The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12
ROMEO AND JULIET INTERRUPTED
An Insane Man Intrudes in the Bal.
cOny Scene in Chicago.
From the Chicago Times-Herald

From the Chicago Times Herald.
Love has turned many a mans head; but
Romeo and Juliet was never played with
a crazy man in the balcony scene until
last night at the Auditorium. Robert
Rothmann of Chicago introduced dlscord
into Gounod's tuneful Interpretation OF
Shakespeare, and Jean de Reszke's
thoughts of love were turned to speech
less fear inspired by an anarchists bomb
while an audience of thousands watched
the strange spectacle in the silence OF
wonder.
The curtain had gone up on the second
act, showing JuTfet's balcony on the left
of the stage, and Romeo, under cover OF
night, was seen approaching the tryst-
ing place.
o night, spread they pinions above me,
And hide me now;
sang de Reszke, and the audience saw a
young man climbing over the organ plat
form in the orchestra to the stage. Meh-
cutio's voice was heard in the distance
Romeo! Romeo!
The intruder had reached the footlights,
and de Reszke sang:
IT'S Mercutio that hooking calls, Ever so!
He jesteth at scars that never felt
wound.
De Reszke had advanced to the steps
below Juliet's window, and Rothmann
was upon the stage, facing him. Mercu-
ito and Benvolio and the chorus, out OF
sight of the interruption, knowing naught
of de Reszke's terror, knowing not that
the audience was deaf to them, sang on
in mockery of love. The moment came for
de ResZke to lift his face to the balcony
and beguile the fair Juliet from her Sc
clusion with the sentimental air begin
ming:
All, it is love that has stirred all my being.
But the great tenor sang not. The last
echo of the chorus had fed to the furth-
est corner of the hall, and a deep hush fell
upon the audience. Every eye was watch
ing the movements of the insane intruder
on the stage. The silence brought the ono
rus into the flies in alarm. Nine. Melba,
the Juliet, unable to account for her loE-
err 5 faithlessness, came to her window un-
urged.
Rothmann took a few steps hither and
thither with a dazed look. De Reszke
memory recalled the actions of anarchists
in Europe when throwing bombs in thea
tiers, and he felt that one of the assassinS
was about to make him a target. He helu
his position manfully rather than create
panic in the audience, but he reacne4
for the sword at his side, and determneu
to run the intruder through if he maze
move.
Rothmann broke the painful silence by
saying in a loud voice: >,
People think I'm crazy; but I'm mott
William Parry, stage manager 1or Az Az
hey & Grau, stepped forward from tas
flies and demanded: What do you want:
The demented man responded; Don
touch me, or it will be the worse for yoHs,
Parry retired. and shouted to have tL ng
drop curtain lowered. Rothmann contlluIIff
to talk saying: People say I'm crazy Il
l am, let them take me to Jail.
De ResZke held his position in snencgs
the man approached or showed bomb
The intruder turned partly around, anu
once made a motion as though loI d
weapon concealed in his pocket, out Ii5
hand did not so far enough. 1t was pu'
a moment until the curtain dropped DS
tween the insane man and the lnterpIetSSa
of Romeo. Rothmann then turned 10 ~. ~
audience and said: Ladies and geHuS
men I'm NOT crazy If | am let them
scalp me or kill me or send me 10 jan
In another instant Charles GullcKston
and Matthew Vasold, two men under jon
BarStow, the stage manager for the Hou5uj
had the insane man by the arms alN
hustled him off the stage at the sac.
Rothmann was taken to the HaIIlso9H
street station, where he was SeaIche-'
He had a penknife. but no other. weapon;
He gave his age as %, his reSldeHcS q"
ia La Sale avenue, and SAID ne wa -
printer. He talked incoherently at '--'
station. -.
Rothmann is an unmarried man, and mas
been a resident of Chicago for one In
He has relatives in Michigan ST. Va
months ago he rented a room at Ia -
Sale avenue. Yesterday morning ne con
identially informed the landlady thaL ~
had a magnet in his head which was az e'1
ing the mind OF every man on earth al. az
his head would not be equal to the tasn
of becoming the repository for the pIail9
of mankind. Another hallucination Wil-e
ne expressed to a fellow~lodger Va L.
grand woman's minstrel show, WI - -,
lima Patti for interlocutor and Saral pa
hardt and Susan b. Anthony on tHe Cav
chairs
The city of Montpelier. in France
said to he the first 10 regulate the hl''.
of wrapping paper that articles OF io&b-
shall be delivered in. Colored paper y "a
aolutely forbidden. Printed paper aHI Sii