Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-16
GUS HILL AND THOMAS M,GRAw
Former Gives Some Comical Reasons
 for Attack on Stage Irishmen.

! s < !
 Former Gives Some Comical Reasons
 for Attack on Stage Irishmen.
 Who is Thomas McGraw of Water bury, an alleged prominent member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians? There are many we'll known and highly respected citizens of that name in Wa terbury, but a careful inquiry among members of the A. o. Fl. failed to show that any of them is conspicuous in the order. The reason for looking into this matter may appear somewhat strange, but after learning why perhaps nobody will wonder why it need a little light. Gus Hill, the we'll known theatrical man is having trouble in staging Mo Fadden's Row of Flats," because of it's offensiveness to many admirers of the l stage, notably Irishmen and their friends who object to the makeup of some'of the characters. The play was missed and some of the artists roughly handled in Syracuse and in explaining the underlying motive Manager Hill is quoted by the Post-Standard of that place as stating that all this apparent dislike to the makeup of the stage Irishman displayed by the~A. o. H. is the result of jealousy on its part to- wards the Knights of Columbus an organization that threatens to put the | ancient body in the shade.
 "This entire movement" MT Hill states, against plays in which the Irish race is broadly depicted is re- suit of jealousy of the 4. O. H. against the Knights of Columbus. new secret organization of which many Irishmen are members. You may recall that there was threat against company of mine in Waterbury some time ago. The Irish there stated that was car tooning their race in some of my plays. happened to have an old friend, Thomas McGraw, who was member of the local branch of the A. o. H. but the interview takes up too much space and we must bring it to a close by stating that according to what Mir Hill is quoted as saying MT McGraw l got committee to see the kind of play he was going to put on and after they 1 saw what it was, instead of being dis l pleased. they liked it very much and 1 so informed the head of the order at Syracuse. McGraw also told the man ager that the A. O. H. men are, simply playing to the gallery in objecting to certain plays and that they are on LACAA AASL AN&b aAJ " AJe tlAC VA &dAAAs%- ton in Waterbury, dwindling down from membership of 600 to 100 in less than year and the K. of O. is making T giant strides.
 l Of course MT Fill is an old time actor
 and good one at that, and can carry
 a joke farther than others and yet not
 be charged with exceeding his rights
 If private citizen made such state ments as the Post-Standard credits to
 MT Hill those who know the facts
 would immediately conclude that the
 man who did the talking was crazy
 but coming from manager of musical lcomedies one cannot take anyother vi w
 of it than that he gave the Post-Stand
 ard man good game of jolly. There
 is no such McGraw in Waterbury as
 MT Hill had his long chat with. the A
 o. H. and the K. of c. never heard o1
 a difference between them over the stage Irishman or anything else until g
 Democrat reporter approached then
 on the subject and when some of the
 officers read the article they laughed
 while one or two said it showed abou1 as we'll as anything else could the kind
 of man Gus" is and what lie is will ing to stoop to In order to deceive the public. The A. o. H. never was
 stronger in Waterbury than it is at tht
 present time, and is adding to it's ranks
 steadily. not only in this city, but the l world over.