davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08

dreadful sound. Mr.. ffolmes. that ever
| heard II will ring IN MY ears as
long as I live ! sut frozen with hor.
ror for inmate or no; then / seized
the poker and went downstairs. Whvl
entered this room found the win
dow wide open, and at once observed
that the bust was gone from the man
telpiece. Why anv burglar should take
such a thing passes my understand
ing, for il was only plaster cast aud
OF no real value whatever
"Nou can see for yourself that any
one going out through that open win
dow could reach the front doorstep by
taking a long stride This was clearly
what the burglar lad done, so wen,
round and opened the door. Stepping
out iato the dark ! nearly fen over d
dead man who was lying there. / ran
back for a light and there was The
poor fellow. a great gash ia his ihroal
and the Whole place swimming ia
blood. lie lay on his back. his Knees
drawn up and his mouth horribly opcn.
shall see him ia my dreams. had
just time to blow on my police whistle.
and then ! must have tainted. for /
knew nothing more until ! found the
policeman standing over me in the
hall"
We'll, who was the murdered manT'
asked Holmes.
There's nothing 10 show who he
was" said Lestrade. "You shat see
the body at the mortuary, but we have
made nothing OF ii up 20 now. He is
tall man, sunburned, very powerful.
not more than thirty lie is poorly
dressed, ana yet does not appear 10
be a laborer. A horn handled clasp
knife was lying in pool OF blood be-
side him. Whether II was the weapon
which did the deed or whether A be.
longed 70 the dead man | do not know.
There was no name on his clothing
and nothing In his pockets save an
apple, some string. a shilling map OF
London and photograph. Here It is."
IL was evidently taken by a snapshot
from a sGall camera. IL represented
an alert sharp featured simian man,
with thick eyebrows and a very Pc
culiar projection OF the lower part OF
the face, like the muzzle OF baboon. .
And what became OF the bust3" ask
ed Holmes after careful study OF this
picture.
I'VE had news OF II Just before you
came. II has been found in the aront
garden OF an empty house In Camp
den House road. II was broken into
fragments. | am going round now 10
see IT, WIN you conner"
Certainly. / must Just take one look
round" He examined the carpet and
the window The fellow had either
very long legs or was most active
lnan," said he. "WIth an area beneath.
II was no mean feat to reach that win
dow ledge and open that window. Get.
ting back was comparatively simple
Are you coming with us TO see the re-
mains OF your bu-t, Mr.. HarkerT"
The disconsolate Journalist had seat.
ed himself at a writing table.
TO ne Continued Monoay.)
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08

we'll within your means. You woufu
not pay"
so You sent the letters to my hus-
band, and he-the nobIest gentleman
that ever lived, a man whose boots l
was never worthy to Iace--he broke his
gallant heart and died. You remem-
Der that last night, when / came
through that door. begged and pray
ed you for mercy, and you laughed in
my face as you are trying TO laugh
now, only your coward heart cannot
keep your lips from twitching? Yes.
you never thought to see me here
again, but It was that night which
taught me how l could meet You face
TO face and alone. Wen. Charles Mil
verton, what have you to sayY
Don't imagine that you can bully
me-" said he, rising TO his feet Il
have only TO raise my voice and l could
call my servants and have yon arrest
cd. But / will make allowance for
your natural anger. Leave the room at
once as you came, and l win say no
more"
The woman stood with her hand
buried in her bosom and the same
deadly smile on her thin lips.
you viii ruin no more lives as YOU
have ruined mine. You will wiring no
more hearts ms you wrung mine.
VIII free the world Of poisonous
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08
Copyright BY collier's Weekly.

