The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-15
GRAND Stand love STORY
Captain Arson Really q Star In q
Base Ball Drama.
NATIONAL GAME IS STAGED
"a Runaway Colt" Is the Only Play
Founded ON the Great American
Sport-A bishop Figures ID
the Ninth Inning.

SpOItEA DionOp Ao
the Ninth Inning.
Captain A. c. Anson, the noted base
ball player made his debut as a dra-
matte star in Syracuse last night in
"A Runaway Colt" play written FOR
him and around him by Charles A.
Hoyt As he Is the base ball hero OF
America, he becomes the consistent
star of the only base ball play ever
staged, and he has no minor part In
the cast, but is on the stage In every
scene from the rise of the curtain until
he makes the home run hit In the last
act which rings down" the proper
climax.
The scene Of the first act Is laid In
the home of Rev. DIR. Manners. near
Racine, Wis, says the New York Her.
aid. There AnsOn goes to visit the
minister's son, Manly Manners, who
is a famous young college pitcher, and
whose services the Chicago captain
wants to secure for his club. Manly's
parents look upon Anson and all pro-
fessional ball players as ruffians, and
rather reluctantly consent to let Man.
ly invite him to dinner on the day of
his arrival. But Anson announces
himself as Mr.. Adrian, friend Of
young Manners, and Is received by the
mother and by Mercy. the young col
legian's sweetheart. who do not sus-
pect that they are entertaining the
awful, ruffianly Captain Anson. Both
ladies' do their best to entertain "Mr.
Adrian" and the fun begins.
The subject of Manly's infatuation
for base ball arises. and the "Old Man"
is compelled to hear some "hot stuff"
about his own supposed brutality.
They tell Mr.. Adrian" that this awful
man, Anson. is to dine with them that
evening. Just then they get news that
the bishop Is also coming to dinner,
and the two women almost faint. To
think of their bishop meeting that boor.
Anson. the ball player! They finally
bag "Mr. Adrian" to make one of the
dinner party just to help tighten the
will be to the bisho2-elect and "Mr.
Adrian consents.
Adrian's knowledge Of Basc Boil.
In this scene the heroine, Mercy, sud-
denly asks "Mr. Adrian, do you know
anything about base ball?"
And adrian" promptly replies:
Not thing. The only people who
do know all about 1t are the base ball
reporters"
Then the mother asks what his busi-
ness Is with Manly, and Anson, in order
to maintain his incognito till Manly
comes in, replies that he wants to en-
ploy the son to travel at a salary Of
s2,400 a year. He describes the busi-
ness:
ITO travel more or less: to handle
deal with strikers
II suppose that would be out West ?"
suggests Mrs. Manly.
I'm the West and South" says An
son.
"There are no strikers in New York,
are there?" inquiries the mother.
Then Anson gives q body blow to the
1895 Giants:
There haven't been any this year in
my business.
The mother goes out Of the room and
sends a servant In with glass of wine
for "Mr. Adrian" 1t Is waved aside
and the servant charged with the mes
sage:
THANK her kindly, and ask her to
pardon me for declining, as don't in
dulge."
This line was written to emphasize
Anson's well known abstinence from
the use of all liquor.
At dinner Anson, as Mr.. Adrian"
meets the bishop. who in his college
days had been pitcher for ball team,
wv AhS piohop ECCO8utBcS <hHSOH unu
greets him warmly, being q great ad-
mirer Of the Chicago captain. This
commendation Of Anson and his advo-
cacy Of base ball playing are so cordial
that the Mannerses change their opin-
ion Of professionalism and let them
selves be persuaded by the bishop to
consent to Manly's playing ball for the
Chicagos.
The second act is laid at the Ponce
de Leon hotel, at st. Augustine, Fla,
where Anson has taken his colts for
practice. The scene shows "the Pool'
at that hotel The Manners family are
also guests. likewise the two villains,
brothers named Haight, one of whom Is
cOnspiring to force Mercy to marry
him. The other is a gambler who plots
to get Manly's younger brother, Dalton,
into serious trouble, and in the third
act he succeeds.
Old Maid Afscr Anson.
In the party at the Ponce de Leon Is
an old maid who, ignorant that Anson
is married man, Is following him
around and plaguing him with her
marks Of affection. In one of his dilem-
mas Anson asks Manly to help him.
Don't leave me alone with her." he
says. "or Ill expel you-worse, I'll sell
you to Louisville"
gymnasium on visiting day. The scene
presents a fully-equipped gymnasium,
with horizontal bars, rowing machines,
punching bags and other things. Dur
ing the act speciality acts occur.
In this act the villains get the young
er brother into their tolls by inducing
him to bet $1,000 which had been in
trusted to him as a bank messenger, on
the result Of the Chicago Baltimore
game, which is to open the season, and
in which his brother, Manly, will pitch
that whith the "the amateur" pitching
against the. champions the Chicagos
will be defeated. Dalton will be in the
tolls, and TO save him from prison Mer-
cy will marry the chief plOtter. But ia
make sure of 1t the gambling brother Is
induced to go into Anson's dressing
room and bribe him. A great noise fol-
lows his entrance to Anson's private
quarters. but when he energies some
moments later the terrible result of his
efforts to bribe "the old man" Is most
marked.
The events of the last act take place
In the upper tier Of the grand stand of
the Chicago base ball ground during
the progress of the great Chicago Bal
timore base ball game. In the first part
of the act the spectators are seen COM
ing "up stairs" by means of a trap
stairway from under the stage. There
are Cullom, Dixwell. Fidler, Hopper,
Della Fox, NAT" Goodwin, and all the
characters Of the play. Harry Stevens,
the celebrated score card man, greets
them all in turn, and later on announces
the progress of the game, while Dixwell
and Cullom have set-tO at repartee.
Before the game begins Haight dis
closes his power over Dalton to A.ercy
and drives her to agree to marry him
II the Chicagos lose the game. Then she
sends for Anson, who knows all, and
begs him to save her from Haight and
Dalton from the penitentiary
You will win this game to-day. cap
tain?" she pleads.