The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-02-26
AT THE PLAY LAST NIGHT.

*.Jessie James. a Bandit Hero" This
is the title of the touching" little comic
effusion which was infiicted>on the pat
rons of the Crawford last night. By
reason of the name, every one expected
it to be bad, but it was worse than that.
Yes, a great deal worse. The players
were about the limit. Two small pocket
pistols, badly out of repair, and a naked
case knife, prone to fall out of the film
Sy Shirtwaist belt of the wearer, seemed
to be part of the regular dress suit OF
the male participants OF course they
wore frock coats and oil cloth leggins
and the impression was left with the au-
dience that they chose their whiSkerS at
random from large and well stocked
trunk.
From the beginning of the first act no
one blamed Frank James for making an
effort to stop the show. 1t was a direct
insult to the brave cut-throatS who were
wont to shoot any one who LOOKED
suspicious, and ask questions later. The
James brothers of the show were good
little boys who adored their badly made
up mother and scaly locking stepfather.
At least half a dozen times they held
some superior force of robbers or depu-
ties at the point of their diminutive pop
guns while the curtain fell, probably TO
spare the audience the scene of slaugh-
ter, as it is generally conceded that the
James Brothers and company never
spared enemy whom they caught at
a disadvantage.
In regard to the party or parties who
concocted the alleged plot of this drama,
it must be said that their work was
coarse. Time and history We're revised
to fit the stage settings which were pro-
badly purchased from some defunCt
tom show
To the gallery this show was the sue
cess of the season To the ffeet-footed
messenger boy and livery barn teller,
it was a. midsummer nights dream.
The slaughter was not scientific but it
answered the purpose. In the last in
ming where Jesse laid his guns aside to
rearrange the picture on the wall, and
the crafty Mr.. Ford, who affected a
challly complexion and flannel shirt,
sneaked in with the noise of a horse
crossing the stage, and snapped one
of the deadly weapons several times
before it went off and killed the hero,
even the gallery saw the comic side of
the scene, and gave vent to a roar of
nirth which should have warned the
bandit and saved his life. Instead of
taking the hint he stood patiently
waiting for the fool thing to explode,
which was his cue to fall off the chair
and make room for the tableau, where
Frank is discovered presenting a pair
of cheap bulldog revolvers to a be-
whiskered Individual who represented
the governor while a "supe" burned
an ill-smelling pink smudge.
OF course this beautiful drama was
highly educational to the youth of the
city The society for the prevention of
things should take a day off and inves-
tigate this show.
Old 'IlaS RaWlS, VINO was a N ember
of the James gang, once said: Frank
was a disagreeable cuss, and nervous
as an old hen He would shoot his own
brother if he made a suspicious move,
and ask questions later. Jess warn't so
nervous, but he was er shore nun
sport. He'd plunk a man just ter see
him kick, and took special delight in
tellin' a teller what was comm ter
him after he got the drop. He warn't in
such hurry, and liked to talk awhile
ter his meat before he fired, if he had
plenty of time"
According to Messrs. Peruchi- and
Hartman, or 'Lias. who killed 27 men
while in the employ of the James
brothers, was a defamer of the worst
type and his employers were parsecut-
ed angels