thing. Take that you hound-and that
--and that--aDd that-ahd thatr
She had drawn a little cleaning re-
Z volver and emptled barrel after barrel
into MilveftSh's body, the muzzle with
la two feet Of his shirt front. He
shraak away and thea fell forward
upon the table. coughing furiously and
clawing among the papers. Then he
staggered 70 his feet, received another
shot and rolled upon the floor. You've
done me-" he cried and lay still. The
woman looked at him intently and
ground her heel into his upturned face.
She looked again. but there was no
sound or movement l heard sharp
rustic, the night air blew into the heat
ed room and the ayenger was gone.
No interference upon our part could
have saved the man from his fate. but
az the woman poured bullet after bull
let into Milverton's shrinking body
was about to spring out when l felt
Holmes cold, strong grasp upon my
wrist l understood the whole assu-
ment OF that firm, restraining grip
that il was no affair OF ours; that tus-
tice had overtaken villain; that we
had our own duties aud our own OBJ
jects, which were not 10 be lost sight
OF. But hardly had the woman rushed
from the room when Holmes with
swift, silent steps was over at the 9TH
er door. He turned the key IN the lock.
At the same instant we heard voices In
the house and the sound OF hurryinR
feet. The revolver shots had reused
the household. With perfect coolness
Holmes slipped across 10 the safe. filed
his two arms with bundles Of letters
and poured them all into the are.
Again and again he did 1t, until the
safe was empty.
Some one turned the handle and beat
upon the outside OF the door. Holmes
looked swiftly round. The letter which
had been the messenger of death for
Milverton lay, all mottled with his
blood, upon the table. Holmes tossed
i in among the blazing papers. Then
he-drew the key from the outer door,
passed through after me and locked Il
on the outside. This way, Watson"
said he, "we can scale the garden wall
in this direction"
could not have believed that an
alarm could have spread 30 swiftly.
Looking back, the huge house was one
blaze Of light The front door was
open. and figures were rushing down
the drive The whole garden was alive
with people. and one fellow raised a
view halioo as we emerged from the |
veranda and followed hard at our heels. /
Holmes seemed 10 know the grounds
and be threaded his way
swiftly among plantation OF small !
trees, close az his heels and our
foremost pursuer painting behind us.
It was a six foot wall whieiIs barred /
our path, but be sprang to the top aud
over. As ! did the same felt the hand I
OF the man behind me grab az my an I
kie, but Kicked myself free aud scram-
bled over a grass strewn coping ! fell
upon my face among some bushes, but
Holmes had me on my feet In an in
slant, and together we dashed away
across the huge expanse Of Hampstead
heath. We had run two miles. / sup
pose, before Holmes at last halted and
listened intently. All WAS absolute 81
lcnce behind as We had shaken on 4
par pursuers aud were safe
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08

I Holmes. why. II might be a descrrp-
ton OF Watsonw
ITS true said the Inspector, with
amusement "Itmlght be a description
OF Watson"
We'll, I'm AFRAID l can't help you,
iestrade." said Holmes. 1.-The fact il
that / knew this fellow Mllverton, that
considered him one OF the most dan
gerous men IN London and that l think
there are certain crimes which the law
cannot touch and which therefore 70
some extent justify private revenge.
No. It's no use arguing. will not
handle this case"
Holmes had not said one word to
me about the tragedy which we had
witnessed. but observed all the morn
ing that he was ia his most thoughtful
mood, and he gave me the impression.
from his vacant eyes and his abstract
ed manner, OF a man who is striving
to recall something 70 his memory. We
were in the middle OF our lunch when
he suddenly sprang to his feet. "By
Jove, Watson, I've got itr' he cried.
Take your hatl Come with meF He
hurried at his top speed down Baker
street and along Oxford street until
we had almost reached Regent circus.
Here. on the left hand, there stands
a shop window filed with photographs
OF the celebrities and beauties OF the
day. Holmes eyes fixed themselves
upon one OF them. and following his
gaze I saw the picture Of a regal and
stately lady in court dress, with high
diamond tiara upon her noble head.
looked at that delicately curved nose.
at the marked eyebrows. at the
straight mouth ana the strong little
chin beneath It. Then ] caught my
breath as l read the time honored title
OF the great nobleman and Statesman
whose wife she had been. My eyes
met those OF Holmes, and he put bis
finger 10 his lips as we turned away
from the window.
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08

! was no very unusual
thing for Mr.. Lestrade
OF Scotland Yard to look
in upon us Of an even.
ing. and bis visits were
welcome to Sherlock
Holmes, for they enabled
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08


