The Helena independent., 1892-01-23
Helena Has an Opportunity Of W.T.
Messing the Big Fellows His
trionic Efforts.
The Champion of Champions In
the Role Of a Virtuous
Blacksmith.
On the Side, He Says He Will Fay NO At
tenti0n to Peter Mnher's Chal-
lengc to Fight

TO get to the box ONCE ana tA0n climbing
on each others shoulders In the gallery for
view of the stage, together with the fact
that there were not seats down stairs for al
who wanted them, showed that large por-
tion of the American public like to look at
the real, live champion, who won his title
with his fists and stands ready to defend
his title against those who would wrest it
from him with their mouths. 'Honest
Hearts and Willing Hands," was the play
of the evening, and John l.. Sullivan was
the attraction. There WAS no false pre-
tense that the play itself was more than the
average melo-drama, But the fact that
Sullivan was in it was al the public cared
for. When he was on the stage his every
word and action was received with ap-
plause. When he was Off however. the
heroic sentiment received it's fair share OF
commendation.
In '.Honest Hearts and Willing Hands
there is, as in every we'll regulated play,
villain. He is of tho true orthodox type,
with variety Of schemes, which he springs
in consecutive order, to tho great detri-
ment Of the hero, the heroine, and all their
friends and relations To be sure, in the
language Of the mighty northwest. he rails
down. on each one in succession. but being
of an inventive turn Of mind, he gets up
new one right away. In the end, Of course,
he gets tripped up and marches off in Gus
tody of an officer to slow music with the
kisses of the happy and virtuous ringing in
his'ears. Duncan B. Harrison, the author
Of the play, selected this character for him
self. Suffice it to say that he did it full
Justice, and his really clever acting called
for much more applause than the ordinary
stage villain generally receives. The others
in the company were as good az are usually
found in a melodrama, some OF them some
what better.
The story runs like this: Arthur Dare
has failed in his first eherts to break off the
growing affection between his cousin, Emily
Poigsford, and John DAILY. Of Daly's range.
He then sets to work to make his father,
who is we'll disposed but whose mismanage-
ment Of his niece's affairs have laid MIN
liable, break his promise to sell the DAYS
back their range and thus force them TO
leave the country. Terence McNab, an at
torney. is hired by Dare to rob the desk Of
Gen. Dare, the father, where the old gem
tleman has deposited his will cutting his
son off. McNab is discovered by the gem
Arthur Dare shoots and kills his father
with pistol belonging to John Daily. which
he had stolen, no doubt with some sinister
design. The discovery of John Daly's pis-
toll in the room. together with the fact that
he had shortly before had y stormy inter
sell back the place, naturally fastens sus-
pioion on him. Dare, with the police in
speotor, goes to Daly's blacksmith shop
in search of John. James DAILY defies the
officers to search the place without war
rant. As Sullivan is James DAILY the officer
IL. 4 4lNo 1nvv =
the delay allows John time to escape to the
hills, accompanied by Teddy Hinton. the
lover of Nora. cousin of the Days. Dare.
it seems, has sought the ruin of pretty
girl named Martha O'Neill, and though he
has failed Of his purpose, he has succeeded
in giving her very bad name and broken
of possible match between her and James
DAILY. An interview has been arranged be-
tween Dare and the girl near the hiding
place of John Dalv. in which reparation is
to be made. McNab is there by appoint-
ment to deliver the stolen will to Dare.
over the cliff. In attempting to do McNab
himself falls over and the girl escapes.
John Daily hears his groans, rescues him,
and the latter proves his gratitude in the
next act. That act is the last and in it
Dare has made an gfeement with fighter
DAILY in match in which the big
blacksmith is to defend his title Of cham
pion of those parts. The hired fighter
Tug O'Brien, in the person of Jack Ashton,
gets the worst of it, McNab appears and
tells oil he knows and Dave is arrested as
his fathers murderer. AS his last act he
clears the character of Martha ONeill and
she and James DAILY are again united.
OF Sullivan as an actor. it Is but fair to
say that he did what he had to do consoi-
entiously. If it we're anyone else but he
acting the part, the character of James
DAILY, the blacksmith, would attract very
little attention, except in the heroic scenes,
which never fail to bring down the house
when virtue bids defiance tc vice. His
voice is very deep and without the proper
fe1ibility to essay any tender passions.
But there was little of the grufness of the
ring about it. and he did his best to modu-
late it at the proper times. It was his nat
ural way of speaking, however, and the
public would doubtless have been disap-
pointed to have heard the great big fellow
trying to change it. They had come to SEQ
Sullivan. and they saw him. Though he
had little to do. everybody followed that
little closely. In his three-round glove
fight with Jack Ashton he was the fighter
again and handled himself with an ease and
qnickness of action that showed that ho
had forgotten nothing since he entered the
prize ring thirteen years ago. Though it
was part Of the play for Sullivan to get the
best of the fight. it WAS 80 perfectly natural
for him to do it that any other outcome
would have proved unsatisfactory.
THE SAME OLD STORY