The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-10-18
Fire Followed Explosion.
ACTORS ON TRIAL.
Violated the New Jersey Speed Laws
in Automobile.

DE Wolf Hopper. Digby Bell and
Joe Weber learned yesterday the sever
ity of Jersey justice as especially ap-
piled to the automobile law. and though
they did a $500 turn to appease the
squire before whom they were held for
fracturing the speed regulations, they
were nevertheless out of pocket $3.50
apiece by the experience" writes a
Trenton (No. j. correspondent.
These three actors came over from
New York in an automobile yesterday
to go TO Philadelphia. Hopper is bit
of harum- Scarum, with no more re-
gard for speed laws than a boy has for
birds nests. All official warnings were
disregarded until the party got to
Yardley, a rural locality near Trenton,
where q constable planted himself
squarely in the road and demanded that
they kill him or surrender. Being nat
urally good-natured. Hopper stopped
the machine and the three actors with
kins, the judicial department of Yard
ley.
THE squire looked them over severe
! ly, spat into a sawdust cuspidOr, and
| took up a pen.
What's your name?' he demanded,
| looking at Hopper.
DE Wolf Hopper replied the actor.
THE pen was suspended in midair
and the Squire'S jaw dropped.
WHAT he exclaimed at length.
Not De Wolf Hopper, the actor?'
The same, said Hopper, beginning
to take heart.
why Mr.. Hopper, / am most de-
| lighted to meet you. I heard you on
the stage once in New York, and may
be i didn't laugh. I want to shake you
| by the hand and he fairly ran around
from behind his desk to greet the lanky
comedian.
Hopper introduced Bell and Weber.
Their names, too, acted like an electric
shock on the Yardley court.
4 never supposed l would get into
such distinguished company gushed
the squire, shaking hands ali around
once more.
81 think we could square this ac-
count if you were to do Casey at the
Bat whispered the thrifty Weber to
Hopper.
Hopper proposed it Immediately and
the squire was delighted He rubbed
| his hands and pulled his whiskers as
Hopper mounted his platform and be-
gan to recite the immortal Casey He
guffawed and clapped and cheered and
roared. Never did Hopper have a more
| appreciative audience.
after it was all over Weber told
some of his choicest jokes and Bell did
A stunt or two. The reception lasted
nearly an hour. and Squire Simkins
was getting more hilarious every min
ute.
well. we really must be going
! Judge, exclaimed Hopper. shaking
hands for the third or fourth time
/ We've got a dinner engagement II
! Philadelphia. / can't tell you how glad
! / am to have met your
! Same to you Mr.. Hopper, replied
/ the squire, drawing upon the services
of the cuspidor again. We've beer
having such a lovely time that we've
forgotten that this is a court of JUS
| tice. | am one of those that thinks &
! Judge should never allow himself to b,
| Influenced by friendly feelings, but just
can't help being ~ejudiced in youl
case. I'm going to let you fellows of
with a fine Of $3.50 apiece.
las the auto was drawing up in from
of the Hotel Walton. Weber. who haC
appeared TO be stunned all the way
broke out into loud lamentations.
"'Oh, why didn't you think of it be-
fore? he walled. We could have done
IL easy if we hadn't been so blamed
dumfounded
"'Done what growled Hopper.
1--WE could have charged him s50I
for professional services and cleared
s471. so. "