The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-11-25
in The SENATOR"
Frawley Company Appear
Thursday Evening.
Play Drama from Real Life-Cur-
tain Will go up
at $50.

Those who want to see most ex-
cellent portrayal of the sad and pa
thetic, the amusing and ridiculous
sides of statesman's life at Washing
ton will take in "The Senator which
is on the boards for Thursday even
ing. 1t being Thanksgiving evening,
the curtain will not go up until $50, in
order that every one will have time to
get to the theater after the usual dis
! indignation of turkey and cranberry
sauce.
The play of "The Senator" is we'll
constructed story, illustrating the So
cial and political life in Washington,
having as its plot the incident of the
Samuel G. Reid claim, which now forms
part of American naval history. The
| beauty of the play is that the charac-
| tiers are living prototypes Of we'll
known Washington characters. The
central figure, that of Senator Rivers,
is popularity supposed to be taken from
the life of Senator Bland, of Missouri,
recently defeated by VIM. ]. Bryan as
candidate for President on the Demo-
cratic ticket.
Lieut. Schuyler is Lieut. Emery of the
Navy, and when the play was produced
in Washington Mr.. Frawley's imper-
sonation was generally conceded to be
clever caricature of young Emery.
The characters of Mrs. Hilary is the
well-known woman lobbyist who sue
ceeded in lobbying through several i'm
portant railroad bills, and is now
pointed out to visitors as very we'll
known parsonage. The other charac-
tiers are known to Washingtonions, but
would not be as familiar to visitors as
the three above mentioned.
The first act of the play is the re-
view Of the Reid claim, which in the
piece is styled "the Denman claim" in
PRODUCING the characters of the Sena
tor the Count, Mrs. Hilary, Sharpless,
the scheming lawyer, Mr.. Denman and
his daughter Molle, and resolving with
the Senator, concluding to take up the
claim and force it through both houses
of the ensuing Congress, which at that
time has but two weeks more to run
before adjourning. The rest of the
play depicts his manly efforts to get
the bill passed, as it is opposed by
others, who endeavor to force other
bills in ahead of the Denman claim.
There are many interesting side issues,
which are brought about by the Sena
tors endeaVOrS to checkmate an elOpe-
ment planned by the Count, resulting
in the Senator's causing the Counts
recall from the diplomatic station he
he tod In Voc hi ton
The story of the Reid claim is most
interesting one. One of the most no
table naval combats of modern times
took place between the privateer- brig
Gen. Armstrong, commanded by Capt.
S. G.. Reid and a British squadron,
under Commodore Lloyd. The Arm
strong, an American-built vessel, put
into Fayal, in the Azores Islands, Sep
TENDER &c, 1914, for fresh water. About
shutdown the British squadron appeared
IN port. The Captain of the Gen. Arm
strong, which had but seven guns and
100 men all told, fearing the neutrality
of the port was to be violated, headed
his ship in shore under the guns Of
the Portuguese forts. While this was
being done, boats filled with armed men
set out from the British ships. AS they
paid no attention to Capt. Reid's orders
were fired upon with disastrous effect,
and what Britishers remained went
back to their ships.
The British now prepared for for
midable attack on the Yankee, and
about midnight II boats we'll manned
and armed made the attack.
The British attempted to board the
Armstrong crying: mo quarter; No
quarter!' The British were again re-
pulsed with heavy loss. The British
commander then sent the brig Carna-
ton to engage the Armstrong, which |
was finally left a smouldering wreck.
The United States Government de-
manded indemnity of Portugal for the
loss of the Armstrong, but that cOun-
try was so torn with internicine strife
that it was many years before the de-
mand was considered. Then, through
English influence, Portugal held that
the Armstrong began the battle. When
Gen. TAYLOR became President he made
a peremptory demand for damages.
Portugal refused, and the American
Minister left the country. The case
was finally decided against the United
States, but the owners of the Arm
strong were not represented in the ar
bitration, and demanded damages of
the United States.
After years of contention in Congress
and the Court Of Claims justice was at
length given the claimants by the pas
sage of a bill allowing them $4,000 in
uuittance of their claims. This is the
basis of the plot of THE Senator"