The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-06-20
TRUE IRISH BLOOD.
How n Play Was spoiled and n Nick
name Gained
CFrom the New Orleans Picayune)

(Frum the New Orleans Picayune)
The most ludicrous mishaP l ever Kit
messed OF the stage said a.. actor a. a
little supper party the other even
ing. occurred one night years ago il
a small town in northern Iowa l was rev
in the business then, and had Joined
weird transforming company helded By an
old actor Of the name OF FItZmoTris. We
had a cod-and-tGUnd-r ,epersoire a "a
long but our chief attraction was an Irisl
melodramu called. Lon Hearted Larry,
or the CJJter's Oath II had the usual
plot OF canned Irish melpdramas-the HIN
est but inauC ally embarrassed pea ant his
beautiful daughter, the poor but gallant
lover, otherwise on-Hearted Larry, and
the yillainous landlord. who Insists on tie
daughters hand or immediate eviction f-r
the whole family.
The great scene Of the play was the
rescue by larry of the beautiful daughter
from the castle of the villaiuOus landlord.
at the climax Of which the heroic lover
was fired upon by a file Of British sol
diers. At the report Of the guns the white
shirt which he wore was suddenly suffused
with red You are wounded the heroine
cried. Yes replied Larry but tits true
I Irish blood, ever ready to be shed for the
cause Of Erin,' This rather irrelevant
remark. together with the CORY shirt front,
never failed TO bring down the house
! Needless TO say, the Character Of Lion
Hearted Larry was assumed by M. Fitz-
morris.
/ The business Of the blood was man
aged very simply" continued the story
/ teller. "A small rubber bulb was led
/ with a solution Of cochineal and fastened
under Larry's arm. At the right mo Il III
he gave it a squeeze and crimson torrent
poured over the shirt, which had a piece
| of waterproof cloth at the back, the front
! we're playing a weeks stand at the little
Iowa town have already mentioned. and
the day before Lion Hearted Larry was
put on Fitzmorris gave the property mar
careful instructions in regard TO preparing
the material for the blood effec:- Whether
the 'prop' man had conceived some grUdg
against Fitz we never ascertained. Ht
was a grabbed old Englishman. and per.
haps he didn't like the tone OF the play
anyhow. he went into the scene loft
where a lot Of colors were kept nike d
and filed the rubber bulb with br gh
| green LIQUID paint. That night seve-a
bitches occurred and everybody got nerv'
I Gus and excited. When the time came Io
the rescue scene Fitzmorris got into h
| costume as quick as be could, felt ID
bulb to see Il was in its proper place, aLG
a moment later was on the stage.
There things went all right to the climax
The castle was entered, the orchestra
| PLAYED few bars of tremclo music. Lar.
( emerged with the beautiful colleen on hi
arm, and up jumped the ambuscaded so
diers Bangi went the guns, and You At
woundedi shTieked the heroine. Yes,
shouted Larry, pressing the bulb, but I
true Irish blood He never got an
further His ample shirt front had I'D
denly turned emerald green, and the how
of laughter that went up from the audi
ence nearly peeled the paper of the walls
FitZmorris himself was so amazed at th
phenomenon that he was unable to move
ard stood there transfxed, his arms out
! spread and his mouth wide open. On thu
tableau the curtain fell Then he came
himself grabbed a club, and began
frantic search for the prop man. but tina
individual had disappeared, and We sa1
him no more during our stay. The episod
broke up he performance and ruined Gu
business for the balance OF the engageme n
, I'm told that Fitzmorris was afterwar
known as Green blood FItz' on t. mort
, Iowa and Wisconsin transforming circuit.