The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-01-05

steal it or of the interruption of its
performance by company which has
surreptitiously got hold of the text.
News Of similar efforts on the part of
the owners of plays to protect their
property is so often telegraphed to the
New Yorg newspapers that only the
more fragrant cases are regarded as
worth printing, says the New York
Sun. One or these occurred the other
day at Chicago. A man there, who for
the last twelve months has been known
as the most persistent play-thief in
America, was arrested in a theater
while engaged in an effort to take down
in shorthand the speeches of popular
play. When he was elected from the
building business card was found
in his pocket advertising for sale most
OF the popular plays now before the
public. A few nights before this man
was put out of the Standard theater
in this city for attempting to take
down the text of "The New Boy" 1t
Is by means of stenographers that the
play pirates come into possession of
their tooty. They will go to any ex-
pense almost to get hold of a popular
work, and If stenographer thinks
that he is likely to avoid interruption
in box, the price of that luxury is not
considered. 1t rarely happens that the
whole of play can be secured in one
evening, and the copyist Is likely to be
found in the gallery on the night after
he began operations in a box, although
the same man is not generally entrust-
ed with thle work of stealing the whole
play. He usually alternates with an
associate, 20 that his face shall not be-
come familiar to the employees of the
theater while the process of acquiring
the play goes on. One stenographer
was found in a New York theater with
q pad of paper small enough to con-
ceal in one hand in his pocket. The
lines on 1t We're marked by a small set
of wires.
In the Wilfred Clarke Comedy COM
pany which comes to the rockingham
for a brief season Of two nights and
one matinee, Jan. II and u, there Is
young actor, d. Webster Scism, Of
Scranton, who bids fair to make his
mark on the stage. This is his third or
fourth professional year and he is now
m this city, and they are legion, will
be gratified to learn that he will ap-
pear on Friday night as Uncle Zoodle
In "Tit for Tat" and at the Saturday
matinee and Saturday night perform
ances as Baron Eissbrook in "A Widow
Hunt" Mr.. Scsm's connection with
the company will insure 1t full houses
here In Scranton, where he Is so well
and favorably known.
This Is how the discriminating critic
Of the Omaha Bee sounds the praises
of a gentleman we'll known to Scran-
tonians:
Daniel l.. Hart gives promise of taking
the place of the late Dion Baucicault In
the great world of the drama. He is
young, we understand. and has just be-
gun struggle for a place among play
wrights. The drama "O'Neil, Washing
ton. ID. c." is gem from the standpoint
of art, highly interesting as an enter
tainer. notably pure, scholarly in con-
structlon and beautiful In Its touch of ma
ture and simplicity. His quick changes,
Irish humor, Celtic wit, and above all
heart reading sentiment are decidedly
Bouclcaultian and reminds one of the
immortal Dion. Mr.. Hart Is the first of
the new writers to dip his cup into the
stream of Irish purity and dash its re-
freshing contents over the whitening
flowers on the bed Of the Irish drama in
Americas great dramatic garden. How
thoroughly Celtic, the following from the
scene between O'Neil and Mrs. Norton In
act four: "Yis, he had his faults, poor
lad, but forget thin, whin think Of the
clay that covers him."
FOOTLIGHT FLASHES:
Efile Shannon will appear in "The Dis
trict Attorney"
M. b. Curtis has gone to Europe. He
has nervous prostration.
Rhea rested in New York the week be-
fore Christmas and has now resumed her
tour.
Henry Arthur Jones' "The Case Of Re-