The times., 1899-06-11
Additional Theatrical News.


very tragic ending for one Of the actors
last Monday evening and he yet lies on
bed of pain as a result. An old-time dance
ends the third act and in it. Mark NEEDLE
and Dolly Spanker are prominent figures.
When Godfrey Stein. who impersonated
Mark. attempted to twist up Dolly. he
sprained his back very seriously. He was
taken to his dressing room in terrible
pain. but was plucky enough to insist upon
completing the performance. When he
reached home he fully realized the extent
of the injury. Technically, ii appears
that the strain effected lesion Of one Of
the great ligaments of the back and press
ing upon the great sciatic nerve, paralyz-
ing one Of the lower limbs. His recovery
may be quite slow, although he hopes soon
TO be able to join the Frawleys in Mil
waukee. In London Assurance Frank
Mathieu took the part of Mark NEEDLE on
short notice, while George CASTOR did
GoIdspink in THE Dancing Girl and
MIR. AmOry impersonated Mr.. Truman in
The Wife" The serious mishap to Mr..
Stein aroused the greatest sympathy
among his associates and friends, all of
whom unite in the hope that his recovery
viii be rapid and permanent.
The official announcement in New York
of the engagement Of Ada Lewis to mem
ber OF the Reign Of Error" company
calls an amusing happening in this city
two seasons back. Miss Lewis was then
doing the tough girl in Flo Irwin's COM
pany. In opposition was May Irwin, and
the more rotund sister was getting good
deal the best Of the business. After the
performances one evening, members of
both companies met in well-known din
ing room, and proceeded to have a good
time until the hour for closing came. AS
they tripped ioyously down the stair. some
one began singing Mendelssohn's wedding
march. A passing reporter heard the ia
mfliar strain and scented story. Enquiry
was made OF the first man found, who hap
pened to be Miss Twins press agent.
Visions of increased business chased them
selves across his optics. and he confden-
TALLY confied the fact that Miss Lewis was
married to a well-known Washington pro-
fessionsl. Publicity was given the affair
through a local paper and sent broadcast
through an equally gulIible press associa-
tion. resultant shower OF congratula-
tory kilograms poured in upon Miss Lewis,
and the Washington man was still more
greatly embarrassed by letters from several
women TO whom he had been paying at
tention. II took a good while TO live the
story down, but Miss Lewis profted by the
notoriety, however distasteful it was to
her She Is really quite an artist in her
own peculiar way, and is reticent and
quiet OF stage as she Is outlandish and
boisterous while working.
Sam Lessaur, who managed the Hot Air
Buriesquers'' seen at Kernan's last week,
-is one of the best known characters in his
business While little inclined to bow
his own money on the green cloth, Sam is
n safe and reliable employe. and never fails
10 turn in a good record TO his employers
AZ the end OF the season. He possesses tie
power 10 get money at any and all times,
and TO Illustrate this ability. the following
story IS told OF him by one Of his old time
professional friends. Three actors, in
Guiding Lessaur, were stranded in Gotham
without dollar 10 their names Sam had
rich relatives who had cast him OF as a
black sheep" and he knew they would
yield the ready rhino' in response to no
fair proposition But he determined to re-
duce their bank account, and enlisted his
Two comrades in misery in his scheme. A
Jeiu was also drawn into the plot. and a
few of the twenty cents possessed by the
three alleged actors was spent for iodine
which was literally daubed in patches
over Sans pr9boscis and face. Smallpox
was then the scare in Gotham town. and
three-fourths Of the manufactures and es-
tabiishments were closed by quarantine
making business excellent for those re-
Inaining open. Under Sans direction one
of the actors mounted the box with the
cab driver. another attired in police
mans uniform sat in the seat with the
bogus afflicted patient. Reaching the Of
Zee OF the rich Lessaurs, one actor called
upon the head OF the firm and informed
him that his nephew, Sam, had been at
tackled with smallpox and was in the cab
on his way to the pesthouse. Take him
along" was the answer: "he Is the black
sheep or the family. and We want moth
ing 10 10 with him." Reasoning was