The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-01

mstio manner drawing from an inner
pocket folded copy of an evening paper,
he commenced TRADE against 10 ana
the author Of the criticism of the "rele
phone 6irP' which 10 contained.
Listen TO this as an evidence Of one
Of the most dastArdIy attacks upon me
and my company ever printed by a news
paper"
Mr.. Mann read: 1.-THE Telephone Girl
is not up to the other girls. We have had
all kinds. This Ia the worst Of the lot"
What do you think OF thstf' MIR.
Mann shouted, interrupting himself.
What do you think of man who would
write such a thing as that"
The audience seemed to regard this as
very amusing and an audible smile crept
over tho pit.
"The piecs is vulgar, continued MIR.
Mann, reading from the article, land
unwholesome and without spark OF fun
from beginning'to end"
The irate telephone inspector here got
the better Of Mr.. Mann for few min-
utes, and in his wrath he entered upon
another attack of the author OF this
article. lie characterized the man who
wrote this piece as an ass or else tho
audience was assinins In its apparent
appreciation of the play and its actors.
He said the man who wrote il was illier-
atc, one who was urGt TO associate with
decent people, and he 50 far merged him
self into the character in which he has
won so much distinction as to fairly as
sumo the attitudes an ! poses of the Dutch
telephone inspector. though he didn't
try TO use his brogue. When he had cooled
down little, after reading this para
graph. Mr.. Mann went on with his read
ing.
1T all turns" he read. upon an inno-
cent old couple FROM the country who
come to town expecting to fnd their
daughter washing dishes In the Kitchen,
and instead find her in a luxurious Hat
with two French maids''-here the writ
er Of this article shows his Ignorance OF
the play, exclaimed MIR. Mann. but he
continued to read-"and a butler, I'M
der the protection of the city roue.
Then came another outburst OF anger.
This time Dir. Mann asked the audience
II they thought his play was unwhole
some. The audience did not seem dis
posed to express itself uport this point,
and after brief pause to catch his
breath. Mr. Mann continued to scientific
cally roast the author of the article
in question. He said the play was not i'm
moral, IL was not 30 considered by many
of the very best critics, and besides the
man who wrote this article about the
play had not seen the whole of 1t, but
had gone out of the theatre before IL was
ended. Then he said lots of other nice
things about the critic and finally con
tinued TO read from the paper once more.
with the aid of q German comedian
- Mr.. Mann Missed these words out
between bis clinched teeth after the most
approved style OF the stage villain wish
ing the audience to appreciate the full
force of these scandalous illusions to
himself-'and soubretts-" pause Of
dramatic eioquence-''the perpetrators
have tried to extract fun out OF such a
situation as this 1t IS not pleasing.
The attempt was failure"
What do you think of that, " Mr.. Mann
appealed to the audience. "A German
comedian and soubrette? Why Miss Liz
man and r'-and then followed another
long dissertation on the merits of his act
Ing and what had been said about Miss
Lipman in other places Finally Mr.
Mann got back to the criticism Of the
Telephone Girl" once more and he con-
tinued to read the rest OF the things
which had been said about thei company
and the play.
When he had finished he continued 10
address the audience at great length. He
said he had been unfairly treated. lie
roasted" the critic some more and said
that he, Mann, was now telling the audi
ence these things because some promi nent
business men had asked him TO do so.
Finally after talking about twenty
minutes in all. MIR. Mann made an
eloquent plea in his own behalf and
wound up by asking the audience to eS-
PRESS their appreciation of him, OF Miss
Lipman and of the company. When he
stopped talking the audience remainei
quiel for minute and then began to APP
plhud vigorously. Mr.. Mann disappeared
behind the curtain ard finally, as the al
plause continued, appeared to view again
dragging Miss Lipman behind him Mlss
Lipman seemed reluctant to appear but
finally after much persuasion on the part
OF Dir. Mann she did come forth and
bowed little and smiled sweetly anu
said she had nothing TO say. Then she
went behind the scenes again and Mr..
Mann with his ace heaming in
triumphant JOY a disappeared ANA the
audience went home.
....NEW YORK OFFICERS GUILTY.
Albany, y. Y, January 1.-The court
con vened To trv Captain A. j. BleecIer
L, ..,tn M.lIiax., L ManE- ~ TN. st