was probably
the greatest intellectually, that had ever
assembled within the walls of n theatre,
even in London. IL was on May 9TH,
Robert Browning's birthday, that the pro-
duction was given, n fact which was
mentioned in the prologue written by DIR.
Todhunter, and evoked thunders Of APP
plause.
The lord chamberlain refused TO license
Heat vour ofr1cc with n Gas rada,pr No coal