We had hreokfasted ana we're sniok
Ing our morning pipe on the day aftel
the remarkable experience which /
have recorded when Mr.. Iestrade Of
Scotland Yard. very solemn and I'M
pressive, was ushered into our modest
sitting room.
Good morning. Mr. Holmes" said
he; good morning May l ask II you
arc very busy Just nowr'
'Not too busy to listen to you"
Il thought that perhaps II You had
nothing particular on hand you might
care to assist us IN most remarkable
case which occurred only last night at
Hampstead"
Dear mer said Holmes. "what was
thatYv
"A murder-a most dramatic and re-
markable murder. ! know how keen
you are upon these things. and l would
take II as great favor n you would
step down to Appledore Towers and
give us the benefit Of your advice. 1t
is no ordinary crime We have had
our eyes upon this Mr.. Niiivertoa for
some time, and. between ourselves. he
was bit Of villain. He Is known 10
have held paners which he used FOR
blackmailing purposes These papers
have all been burned by the murderers.
No article OF value was taken. as it Is
probable that the criminals were men
OF good position whose sole object was
to prevent social exposure"
"CriminalsY said Holmes. "PluralY'
Yes, there were two OF them. They
were as nearly as possible captured red
handed We have their footmarks, we
have their description It's ten to one
that we trace them. The FIRST fellow
was a bit too active. but the second
was caught by the under gardener and
only got away after a struggle. He
was a middle sized, strongly built man
jaw, thick neck. mustache
mask over his eyes"
That's rather vague" said Sherlock
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08
~rhe cIa.s rhat Sci. pona.a

ne Class That Stole Dogs"
You're not on that horrid paper. arc
youg" cried the girl who speaks her
mind, though did once meet q re-
porter that was rather nicei He came
TO see about getting an advertisement. ]"
What, not a reporterl" "Why I
thought be was. Well. anyway. had
lost dog. and be said he had heard of
II and wanted to know II didn't want
to advertise in his paper for IL. I told
him didn't believe liked his old pa
per and he said he didn't think much.
Of it himself, but be uaoueht it pretty
apt 70 reach the class Of people that
stole dogs. So since he was So polite
about il / thought might as well adj
vertise"
MorAi-you may not lilfe our paper.
bat IL win reach the people wao win
buy your goods, and they will NOT all
be dog thieves either.-Liberty No., En-
teFprise.
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08
I down and listened
DryIng preparaIiOns suapiy ceYeI

Drylng preparations SIMPLY ceYsL
opdry catarrh; they dry up the Gecretioua.
which adhere 70 the membrane and decom.
pose, causing far more serious trouble thar
the ordinary form Of catarrh. Avoid All dry
ing inhalants, fumes, smokes aud smut
and use that which cleanseG, soothes an
hcals. Hys Cream Balm Is such a remed, /,
and win cure catarrh or coldin the heao
easily and Fieaoently. A trial bize will b.
mailed for 10 ccnts- All druggists eell The
zoe. size Ely Brothers, Sc WaFTen st., NY.
Jhe Balm cures without pain. does not
initiate Or cause sneezing. ID spreads itself
oyef an ir-itated aud angry surface, relies.
ing immediately the painfd infammation.
Nlth kly's Cream Balm yos are armed
assiasi Aasal catarrh aud Hay Fever.
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08

See him glarel Hear him swear! Hear
him holler!
Is be sick? ls he crazy or hurtP
No-he's donning a IA collar
And he's wearing a Is snirt.
Cleveland Leader.
The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-08
The Adventure of
the Six NapOIeons
No. 5 of the serle,

Ccss,riibf. fSot. ., 4 csasa D.,i. s,s c.,,...,,
HsstJJ
CCsfs4rtf. fgeg, ., MsCisr.. ptfiyi,, 3, r.3
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16
ene THEATRICAL

