Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1903-10-27
A SENSATIONAL PLOT.
1.-THE BUFFALO MYSTERY" UARAvELED
TO SMALL AUDIENCE.
A Play On And OH The Stage, In Which
Marine Officers Figure-SOme
thing Fierce.

When Mr.. Lawrence Russell drama.
tized 1.-THE Buffalo Mystery he at
tempted to do more than the New
York police and detective force ac-
complished in their long siege and
after. their supposed experience at the
detective business, for Mr.. Russell
solved the mystery and the solu-
ton of it was portrayed by the julie
and Elmer Walters Company last
night.at Colonial tTheare.
"The Buffalo Mystery is supposed
to be melo-drama that has for its
foundation unsavory incidents of the
tragedy that occurred in that city
some time ago. Some people in the
audience land thank heaven il was a
small one) found something TO enter
tain them in the sensational incidents
of the play, but many did not. Ger
tainly if sensation was the one thing
needful when the playwright construc-
ted the plot, he hit the nail on the
head, for the plot as well as the fea-
lures of the case ON which it is based
abounds in sensationalism of the worst
sort. There is everything TO make
the play "go." Pistols in the pockets
and belts of men and women are pro-
duced from their hiding places at the
slightest provocation.
:, From the familiar handling of wea-
pons, one would think there never
was such thing as n woman being
afraid of firearm. The free-for-all-
fight was simply riotous high old
time, the like of which was never wit
messed on the local stage. II the COM
pany smashes the same amount of
glass and crockery, not to mention the
damage done to furniture, every night,
last nights audience did not cover a
weeks damages. Then, too, there was
the quarry scene, and that automobile
ride-the least said about it the better.
The actors and actresses left no ques-
ton in the minds of anybody that Mr.
and Mrs. "Bunnell' deliberately rode
to their death, as well as that Mr..
"Pendick" was murdered by the man
who had robbed him of his wife's
honor. There is a question in the
minds of many who witnessed the per-
formance whether the playwright S
action in weaving the unsavorary fea-
lures of the famous Buffalo case into
melo-drama, or in reality trag-
edy of the worst sort, is entirely
dDOV0 cTlUlClSIu.
To do the cast justice, Mr.. Guy
Durrell was o dignified "Pendick''
and played his part in q quiet, forci-
bic manner. Subsequent to his muir
der" he assumed the role of the tramp.
In this, his makeup and the handling
of his character were SO realistic that
they brought forth comment from the
gallery and laughter and conversation
on the front row of orchestra chairs
occupied by marine officers and promi-
nent society young men. Their behav-
ior caused Manager Hollebaugh to
speak to them ON two occasions and
later to bring in two officers of the
police force and order their arrest.
TO the audience it looked as If there
would be free-for- all fight both on
and off the stage. The very best of
the whole performnce was the exhibi-
tion given by Mr.. Charles harrington,
the "human orchestra, who initiated
very cleverly several musical instru-
ments and the COW, the Rocky Mount
ain burro, or, as he called it, the "ca-
nary bird" Mrs. Bunnell must not
be omitted. She made the most of a
bad character, whom the author of the
play had made q scheming adventur-
ess, devoid of redeeming sentiment.
Altogether, 1.-THE Buffalo Mystery
left a bad taste in the mouth, which,
it is hoped, tonight's performance
Facing The Music" will cleanse
and sweeten.