The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-05
SPooKS IN THE OLD THEATER.
ACTORS AND ACTRESSES WHO
THOUGHT THEY COULD FEEL
THEM.

A Fire That Burned "A Hole in the
Floor and Went Out-Appiause
Heard After Midnight HOurs-Cho-
rus Girls Who Deserted the Green
Room 10 Escape the GhOsts-A Spin
ming Wheel brought over by Jenny
Lind-The building Not 10 Be Torn
Down Until After the Production OF
Living WhiSts.
The work OF demolishing the old theater
will not begin tomorrow as was antici-
] pated few days ago. and it will be about
1 May 10 before the work is begun in earn
/ est. The little delay is lue TO the fact that
| the theater has been engaged for the per-
! Torrance Of living whist, which is to be
| given there Tuesday and Wednesday of
! this week.
| This production is to be given for the
/ benefit of the Woman's Exchange. which
now has its quarters on Bull street, al
+ Perry street lane. The advertisement an
nouncing this production is accompanied
| by the comforting statement THE thea
] ter will not be dismantled until after the
! performances"
Living whist viii be participated in by
! fifty-two Savannahians each of whom
/ will represent a card. All of the per-
formers will be in handsome costume, and
the game will be played with these char
7 acters by some of the ablest whist play
ers in the city
But TO go back to the old theater. There
| has been a good deal of inquiry lately
about the old structure. and it is con-
sidered unfortunate that the records of
It have not been kept. Nobody knows who
/ buflt nd tho hfefOrv of its r1v- dave
/ is practically unknown. Mr.. T. F. John
| son was asked yesterday to relate some
| of the interesting incidents in connection
/ with il.
! Don't say theater to me again." he
| said. Il have had nothing else for thir-
| teen years. and now I'm out of it. The
/ theater is closed. Whatll you have?"
| The latter remark was by no meas I'M
needed, but the answer as a whole was
/ hardly satisfactory as a reply to a request
| for interesting Information.
/ well" Mr.. Johnson said, there is an
/ old curiosity there that is undoubtedly
/ worthy OF some notice. 1t is an old spin
ming wheel which was turned by Jenny
Lima When Barnum nrst brought her 10
| America. She was known as the English
1 Nightingale, and she sang that part OF
/ the opera of Martha in which the spin
ming wheel is used That wheel was
| brought to this country from the Hay
| market theater in London just seventy
six years ago, and IL is now in the Sa-
vannah theater."
Mr.. Johnson has suggested that this
| spinning wheel be taken to New York
and put on exhibition at the GreenWaQ
! theatrical exchange as the most unique
| curiosity of the age. The wheel is at
| least 100 years old, as il was an old one
| when first brought to this country by
| Jenny Lind seventy-siX years ago. This
! spinning wheel, by the way, was used
| in the scenes of Faust in which Mar
| guerite appears.
The old Haymarket theater has been
| changed to such an extent by additions, as
/ have most of the old theater buildings and
] 4.
| Savannah theater is the oldest in the
/ world that stands just as it was when first
/ built.
! The walls of the theater would tell some
! interesting stories If they could talk. Like
many an old building, it has its ghost
/ stories, and there are many who will
| vouch for the truth of the reports of
! supernatural and unearthly happenings
| within its walls. A story IS told of queer
actor who once remarked to the stage
"This is pretty old theater, amt it?"
| Il should say So" was the reply. Built
yes. and tell you there's spooks here"
| the actor said. Il can feel en-" and he
| shuddered as if he really did
| One morning, several years ago, after
| having closed up the theater the night
! before, some of its employees went into the
! building, and on entering the center
! dressing room were astonished to see q
| hole about two feet in diameter burned
| right through the middle of the floor. The
| fire had burned through the three by
]
nants of portion of the floor were found
| on the ground underneath. How the fire
! got there was mystery but FAR more
mysterious was the fact that nothing else
| had burned After burning out a small
/ circular hole in the floor, the fire seemed
| to have been satisfied and went out of
| its own accord.
| Whatever may be the cause of these
| things ii is evident that there are some
| uncanny corners about the old building.
| 1t may be that the noises heard are made
/ by rats and the wind, but whatever it is,
/ il setmS to have given many a fright
! The dressing room on this southeast cor
| ner next to McDOnough street is known
/ as the green room. That is where all of
! the chorus girls used to disrobe and pre-
/ pare for an exhibition of more or less
| of their personal charms. 1t is said that
! on several occasions they have rushed out
| of this room in a body, and in all the
| varied states of undress, trembling with
| fright over some imaginary evil that
| threatened them. They insisted that the
place was haunted, and described
! some peculiar noises, which they had
heard, and which it seemed could not be
| satisfactorily explained 1t is said too,
| that policemen passing the theater in the
wee sma' hours have heard applause in
! side just as If some performance were go
| ting on. All these stories have become
| familiar with those who know the house,
| and 1t is said 1t has been impossible for
years to get any one to sleep there.
| Mr.. JohnsonS connection with the thea
| ter during period of thirteen years has
| been an interesting one. He has not been
| unmindful of the theater-g going public at
cellent attraction TO this city The people
| of Savannah will be glad to have a new
| theater, but there will be feeling of re-
| greet that it is not Mr.. Johnson who is to
build it.
Broke the worlds Record.
c. NJ. Murphy, of Brooklyn, and George
| B. Cobb, Jr., of New York two young