or what is sometimes known as pro
ducing manager,
The theater manager in those days
had an expensive esta hlishment on his
hands. When his season was over he
usually found HIS following seasons
time untitled. with the exception OF a
few weeks booked in advance by some
astute travelling manager, who proba-
bly, was holding the same time in sew
eral theaters until he could see-saw
these local managers into giving him
terms upon which the local managers
could not live. This was the necessity
which created the booking agencies.
The booking agent acts as the repre-
sentative of these theater managers
for a payment agreed upon between
them. under which agreement the
agent keeps their vacant time on his
books in New York and deals with the
managers of the travelling companies
TO fill that time; and, notwithstanding
all assertions to the contrary, he takes
nothing from the control of the local
manager so far as the bookings are
concerned. because after all is said and
done, he is merely the agent of the To-
cal manager and cannot make. con-
tracts except with the approval of the
local manager The time and terms
arc always submitted to the local man.
ager before the contracts are signed
Now. this arrangement Immediately
produced the following distinct bene-
fits for the business Of the theater:
First-It made the management of
theatrical business generally a digni-
fed calling instead of the haphazard
plan conducted upon the streets and in
cafes.
Second-It prevented the cunning
travelling manager on the one he'd
from booking the same date in two
cities. while on the other hand the To-
cal manager could not arbitrarily
throw out date after it had been
booked, as was too often the case, be-
cause once the booking agent estab-
lished the date and contracts were
signed there was no such thing as de-
stroying the evidence of an agreement.
Third-It made it possible, in the
event Of disaster by confiagration, epi-
demic or any other cause, to rearrange
the routes of companies SO that they
would not have to lie idle, thus pre-
venting thousands of employees. includ-
ing artists, mechanics, transfer men
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16
s. Y N D &c A 7 E.

ayers: or men who so ridicule tht
women in a performance as to rendei
them sc hysterical and helpless from
nervousness that they are either en-
tirely unable to appear CT appear only
at great disadvantage or men Whf
Judge a performance not by its-mertti
or demerits. but by the religious faits
or nationality Of a manager The mel
who are now barred from certain thea
ters in New. York are barred because
they have many times had the bad
taste to commit specifically the aDoyl
breaches OF decorum, and for no othei
reason In each case, save one there
was no attempt to discriminate agains
the newspaper, and IL was tnformef
that any other representative excep'
the men so offending would be admitted
IT was pointed out that the dramati,
critic, like Caesars wife,, should bi
above suspicion. And 1t was hoped
that the newspaper would cO-cperatl
with the managers in keeping criticism
upon this high standard Does thii,
seem an attempt at muzzling dramatb
criticism?
One would think that delicacy wouIi
have prompted the writers whose meth
DDS and character were questioned u
be the first to ask that others be as
signed to criticize the performances II
theaters conducted by men who chal
lenge their good faith. How lonC
would a Judge persist in trying cas-
after his motives were tmpugned2 No
one Of them has ever done so- Eael
one OF these writer's has always triei
to shield himself by declaring an at
tempt was made to muzzle dramatt
criticism with as much reason as
physician accused Of malpractice nigh
defend himself by declaring his &C
cusers were trying to abolish the medi
cal profession.
Some of the adherents OF thes
writer's have charged that. while
manager was permitted TO pFotec
himself and the people he employs iron
personal assault. there was no hope 70
the future of the American drama AZ
a matter OF fact, in no country in tn
world Is the critic so cordially receives
as he Is In America Recently in Eng
land a writer was found guilty OF Hbs
and sentenced to pay a heavy fine 70
pronouncing a certain play failure
In Germany and France. the two coun
tries that have produced the best mod
ern plays, the law is even more strict
No criticism but the most dignified
tolerated Remember this and thet
remember that.in America. the critic
ALWAYS cordially welcome. no matte
how severe his critidue may be. VIII
extends the courtesy OF omftting per
sonar abuse and OF giving the perform
ance dignifed impartial review.
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16

theatrical men who have seen fit to at
tack the syndicate's methods have free
1y induIged in personalities TO main
tain their arguments. One man in the
magazine article recently ,announced
that the syndicate. prosecuted Henri
eta .Crosman because she produced a
play upon the same theme as one
which Miss Ada Rehan was then play
ing in New York City under the man
agement of Klaw & Erlanger. The
fact is that Miss Crosman was booked
by Klaw & Erlanger. in that very play
In the city of New York. and her con-
tract bears the stamp of Klaw & Err
langer's office. Perhaps Mr.. Campbell,
Miss Crosman's manager. from whose
eyes the independent cataract has now
been removed, may testify to this.
This same man, on the opening night
of Miss Crosman in New York few
years later, told some newspaper men
of the metropolis with ill-concealed
hints and innuendoes that some one
had cut the ropes Of his scenery, thus
delaying the entertainment that even
ing, and In an abnormal bid for mar
tyrdom endeavored to leave the i'm
preston that some enemies had done
this When the mechanics union took
the matter up and investigated IL, and
IL was found that no ropes OF any
kind had been cut, he quickly receded
from the position and wrote them a
letter-a copy Of which I possess-in
which he admitted that nothing OF the
kind had happened and denied that
he had ever made such an accusation
Yet he never denied the accusations
when 1t appeared IN print in a half
dozen newspapers
AS for the syndicate's attitude to-
ward dramatic criticism. 1t has none
can have none, because, as / have
stated before. 1t produces no plays. But
to accuse managers OF an attempt to
.'stf1e and muzzle" dramatic criticism
is nnanifestly absurd Any manager
of experience knows that the most
laudatory criticism cannot save a bad
play from failure. His one desire, there
fore, both as business man and as
one who wishes to deal fairly with
the public, Is to keep the standard Of
dramatic criticism on the highest level.
1t is to his best interests to have it
absolutely impartial. absolutely. just,
and always on the most dignified
plane. Only those newspaper writer's
who have repeatedly and f1agrantly
departed from this standard have been
requested to absent themselves by the
managers in question from their thea
ters. Assuredly thera Is justification
In protesting against newspaper. writ
ers who bitterly and scandalously at
tack productions not In the interests Of
their readers. but in that OF other man
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16

