The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-20
KEITH'S THEATRE.

An audience that was on tiptoes OF ex-
pectancy yesterday afternoon crowded
Keith's 20 the very walls. the magnet be-
ing .Houdini the handcuf king. Much
has been said OF Houdini. but summing
It all up. Il may briefly be said that ne
is wonder. His power 20 break out
OF handouts has been tested hundreds OF
times but yesterday afternoon several
Providence ones were tried upon him.
He was greeted with one OF the most
vociferous ovations ever heard In a Provi-
dence theatre and after brief introduc-
tory speech, he invited anyone in the au-
olence 10 bring upon the stage any hand
cuffs they might care TO test upon him.
Three policemen in uniform and three
men In citizens clothes responded
all brought handouts except one, who
brought leg irons. Having the policemen
lock the four pairs of handouts upon him
at once and the leg irons about his ankles.
he easily freed himself from them. almost
before the audience could count ten. The
hfth pair OF handouts the owner insisted
upon locking upon Houdinjs hands held
behind his back. With smile Houdini
consented and as easily freed himself with
hiS hands locked behind his back lie
then demonstrated a Russian handcufr
wrists by one OF the policemen. He then
was tied up IN a sack sealed with seal-
Ing wax and locked In "A trunk. Quicker
than flash. he appeared before the au-
cience while his attendant q dainty lit
tie woman, was found 10 be in The sack
with the seals unbroken and the trunk
locked securely. The tremendous demand
for seats makes II certain that one of the
biggest weeks IN the history OF Ketth's
" oho Faf
TO see this mysterious handcuff expert
But while Houdini alone gives the au-
dience their moneys worth, there are a
number OF other features decidedly worth
seeing. There is plenty OF good singing
and an abundance OF laughabe comedy
and almost every act on the bill scored
big hit The Wilton Brothers, by far the
beet horizontal bar comedians before the
public, were a screaming hit and the
Orpheus Comedy Four. excellent singers
as well as comedians. made everyone
laugh until the tears ran down their
cheeks. Edmund Day & Co. I'm Mr. Days
pretty L.le playlet, The Sheriff." an
Arizona incident. scored a big hit and de-
servedly so The sketch is one of the
prettiest ever presented In vaudeville.
with real dramatic interest and some
delightfully."- spontaneous comedy. Mf
Days Jig-natured sheriff was a capital
character study. and Miss Blanche Cro-
zier was very sweet and dainty as the
woman in the case"
Gilroy. Haynes e Montgomery offered
musical nautical travesty. which included
some good einging and some capital com
edy by tunmaker OF most original meth
DDS. Caprice. Lynn and Fay. three at
uactive and dainty young women offered
a pretty singing and dancing act They
wore some stunning costumes and danced
very gracefully and that they pleased the
audience was proved by the hearty ap-
plause given them. Redford & Win
chester scored one of the biggest laugh
Ing acts on the bill with their burlesque
Juggling act In addition 10 doing a num-
Der OF very clever Juggling feats-eHe ef
the men is comedian of the purest
water. Everything he did sent the audi
ence into shouts of fun and his catching
OF apples on the end OF his fork was very
exciting and very funny.
w j. McDermitt a newcomer offered
an amusing monologue Of new and origi-
nal stories and his parodes were all
funny and up-to-the-minute. especiaIlv
the one about Miss Alice Roosevelt The
Petching Brothers two Providence men.
were given cordial greeting and offered
a novel act, "A Musical Flower Garden"
The comedian was very funny and the
music OF exceptional merit Mr.. and Mrs
Fred Lucter offered very pleasing little
rural comedy act. introducing some ex-
cepuonally good violin playing by the man
and some pleasing singing and dancing
features by the woman. Warner & Lake
wood offered a singing and dancing act.
The Scareorow and the Maid" which
was a clever idea, but It's possibilities
We're hardly realized. although the man
did some clever eccentric dancing: tho
Nohrens gave fair ring act: Kittie Stew
ems gave character changes and dances.
and the Keith Motion Pictures showed
some capital views. Something which
caused a sensation yesterday AFTERNOON
was the announcement by Houdini that
he had. some hour or so before his ap.
pearance on the stage. broken out OF the