Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-12

formancss were notorious il not noteworthy.
| He could have been daily seen passing mp and
down Broadway stalwart. rather regardless
| figure. with broad shoulders and brawny limbs.
mutton chops, handy legs, fearless eye and q
| drawl; followed at his heels by no means
misunderstanding bull terrier, which no we'll
| regulated dog stealer would care TO pick mp;
Scotch shawl encircling the neck OF the
| former and . heavy silver collar that Of the
latter and neither 'love me- nor ''love my dog
| written upon the eountenance Of either man or
beast. Mr.. James was known to be very
entertaining in the recital Of his own expert
| ences and in q kind Of detective description of
London life scenes among the city courts and
Of some of his old ciients He enjoyed the
narrative qualities Of Warren, his brother
barrister and author Of Ten Thousand
q Year" although seldom or never put
ting his romance upon paper he made
the attempt to establish himself In bust
ness As an attorney upon his return to Eng
land, but, it is said, had fallen too far into
loose habits Of life to be able to recover the
lost confidence Of the community.
A. oAxEY HALL
The name Of Abraham Oakley Hall calls up
many recollections Of his brilliant II brief
career at the eminent bar of his day and city.
Mr.. Hall began life a. a writer. contributing TO
the daily and weekly press and periodicals, MS
pen carrying him in rapid and lofty flights from
the material region of news reports TO the I'M
real realm of rpmance and melodranla- When
district attorney Mr.. Hall summed up the
famous '.Burdell-Cuuningham" case with
spirited eloquepce and dramatic action, de-
plotting the scene and performance OF the
homicide with most realistic and blood-curdlin3
effect. and eliciting the approval OF the audi
ence throughout the court room In a spon-
taneous burst of applause. Mr. Hall was
heartfelt admirer of Charles Dickens, whose
broad humanity seemed to inspire him with
enthusiasm and desire OF emulation both in
book writing and in a friendly way of looking
mas story for his children, which he
was prevailed upon to publish under
the title of "0ld whitey's Christmas
Trot." and in which the affecting portraits
of the aged clergyman and his devoted child
and ''the very human indeed and self-sacri-
fcing omnibus driver should hold genial and
acceptable place in literature. Mr.. Hall also
contributed number of holiday tales to the
CHRISTMAS numbers of newspapers, pictures of
court and jury-room experiences and the in
tricacies and labyrinthine inducements of
criminal courses, which are not only highly en-
PERTAINING, but likewise deeply instructive.
Lawyer Morrison was a social and genial
gentleman Of Thespian predictions twenty or
twenty-five years ago. At tine Chambers Street
Theater, where Burton, Brougham, Lester
Blake, Mrs Russell Mrs Hoey), Mary Taylor
and Agnes Robertson used then to nightly act
Mr.. Morrison brought out play OF his own COM
posing to a less critical than sympathetic and
appreciative house, made up chiefly of his
numerous friends and acquaintance, and this
agreeable if somewhat amateur presentation
OF the original drama was genuine and popu-
lar triumph, indeed.
TIE OLD PARK THEATER.
In the society library of New York is an old
fashioned print, musty and moldy and moth.
eaten, and in dingy frame, Of benefit night
at the old Park Theater where Edmund Kean
electrified, Fanny kemble entranced and the
elder Matthews CONFUSED their rapt and re-
spective audiences. 1t was the era of box and
pit-and of an evening when Kesn beheld with
joy the pit rise at him. though he cared not for
the boxes. On the rare occasion spoken of
such stylish society as is shown forth In the
quaint old print assembled Of a Saturday even
ing at an amateur play professionally produced
the product of the r-playwrights full
and fruitful pen.
Thus thinking Of the stage brings fovcibly to
mind the fact that Edwin James performed the
part of Friar Lawrence to Edwin Booths
Romeo and the Juliet OF Avonia Jones (daugh-
ter of the eccentric Count Johannesj at the
Winter Garden in Broadway, his reading being
impressive and with understanding of the
character, but his action ponderous, crude and
incorrect.
A STORY OF EDWIN FORREST.
In the winter of 1866 Q startling divorce suit
was brought in New York by certain fashion
able parsonage of that day, his action being
based upon the alleged criminaIity of the wife
with the plaintiff own brother. The principal
evidence offered in proof was a written comics
sion by the base brother as to the commission
OF the requisite statutory offense. The trial of
the cause created a widespread sensation, and
great indignation and disgust were expressed on
all sides ut the unworthiness of the means re-
sorted to in order to obtain the desired divorce.
At that time Edwin Forrest was playing an en-
gagement in New York Of forty nights at 81, 900
a night. He acted at Niblo's Garden
and lived at the Metropolitan Hotel
adjoining The present writer, after
witnessing the performance Of Jack Cade"
one midwinter evening. was invited to visit
the veteran Of the sock and buskin in his
rooms in the hotel. Mr.. Forrest was seated
at a supper table quite alone. and near him.
by the fire, was John Mccullough, who
was then his support, his Iago. his
Pythias, his Richmond. his Macduff and serv-
ing hard apprenticeship to the higher walks
OF his profession. The great t-asedian glanced
over the evening paper and turned the CONVEX
sation't to the engrossing scandal Of the hour
Then In voice Of the deepest bass and with
fervor which he evidently fully felt the swart
and burly actor epigrammsticslly deliyered
himself OF his private and personal opinion in
regard to the heniousness of the informer in
the suit, who was generally supposed to have
fret wantonly led sstray the unfortunate de-
PENDANT and then wickedly betrayed her to her
husband for certain Interior mercenary reasons
of that too willing plaintiff. Said Mr.. Forrest.
in the tragic accents of Brutus stoicaily pro-
nouncing sentence of death upon his son, OF
the guilty and treacherous brother in question,
'.He ought to die for the adultery and damn for
the confession"
Whether the transition from the subject OF
bench and bar to that of the stage is ma tnral or
not 1t may be hard to say, but the random as
sertion has been made that LAWYERS are better
actors than actors ars lawyers for the sufficient
reason that the larger takes in the less" and
consequently that actors are oftener taken in
by lawyers than lawyers by actors-s SANDER
GUS proposition without doubt.
DAVID GRAHAM ApEE.
~Drop Nickel In the Slot"
Where automatic indication lies in wait for agi-
tation,
T..