The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-27
ORIGINAL CAPTAIN
JINKS APPEARS
HERE
Man Sixty Years of Age
Claims He Is Hero of Old
Old Song Which Clyde
Fitch Has Adopted in His
Play.

Il am the original Capt. links"
There were the words Of q tall, square,
shouldered man about sixty years Of
age in greeting a woman in the corri-
dor Of the Ryan yesterday. The wom-
an in question was Miss Elizabeth
Kennedy, who is this season being
featured In the Clyde Fitch comedy,
Captain links, of the Horse Marines
The man who says he is the original
Capt. Jtnks may In reality be so If the
stories about him are true. His right
name is James Mordaunt, and he
claims that he was the original of the
character introduced in the song of
Captain links, of the Horse Marines"
which was big hit in New York in
1868, when 1t was first sung there by
an English music hall performer, whose
name was William Holmes Lingard.
Mr.. Mordaunt had read in the pa
pers about Miss Kennedys appearance
in Captain Jinks'' at the Broadway
theater, and on learning that she would
appear here he desired to make the &C
qaintance Of the young actress. Miss
Kennedy, of course was somewhat
taken back by meeting a man who
claimed that he was the real Capt.
Jin6s, but after Introductory explana-
tons had been exchanged she express
ed her delight at meeting Mr.. Nor
daunt and asked him to visit her at
her home in New York next summer
Is an Old Character.
The first time Captain links" was
sung on the American stage was at
the Theater Comique, New York, on
April 6, 1868. and the song made a
wonderful hit. Mr.. Lingard's other
songs of that time, which were as ia
nous as Mr.. Dooley is now, were Bit
ter Beer" ION the Beach at Long
Branch" "At Brighton" and Walking
Down Broadway" OF all these songs
Captain links" was the only one which
Mr.. Lingard retained in his repertoire
for all the time.
Many changes have taken place in
the thirty-four years since Captain
links, of the Horse Marines" made his
first salute to the American public.
The theater where this famous artist
appeared had been demolished and the
manager who brought Mr.. Lingard to
this country, has been dead for more
than thirty years. Mr.. Lingard was
married to a very beautiful and tall
ented woman, Alice Dunning Lingard.
who was vocalist and actress Of much
merit. 1t is known that Mrs. Lin
gard is dead, but the singer himself
simply disappeared from public view
and nobody knows whether he is dead
or still alive today.
The popularity of the song of Cap
tain links, of the Horse Marines" at
the time was such that the small boys
called everybody who wore any kind
of uniform Capt. Jinks." The ap-
pearance of this character Is that Of q
big military man of ree-and-easy
manners, wearing a busby with big
plumes and carrying a little cane. His
coat front is dazzling with many cords,
and long braids add to the gayety Of
the legs Of his trousers. He was q
typical dandy, such as the young girls
flirted with about thirty years ago.
Clyde Fitch introduces the song of
Captain links" several times in his
play, thus giving the theater- goers OF
today an opportunity to become famil-
lar with the lines and the music of the
song that created a craze in the '70s.
The Famous Old Song.
Since the appearance Of Captain
links" on the stage there has been
renewed interest in the song, which In
| full goes as follows:
| 81 am Capt links" of the Horse Marines
| often live beyond my means,
| l sport young ladies in their teens,
| To cut a swell in the army.
| I teach the ladies how to dance, how to
dance,
| I teach the ladies how to dance,
| For, I'm their pet in the army.
| Spoken: Ha! ha! ha!