St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-29
AS AN ACTOR.
The Champion on the Stage
Speeches Called Out by Kisses.

The Champion on the Stage
Speeches Called Out by Kisses.
The champion pug was the prime at
fraction at the Grand opera house last
night, which was crowded to the DOORS
Every seat was occupied, while the
Risles, foyer and stairways were packed
with curious humanity. ''Broderick
Agra" was the bill, play evidently
written with very meager plot sur
rounding an opportunity for the only
John l.. to spread himself. He is an
Irish lad, sadly in need of a Sunday
shave, whose fistic prowess always
comes in at the nick of time to save vir-
tue i'll distress. He does not come in
until the first act is we'll under way.and
when he came siding upon the stage
there was salve of applause that
shook the building. John l.. was not
himself. His partner had been called
away by family sickness, and Sullivan
seemed overcome with grief. His eyes
were heavy. his step uncertain and his
voice decidedly husky. His memory.
too, was little off color. and he forgot
his lines, frequently abruptly closing a
sentence in the middle and saying, soto
Vece, LET it go at that" In the first
act he dragS in pig as present to his
hancee, and his want of condition was
evidenced in the fact that the exertion
made him puff and blow like porpolse.
Instead of pulling the pig off, he mo-
toned to a stage hand to do it, saying
with a grin, Pull this off; Pm too
strong"
The climax of the piece is reached in
the third act, which is scene in Dub
lin theater. After a little specially
work, Sparring contest comes on. Sui
IIW1n RrD1nrinE KpltNr ha ohop
of Tralee, and is to box the champion
Of Dublin for purse of $500, which he
proposes to use III paying off a mortgage
on the Meagher homestead. John l..
frequently mentions this fight, and on
one occasion brings down the house by
saying: PPM going to win my next
fight, and hope it will be with Paddy
Slavin." The champion of Dublin is
Jack Ashton, and he and Broderick
strip for the fray. John l.. is in terrible
lighting condition. He is flabby, short
winded, and has paunch that must be
trained down before he could meet
featherweight. The sparring between
himself and Ashton evidently did not
meet with the views of the gallery,
which expected genuine fight. One
minute OF smuggling with pillows had
gone Oh when clear and sibilant hiss
ran around the house. Sullivan faced
AROUND, surprised and defiant. He
seemed to take it that the hiss meant
dissatisfaction with the game Ashton
was putting up, for he squared off and
said:
Ladies and gentlemen it's unnecessary to
hiss. This man is a pardner of NINE and
hlm and me spars every night. f any one
here thinks he can spar any better let him
come up here and try it. Here he struck a
pose. and the audience gave vent to mingled
misses and applause. Apologies to the
ladies. I'm not the handsomest-formed man
In the world, but I'm the best. [Another
pose and overwhelming applause from the
galleries. can lick any man in the world
Holding up a defiant and warning fore
fnger.l
There was tremendous applause, and
the men went to their corners. In the
second round another thought struck
the champion, and he advanced and
made this speech:
Indies and Gentlemen: Ny partner Dun
can b. Harrison. who PLAYS this part. ain
here tonight. He's called away, by sad dis
patch, to his mother She was expected to
die tonight, and of all the effervescenU calls
play this part better'n any human bein' on
earth and Mr.. Wallin, who takes the part, is
0oln the best ne knows how, and of course
you Know be Then an abrupt pausel. I'll
Tell you the rest tomorrow night.
crisis was reached in the last act.
the curtain was descending upon the
happiness which crowns virtue in the
play. and the characters clasped hands
IN line. John l.. attempted to do a
little dancing and lost his balance. He
tried 10 SIT on rustic seat near by. but
missed 1t and fell TO the stage. The cur
Saln dropped amid hurricane of cheers.