Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-01-20

Special Correspondence.
4 EW YORK. Jan. ia very re-
mi markable actor made his Ameri-
can debut at the Madison square
theater last week, Mlr. Henri
Devries OF Holland. The success he
scored there may flttingly be described
as unique and seven-fold. He appear
ed In a short character drama by H.
Heyermans entitled "A Case of Arson"
and as this little play came as an after
piece 10 one OF the stupidest Of farces
The Bralsley Diamond" his really
marvellous representations In this play
seemed like a CLEAN of sunshine after
very heavy rain. In this little play Mr..
Devries acts no less than seven char
acters. They are no mere Frigoli light
ing changes OF masks and costume. but
each role is a distinct creation, utterly
different, bearing no resemblance 10
any of the others. In its way, TINS
achievement of Mr.. DeVries is the most
wonderful feat of acting that the New
York stage has ever shown ana mind
you. It Is all remarkably fine acting.
Any actor who could play any one or
Mr.. DeVries seven roles as artistically
AZ he plays them all, would have great
cause to feel proud of himself. Each
role was more Than a characterization,
1t was portrait. As he presented
them one by one, accomplishing his
changes OF costume and make up In
the space Of time which it took to exit
by one door and enter by another, these
characters laid O hold upon you which
az the play progressed became \ grip
of absorbing interest. The final climax
found an audience absorbed In scene
OF breathless interest.
This little play shows the unraveiing
OF the crime in little Dutch village,
The scene is the office of n justice of
the peace. This character, remarkably
well played by Mr.. Henry Wharf and
the messenger who announces the vari-
GUS witnesses, are the only other char
acters. A little clgarmaker's shop has
been burned down. Arson Is supected,
but the 3-year-old child of the cigar
maker. has been burned In the fire and
for a time this fact keeps the father
from suspicion. The first witness called
IL the half witted brother of the cigar
maker. He comes In with q vacant look
IN his face and sabots in his hand and
answers the magistrates questions In
a duh and stupid way. He admit that
he had had quarrel with the little
child on the day of the fire at din
ner. She had split a glass Of water
on his bread and gravy. He was very
angry, hut that was all. He did not
XII the little girl. he loved her 100
much. The last he had seen OF her. she
was going out for walk with her
father and they had locked the house
after them The magistrate asked him
to explain how the child could possibly
have got back In the house after that.
II was very simple, the boy explained,
one OF the ground floor windows had
broken clamp, The child was in the
habit of raising II and creeping In.
The father Of the child was the next
wltness-a big burly Dutchman, dress
ed In black, ana bowed with grief His
answers came swift and sure. He and
the child had gone for walk. He was
carrying box Of cigars to his father
in-law and he had his walking stick In
his hand. Also the key of the house
which was large one, The child asked
II she might have the key to play with
He handed II to her. Then she grew
tired, said she did not want to go over
20 see her grandfather but would await
his return In front of their own house.
She left him. That was the last ne
saw OF her alive. Next comes the POI
lice officer. a gaunt six-footer. who told
briefly OF finding traces Of parrafine
among the ruins OF the house. Then
came the paralyzed old father-iu-law.
Had the cigar maker brought him
a box OF cigars that Sunday after
noon? No, sir why should he
he didn't smoke. Besides the
his son-in-law wasn't In the habit OF
giving him presents. He owed him
money. The cigar maker was very hard
up. Then came the loquacious grocery
man, comedy character, which set
the audience In a roar. No; II was not
true that he had sold any parrafine to
the cigar maker on the Saturday after
noon, but earlyn Sunday morning. the
little girl had come over 10 the shop
with a message from her father ask
Ing him to loan them a gallon of Il.
He had given the parrafine to the child,
and had seen the father carrying Il
home. The cigar maker ~ recalled,
He begins to look nervous. The mag
istrate tells him that he has lied. he
never had any box OF cigars In his
hand. he did buy parrafine, through
his little daughter az the grocery The
distraught man tries to parry every
question. and TO down II with an alb
solute denial, but his nerve has gone