The evening world., 1894-09-05
SLAVES OF GOLD"

There's something new In Slaves OF
Gold" the melodrama Tow at the Co.
lumbus Theatre, Harlem. The villain
introduces the novelty, and as the viii
lain is the very backbone, the absolute
vitality. the sine qua non Of melodrama.
he should be accorded first considera-
ton. Ordinarily. the gentleman claims
recognition by his tan kid gloves or his
cigarettes. In Slaves OF Gold" the
villalny is written on the eyebrows.
which are most remarkable. They form
black toboggan slides from the temple
TO the nose and meet at that junction.
They suggest the very acme of crafti-
ness. mental degradation and Macchia-
vellianism. They are n great innova-
tion-better than the mine scene or the
broken glass escape OF the third act.
Yet this villain, Leonard Monckton-
between you and me and the lamp
posts very absurd creature. He
is 50 cheerful about all his deviltry. 1t
comes SO naturally to him. He stands
| in full view OF the audience. and says
! In sort of purring soliloquy. I'm rob
| Bartlys safe. I'll get clifford accused
of the crime. and then-ah, yes-I must
1 to work at once" He is so conf
dental, and so utterly. irretrievably
wicked that he is funny. He does rob
the safe, and he at once proceeds 10
stun the bank-notes into poor Walter >
pocket. Walter is hanging on the hat
rack-that Is to say. his coat $50 the
Job Is easy. But William Hope-The
Hero-is shopping around the corner
He hears all. The villain goes out fol
a detective, and while he is gone the
hero takes the bank notes from Wal
ter's coat and puts them in the villain:
overcoat pocket. The detective arrives
search Is made: Walter found bank
note-iess: hero comes forward: "Searcf
Monckton." says he; Monckton protests
the old employer insists; the search II
J made. All. ha! All. ha! All, ha, Tab
leau! Quick curtain.
: The house went wild with enthusiasm
: The gallery boys almos. broke thei
: hands with applause. They yelled will
} laughter at the villains discontinue
The main thread OF the story deals wit
; 30, 600 left to Richard Bartly's daughter
= She dies. and in order TO keep the none
= in his fists Il believe that is recherch
n expression now in vogue he gets VII
8 lam Hope. who Is starving. 10 let his III
e tie daughter impersonate the dead cir
d This he does though his peppers heal
: is torn TO smithereens in England an
e he only reveals his identity to the dea
4 girl when Bartly ill-treats her. The
: Bartly tries TO make away with hi
l. down a coal mine. and there is a gree
n to do, but in the fifth ace all is smil
once more
"a Slaves OF Gold" pleases the love
rs OF unreasoning melodrama, and 1t
st well written. Elmer Grandin, who pla
II the part of the hero very well, indec
lie Is the author, and he fitted himself splc
y didly. Frank A. Tannehille was Richa
Bartly, and put into the part the wi
ID gesticulating frenzy that twenty yea
h, ago. believe. was considered quite t
al thing. John T. Burke was the villa
IN with the eyebrows. and Mrs, Elm
es Grandin the heroine. who rushed on t
to stage. calling out My father-r-r." La
nd renee Wilimss seemed to be suffer-
ct from a cold ID his dose. which put
lis damper on his heroine. Franklin II,
leigh made a very good dude, and
attire was certainly unique. Miss
Valance should have part OF her vo
amputated. William b Arnold was
up cellent,. and Miss Lizzie Creese stag,
Nv The play was most effectively stag
'0' The eyebrows, however. made the
a. OF the evening. ALAN DALE