Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-10-13
CORA ind "0STLIR JOE. p"
MrS Potter Tells Leslie WhitaCre the
True Story Of that Scandal.

AbL-WHAT E. II. SOTHERN
THINKS OF SOME OF HIS FOR
BIER PARTS-ROMANTIC DRAMA
HIS PET ABIBITION-MAY ROB
sen FORSAKES HER STAGE
KITCHEN TO BE A HEAVY
SWDLL-HOW SHE UNDERSTUD-
IEs ELSIE DE WOLFE-FAY TEN
PLETON AND MAY IRWIN AS
RIVAL SONG WRITER'S FARCE
COMEDY TRAGEDY FROM LIFE.
Pu5Hshed. 1895. by the Box Syndicate
Press. New York;
New York, October 9, 1S95.-WOuld
sou near the true story Of the " 'Ostler
Joe" scandal? Listen. then, 70 Mrs.
Cora Pouer's version OF it. II any
body knows the true facts, it should be
She. for she was undoubtedly the per
son most vitality concerned in IL. 1t
was between the acts OF a rehearsal OF
sic Collier de- ID RENE, at Daily S, the
or1er morning. and Mrs Potter. as she
tlked. was arranging the ringle-s on
or rather On-tle head OF Marie An
s0.le--e. I- was an onerous task, ana
usually keeps Mrs. POUer's maid en-
p,0yel for 90 least an hour after each
performance. This, however, was ner
maid s. day out.
~Tha true story of that "Ostler Joe
affair has never been printed, sand
airs. Poster. II don't mind telling the
truth about 70 now. because j have no
LONGER any interest IN the people VINO
were most concerned In u. Al the
time nv husband Mr.. Potter. insisted
upon ms holding nay tongue. All One
blame all the nOt0riety. fell upon my
shoulders in consequence. But neaI-
ems. how times have changed in the
CAST zen years. I never really real
SEED this until one afternoon last spring,
when / str0Iled into the Garden Inca
ere to q benefit performance. Wnen i
entered AIRS Kendall was on the sage
rerrnr. There were sDidles from all
parts of the house. Something IN the
rhythm OF che verses seemed familiar;
then I heard her say, "Or the blood
rcd ros- That was enough. l sank
f1ro my seat utterly dumb-Omted. And
this--his poem, FOR reci-ns which /
was hoo-eI in the market place, is
ror being delivered 20 semi-Sunday
school audience by the Mrs. Grundy
O. the British drama.
8ul after all that's neither here nor
there. What I started 10 tell was how
I first came 20 recite 'OScler Joe.
There was 10 be some sort OF per
Torrance at Secretary Whlmey's house
in Washington. i had already made
small name for myself as an amateur,
SO I was invited 20 give a recitation.
on the afternoon Of the performance
1Ir. Whitney said 20 me- What are
you going Co recite Mrs. Potter?
told him that had half q dozen pieces
ready. I recited them all for him.
There were Two selections from Tenny-
e0n. something of owen Meredi,h's
Iasca. O. French poem. and 'Ostler
joe The moment I had recited Sims
poem Nr. Whitney exclaimed, That's
cle piece We must have that by all
means. I- wiz create a furOre. Well
unfortunately his words came true. l
remember when he was urging me 10
rec'-e Sc tll- I told him I feared il was
little 100 broad But Mr. Whitney
r8bo0el HE idea: said il was all non
sense. roppy-cOck. the Washington
public was not so sQueamish, but what
60 could appreciate q beautiful poem.
Note. IL YOU please. tha- eli these re-
marks were made before ] had recited
Sc After cine hue and cry had broken
out. when an the Washington women
were mp I'm arms, no one said anything
NOT even me- This incident hap
penei just az -he outset Of new pOliJ-
deal campaign, in which IL was sus-
Dac-ed that New York women would
play @ prominent part. The Washing
t0u grand danes came 70 that recep-
tion armed 10 the teeth. I was the
EclnCgCet. and. added Mrs. Potter. as
she gave q jluury little twist 10 the
l3s- OF Marie AntOiueUe's powdered
Curls. "ic common justice I must admit
that they did carve me up most artis-
Ucll'y
SOME VERSATILE ACTORS.
Who dares TO- say nowadays that the
American actor is not versatile? IL is
usually declared by an the wiseacres
that success in one particular line
rings the death kuel 20 versatility. liz
rs not always so. for an that II an ac-
cor has any heart I'm his York az all.
he is sure Co pine for a cnlage sooner
or lter Look at young Sothern. for
instance AT present. In The Pris-
oner ot Zenda.' he is playing three
par-s--he King. the Kings double. and
In the prologue one Of the Kings an
cesors with past. Each OF these inn
PRESENTATIONS stands out distinct and
clear His personality. Of course. is
handicapped by the red wig he has 20
Wcar; buJ for an that. SOthern has
never proved so fascinating.
You cannot imagine what q rest il
IS 20 act i'm play like this" ne remark
cd In his dressing room last Thursday
night. 81 verify believe another sea
SON OF Chumley and Letterblair would
have driven me mad No one but an ac-
tor who has attempted them can tell
what strain ir is playing those light
comedy parts It's q case of play IN
up-up ON the time The whole play
lies on the small of the comedian
back. III ho drops his scene once the
play is done for. Hereafter. il I can
have my way / shall always act in
Ecmi-seriOus. romantic parts"
FRANCIS WILSON TRIES TO
BREAK AWAY FROM HIS LEGS.
Then. again. there's Francis Wilson.
This season. I'M THE Chieftain." the
comedian of Che eloquent legs is seen
in what is almost a straight part.
What is more Wilson plays his role
artistiCally. his gags are rare. his legs
ere kept wCll iu the background. and
only once iu the entire performance
does he make his entrance on the back
oil his head. Lulu Chaser. too. his