The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-01-12
AN ACTORS GOOD JOKE.
How "Fritz" Emmet Played It on an
Audience That Thought He
Was Drunk.

TITS bad thing for an actor to earn
name for ccnviviality," said one OF
.hem, according to an exchange. "A
man who once gets a reputation In the
theatrical profession as an occasional
.oisterer and date breaker is never able
ot retrieve that reputation, no matter
low many years of sobriety he puts in in
he effort to live down his record
Some actors suffer great deal from
his sort of thing. No man In the bust
less, however, ever got it coming and
going SO badly as did Fritz Emmet on
account of his jamboree record
II was member of Emmet's company
or number of years, and know that
here were many times when, without
having taken drop for months, he was
90 Ill to go on, from natural causes, but
lid go on, for the sake of preventing the
word to be flashed over the country
that Joe Emmett was on another drunk.
Zone night, nearly 20 years ago--it
vas on March 31--Emmet was booked
for Kansas City. He'd been on the wa
er wagon for many months. but he was
II that night from an attack Of malarial
fever and he positively couldn't raise
ais head. 1t was out of the question for
him to 60 on. He wanted to In spite of
his wretched feeling, but even his man
ager wouldn't stand for 1t.
Fritz went. to bed, took hot lemon
ade, swaddled himself up in the bed COW
srings and slept of his mean feeling.
when he got the papers the next
morning he found that he-had been so
tumultuously drunk the night before
that he hadn't been able to keep his en-.
gagement. It wasn't the newspapers
fault that this story appeared. The story
had been given out that way from the
theater.
"Emmet's feelings were lot bruised
up by that story, and we all figured tina!
he'd go on q bat then, anyway.
"But he didn't. He got on the train
with US and went up to Leavenworth
where we were booked to play tina:
night-April /.
''The manager Of the theater where
we were to play was surprised to SCI
Emmet In first rate trim, so far as sobri,
sty went, and he sent out handbills thai
Emmet would positively appear, despite
the story that had come from Kansas
City. There was an overflow audience
vet don't suppose that half the peopl,
In the audience really expected Emme
to shoY up.
They were skeptical and silent unit
the rise of the curtain. You remembe
how Emmett used to make hs nrst ap
pearance In Fritz with lot Of littl
children tagging after him?
well, the moment for his cue arrived
tive orchestra struck up the opening mu
sic for his entrance-and on came Hm
met. reeling and apparently spiflicat
ed and googiey eyed and picked to tn
gunr. He seemed to be barely able Il
keep bis feet. Instantly the long his
ran artund the theater from the orches
ira to the pit
Fritz essayed TO sing his openin
song. but the words died 10 bis throa
drunkenly, as It certainly seemed. 4
! this the hiss became like the music o
lV,OOO coDras.
Suddenly Fritz straightsnsd himself
and became ~ erect - spear. Th
Dutch grin spread over bis features
and he made gesture with his arm 70
quiet. The house instantly obeyed.
"svell,' said Hmmet. supporting hi
chin with his le.t hand In his character
istic fashion. 7 t'ousht W could som
April Fools haf alreatty yet. nod = "a
then hs lsaped Into the vortex Of N
} singing and dancing with : charm q
isnthusiasm sneh - his conpoay -
never zen Hin 4isplay before 4,
I'll bet ~ cpQ1d haye h>oS6 y
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