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

There's something new In Slaves OF
Gold" the melodrama now at the Co.
lumbus Theatre. Harlem The villain
introduces the novelty, and as the vii
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
villainy 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 craft
ness. mental degradation and Macchia-
vellianism. They are a great innova-
ton-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 so cheerful about all his deviltry. 1t
comes so naturally to him. He stands
in full view of the audience, and says
In "A sort of purring soliloquy. "I'll rob
Bartly's safe. I'll get Clifford accused
OF the crime, and then-ah. yes-I must
to work at once lie is 80 conf
dental. and so utterly. irretrievably
wicked that he Is funny. He does rob
the safe, and he at once proceeds to
stun the bank-notes into poor Walters
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 "snooping" around the corner.
He hears all. The villain goes out for
a detective. and while he is gone the
hero takes the bank-notes from Wal
ters coat and puts them in the villains
ovcrcoat pocket. The detective arrives;
IA search is made: Walter found bank
note-less; hero comes forward; Search
Monckton," says he; Monckton protests;
the old employer insists; the search IL
made. An. hal All. ha! All, ha! Tab
leau! Quick curtain.
The house went wild with enthusiasm.
The gallery boys almost broke their
hands with applause. They yelled with
laughter at the villains discontinue
The main thread of the story deals with
100000 left to Richard Bartly's daughter
She dies. and in order to keep the money
in his fists Il believe that Is recherche
expression now in vogue) he gets Will
lam Hope, who is starving, to let his lit
tie daughter impersonate the dead girl
This he does, though his peppers heart
is torn to smithereens in England, and
he only reveals his Identity to the dead
girl when Bartly ill-treats her Then
Bartly tries TO make away with him
down a coal mine and there Is grea,
to DO. but in the fifth ace all Is smiles
once more.
Slaves OF Cold pleases the lovers
OF unreasoniT melodrama. and 1t |.
well written. Elmer Grandin. who play,
the part OF the hero very well, indeed
Is the author, and he fitted himself splen
didly. Frank A. Tannchille was Richar,
Bartly. and put into the part the wild
gcstiCulating frenzy that twenty year:
ago, l believe. was considered quite tn,
thing John T. Burke was the villain
with the eyebrows, and Mrs. Elmer
Grandin the heroine, who rushed on III,
stage. calling out MY father-r-r" Law
renee Willimas seemed to be suffering
from a cold I'd his dose. which put
damper on his heroine Franklin Hur
leigh made a very good dude. and hi!
attire was certainly unique. Miss Ida
Valance should have part OF her voice
amputated William p Arnold was ex
Celient. and Miss Lizzie Creese STACEY
The play was most effectively staged
The eyebrows. however, made the hi
Of the evening. ALAN DALE.