plays as they were before its organiza-
tion augurs nothing except that they
should be held individually responsible
for the merits or demerits of their pro-
ductions, but they should not be held
as a syndicate, because the combina-
tion, never In the whole history OF the
And it may surprise my readers to
know that in the city of New York
the syndicate absolutely controls only
one theater - namely, the Knicker-
booker.
Charles Trohman is the lessee of GER.
tain theaters In New York and Messrs.
Klaw & Erlanger manage some thea
ters in New York, and Frohman and
Klaw & Erlanger together are inter
ested in some theaters. but these are
not syndicate ventures. The conduct OF
the Empire Theater. the Hudson Thea
ter and the Lyceum Theater are dis
tinctly and Independently in the hands
of Charles and Daniel Frohman. as the
Theater and New York Theater are in
the hands of Klaw & ErianKer. The
latter firm knows as little about Mr..
Frohman's plans and intentions until
they are practicable complete each
season as he knows about theirs.
Time for Mr.. Frohman and Klaw &
Erlanger is booked exactly as any
body e1se's is.
Klaw & Erlanger as producers ana
Charles Frohman az a producer are DIFF
ferent entities absolutely from the
syndicate of which they are members.
One or two disgruntled managers who
have not been able to use the syndicate
exactly as they pleased for their own
The San Francisco call., 1905-04-16

"a NE bright winters day in Febru-
ary, 1896. at an accidental lunch
con in the Holland House, New
York. the gentlemen composing
what is l7oWn as the Theatrical
Syndicate" We're discussing the busi-
ness conditions Of the theaters in New
York and throughout the country fol-
lowing the three years OF depression
occasioned by the silver panic of 1888.
At the time Klaw & Erlanger, two of
the men present, had carried on sue
.cessfully what is known in theatricals
as a booking agency" at rs West Thir-
tieth street. Charles Frohman, ten
blocks further up on Broadway, was
representing a chain Of theaters ex-
tending westward, with headquarters
in the Empire Theater building. ac-
corcing TO Mr.. Klaw in an interview in
the New York Times. Messrs. Nixon
& Zimmerman were the leading man
ayers Of Philadelphia, operating nearly
ali the first-class houses in that city.
Al Hayman was the owner Of the Ern-
pire Theater building. A business al
lance was, proposed between the six
men here mentioned by which the
bookings Of attractions could be center
ed IN one establishment, and before
can 20 any further / should like to ex-
plain what a booking agency" is. and
to do so I will have 10 go back some
years TO show the condition of the
theater in the United States before
these comprehensive booking agencies
were established
Less than twenty years ago d for
nidable percentage of the business OF
the theater was conducted on the side
walk. in hotel Offices. cafes. and, re-
gret to say. in barrooms. In those
DAYS managers Of theaters far and near
would come 10 New York after their
seasons we're oyer-usually in June.
July and August-and inaugurate a
catch.as-catch-can meeting with the
managers OF what are called troupes or
combinations. 1t is difficult within the
limits of a Newspaper article TO get the
technicaIities Of the theatrical business
inteIIigently before the reader, but the
local or theater manager is the man
who leases or operates a theater. who.
it must be kept in mind, is an entirely
separate and distinct individual from
the manager. Of a travelling company,