The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-05

temptS to get into the gas house He
breaks his way through a window and
disappears and the scene changes. we
now observe the inside of the fatal gas
house, with the hero trying to kick out
the iron doors and escape. But just
when he despairs and waits for the
lurid red fire to burn him alive the
small boy appears on rafter high over
his head. and lowers a rope, up which
the hero climbs to safety.
Everybody was happy in the audience
at the beginning of the next act They
had all seen the hero escape, but the
scene showed a small room on the west
side of Chicago, in which sat the hero's
wife, lis two children. and the comic
friend, but no hero. Then it devolved
from the ragged appearance of the
family that their producer had been ia
ken from them The heroine between
sobs told how she had suffered since her
husband had been killed in the gas
house fire, and how she had to subsist
entirely on what the children made by
tumbling in a circus. The lady went on
to say that she was glad that the chill
dren had a few circus tricks. as the
family were too proud to beg" A
great wave of relief went over the au-
dience when this was heard. The au-
tdience now knew what the trouble was
all about
The villain, who had not been heard CT
since the gas house blew up, appeared
to offer his heart and hand to the heros
noble and devoted wife.
mol" said the lady, haughtily, Tn
spector Sharp. you are nothing to meh.
Leave meh! Meh heart belongs to meh
dead and departed husband. We are too
proud to beg, but we sta-arve in the
street before we take gold from your
] handsI"
Before the excited audience had quieted
down the two German comedians brought
! in a man that they found dying OF
hunger somewhere behind the scenes
/ They gave him some stage whisky &c
drink and pretty soon he told them that
! he was in a fire somewhere one night
and was injured, and could not remem-
Der his name or anything about him.
self. Somebody talked about sleeping
car, or something, and the starving mar
who was none other than the hero, Jack
Carr, suddenly remembered all about
| himself. His wife entered the room al
this opportune moment and was claspeo
in the hero's arms just as crash was
heard in the rear, and the comic frienc
| entered to inform the reunited couple
that their children had been kidnapped
| and the curtain descended with the here
| in the center of the stage, waving nj:
right arm and shouting to man down
in Twelfth street: II will follow ant
bring them backI"
In the next act the little children
! were discovered in a thieves resort il
i Canal street. The hero entered, dis
| guised as an old lady under the in
lHuence of strong drink. The villain and
the assistant villains decide to smothel
the children and then to rest up by go
ing over and stabbing the heroine. Th'
children kick out a brick wall in theil
cell and escape, and the hero, knowing
all the plans of the villains. throws of
his disguise, and, after knocking GU
four or five rnurderers with one hand
makes his escape.
In the last act the hero, disguised a
the villain, makes all the assistant
sign papers, saying how bad they are
When the real villain attempts to in
Iterfere the small girl dashes in with he
trusty revolver again and backs tn
villain up against the wall. where h
remains while the now triumphant herr