The morning call., 1894-03-28
Told Him He Would Hold Him
Responsible.
SCENE IN THE CRIMSON Room.
Robertson Denies Writing the Screed,
but the Dramatist Claims
lie Inspired 1t.


There was blood in the eye of the author
OF 1.-The O'Neili'-bloOd such as gathered
in the blue eye of the Prince of Ulster
when he fought Sussex to a standsti IL on
| the bridge.
YES" went on the irate author, 81
want to see you. Peter. and / want to see
you about that article insinuating that 1
plagiarzed in writing The O'Nell.'
Il didn't write that" murmured Peter
in deprecatory tone, while he eyed the
aggressive Olympan with restless eye. II
itell you l didn't write that article Har-
rison. Why, it appeared IN the local
columns of the paper and not in my de-
| partment."
"Of course it didn't appear in your de-
partment, then you wouldn't have that
excuse" retorted Mr.. Harrison. his lips
| curling with scnrn, land of course you'd
| say you didn't write it. But, Peter, ifyou
| didn't write it you inspired it and you
must bear the responsibility Of 1t, sir. [
want to have this matter out with you.. II
was mean way to attack man, Peter,
very mean way"
II protest." began the imam in the back
| row." whose thoughts at that time were
certainly worth column.
You needn't protest." interrupted the
author of ''The O'Neill. II shall hold you
| responsible tor it. Peter Robertson, for you
cannot make me believe for moment that
| you did not inspire that attack, and it's
| poor excuse TO say you didn't write it,"
| And then Mr.. Harrison went away leav-
ing the dramatic critic mutterng incohor-
emily 20 himself something about "a sea of
troubles" and adding another "streak to
| his distressful youth"
| On leaving Peter to the tender care of
the menials of the Bohemian household
| William Greer Harrison did not retire to
! his home. He made descent on the office
| of the daily which prints the weekly
lucubrations of Peter Robertson. There he
| found a copy of "Cogger ma Cailie, or
the Great Neal" from which he had been
charged with stealing ideas.
| 1t is pleasant TO hear Mr.. Harrison de-
scribe that book. II Belden Clark could
hear his commentaries it would make said
| Clark's ears tingle.
"Such stuff" said the author OF THE
| O'Nein,' II never read before. Why il
was worse than the Murphiest of Joe
Murphy's plays. Talk about BoucicauIt's
| impossible 1rishmen. they are not in it
with Beldan Clark's creations You have
read CarletOn's sketches of Irish char
acterP Well, you know how vulgar they
would be on the stage. That's just what
| 1t Is. Bring me some av the craythur.'
cries one typical character. Smash 'em
to smithereens,' says another, and there
are produced all the elements of an Irish
faction fight" And William Greer Har
| risOn laid back IN his chair and slapped
bis knee viciously as be thought of the
indignity of being compared with Belden
Clark even by inuuendo.
mo similarity whatever" he added TO
the newspaper man. none whatever
The whole thing was evidently suggested
by the capture of William Smith OBrien.
which happened forty years ago. or about
the time the sO-called play was written.
There is a cast of characters, but no
prominent names, and the chances are the
play was suppressed He simply calls his
hero OBrien and miDgles dates in most
amusing way"
queried the visitor.
well, they said they never received NV
letter. 1t was delivered at noon Yesterday
and addressed TO the editor. No trace of it
could be found, however, although Peter
Robertson told me at the club last night
that did foolish thing writing that let
I'd written a letter he colored up
At this point Mr.. Harrison STONED
placed the index finger If his right hand
on his forehead and thought for minute.
II wonder why Peter colored up when
asked him about that letter." said he
refectiyely and then added slowly: "Yes.
Peter inspired that article and told him
so. But I'll see Peter at the club to-
night
The old theatrical man who dug up
"Cogger IA Caillie" is Manager DALEY.
late of the National Theater. Diligent
inquiry among theatrical men failed to
recall to any OF them memories of such
play. but one manager volunteered the
suggestion that Daley had written the
"O'Neal the Great or Cogger ma Caillie''
himself under the nom de plume of Belden
Clark
This Of course explains why DALEY Is
the only man who has a copy of "Cogger
ma Caillie," and his well-known modesty is
ample explanation why he does not claim
it for bis owD. AS to Peter Robertson. he
denies to every one who questions him on
the subject that he wrote the attack on
Mr.. Harrison.
That he wished TO ignore Mr.. Harriaon's
play entirely when 1t came out is current
gossip on the Rialto. and gentleman who
has ployed every leading role, from Hamlet
to Chris Evans, asserts that it was not un-
til he was peremptoriIy ordered to do so
by the man who pays him his salary that
Peter Robertson included in his weekly
notices review of "The O'Nefll as the
Prince'o of Ulster"
The perusal by Peter Robertson of Mr.
Harrison's opinions concerning him caused
him much laceration of feeling and con-
siderable woe. The result was the follow
ing letter denying. as THE CALL has al
ready stated he denied, the impeachment
of the author of ''The O'Nelll:
Editor Of The Cdtl-SIR: In Justice TO me-
may ask you to say, with regard to the inter.
view with Greer Harrison in TIE CALL to-day,
that neither inspired nor wrote the article in
the Chronicle. l could not have done So since
l have never seen, not even since the publiea-
tlon OF the article, the old play upOu which il