The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-26
AT THE PLAY LAST NIGHT,

Topeka was visited by the fist tramp
SHOW OF the season last night. This
production bears the title "A Million
aire Tramp and it is one of the most
successful of its kind
The cast seen in Topeka last night
was well up to the standard of popular
priced attractions and despite the torrid
weather the Crawford was well filled
and the people were we'll pleased and
indicated by the applause and enthuS-
iasm with which the piece was received
But a critical study of the plot of
"a Millionaire Tramp" reveals the
wonderful limits to which playwrights
have gone to satisfy the cravings of a
not too critical public for amusement
OF course the tramp is the hero. He
is a worthless, drunken, thieving rascal
who fell from his high position an
actor because the parents of the girl
he loved objected to their marriage. 1t
happened that the young lady was
loved by another man, the villain in the
case. The much loved heroine went on
the stage after her parents died
though she had $4,000 in her own right
and the angel of the show. e. the man
who put up the money-also fell in
love with her. Things were in this
commonplace condition when the show
stopped at Ridgeville. Indiana.
1t happened that the tramp hero, Har-
and the villain was there, too. which of
course, was inevitable. In the mean
time the tramp had fallen heir to a
million dollars and didn't know it but
continues to spoil all the available
liquor in the town. The viii
lain meets the hero and arranges to
dispose of him-the villain always does
that-and he tells the heroine, who is
Harry Chandler, that the object of her
affection is dead. The villain fdndly
hoped that the broken reed would turn
to him, but he was mistaken She turns
to the angel and agrees to marry him,
though she says frankly, Il can never
love you" The wedding came off on
scheduled time and the villain places the
tramp on the church step that he may
see the happy couple as they leave the
church. The bride drops a coin in the
hand of the mendicant and he recognizes
her as his old sweetheart and gives it
back with scorn. This makes the pug
nacious little bridegroom angry and he
proceeds to whip the tramp, but mis-
calculated his abilities and is himself
thrashed to the great delight of the GAL
lery. The bride is to play that night
in the 1.-TWO Orphans and the heavy"
is called out of town. The manager Is
in a predicament until he finds that
the tramp knew the part and he aD-
peals to him, but that individual re-
fuses because he did not want to meet
the heroine Enter the villain He
agrees to manage it and gives the tramp
$50. gets him drunk and takes his note
for a million dollars, the amount of
the inheritance. He plans Tor the
tramp to kill the bridegroom and the
villain can then enjoy both the bride
and the inheritance.
After the tramp reaches the proper
stage of intoxication he takes the va
cant place in the cast and is at once
recognized by the bride as Harry
Chandler the old sweetheart. She faints
and the bridegroom chases the tramp off
the stage and then makes a stand and
calls for boxing gloves-think of that
Before he fights the bridegroom he con-
siderately insists on boxing gloves. Any
one can see that this boxing glove scene
was never thought of by the author Of
the play but has been put in by man
ager to please the public A sham bat
tie would have been more realistic with
out the gloves but it would not have
shown such a tender regard by the
tramp for his adversary. 1t is unneces-
sary to say that the tramp wins. Then
the bride repudiates her husband. In the
next scene. she is seen coaxing the
tramp, now grown sleek looking and re-
spectacle to take her back. The bride
groom turns her over to the tramp and
takes his 80 cent grip and leaves town.
In an hour the tramp is thoroughly re-
/ formed-he even gets a shave-and the
curtain goes down while he holds the
other mans wife in his arms. The