The Washington herald., 1907-03-12
"In the Bishops CarriaEe' PIeases
LnrEe Audience az the Columbia.

sin the Bishops OarriaEc' Pieases
Large Audience AZ the Columbia.
The dramatlzation Of Miriam Michel
sons novel. In the Bishops Carriage.
was made by Mr.. Claiming Pollock. for
merly a well-known Washington news
paper man. and before the play arrived
at the excellence which the audience Al
the Columbia Theater enjoyed last night
it has had varying fortunes. Always
the story of Nance Olden. the regener-
ated girl-thief. contained finely dramatic
elements. but at first the dramatist stuck
too closely 20 the novel, forgetting that
much that is plausible and sympathetic
on the printed page becomes. under the
glare OF the footlights, harsh and Un-
natural
As It is now. In the Bishops Carriage"
is clear-cut drama OF human interest;
unusual human interest, perhaps. bat
! certainly not more so than "Raffies %
Sherlock Holmes" or Leah Klesch-
ma" 90 which school of drama IT belongs
by right. The central figure. next 10 that
Of the girl thief, is Latimer young
criminal lawyer. Of Philadelphia. who
Z
side Of his profession, and who has come
TO believe that thieves are so largely be
cause Of environment and circumstance
The play opens al the home of Edward
Ramsey. who comes in tn a half-drunken
condition. complaining that HIS watch
has been stolen az the Broad street sta
ton. Then. too. Latimer misses his sill
yer cigarette case from his overcoat
pocket To the pleasant family party on
the lawn arrives the bishop-in his car
riage. Of course-and snugged up in the
] carriage is Nance Oiden. who is playing
demented. She is decked in stolen dnery.
and she fools everybody but Latimer
who recognizes her as thief, and knows
that Tom nOrEan. then employed as d
waiter in his own house. is her ac-
compice He sends Dorgan about his
business and sends Nance home In his
automobile.
The second act is in Latimer's rooms.
Nance comes there. and Latimer is trying
10 reform her. He might not take 50
much pains were she less pretty. but At
any rate. he is sincere. But Nance lets
/ in Tom DOrgan. and il is plain that she
Nd Tom have planned 10 rob Latimers
ROBINS But Latimer has been so good to
her that Nance woakens, summons the
police, and Dorgan is taken of 90 prison.
Nance herself being saved by Latimer
Nance oiden goes on the stage and makes
a great success. Two years have passed
and she IS a better and a finer woman,
and Latimer proposes to her. But she
thinks she owes a duty 20 the imprisoned
Dorgan; she VIII wait until he gets out,
and viii try 90 save and reform him.
Dorgan escapes and comes 10 her rooms
for refuge, but the two years that have
passed have made him more evil. and
Nance shudGers an him. lie is furious at
her, and is about to kill her when Lati-
uler comes back. There IS a fight. the pO-'
lice enter, and all three are taken TO tile
police station.
Here Dorgan. furious az his disappoint-
ment declares that Nance is his pal and
should be punished with him. but Nance
pleads with him-it is her one chance of
keeping straight and being honest and de-
cent, she pleads. and at last Dorgan weak
| ems. confesses that Nance has had nothing
to do with him or his robberies, and, of
course. Nance finds her happiness in Lati-
meTs arms.
Latimer wants to recognize Dorgan' s
generosity.
4 viii try and get you pardoned, he
says.
'Pardoned, You, What I did. I did for
( her," says Tom D0rgan, as he is led Off
| handcuffed. You, To h wild YOU"
1t is evident that in story such as
this there is a chance for a wide range
of emotion. As originally produced.
Mabel TaIiaferro played the part of
Nance. but was so ingenue that no audi
ence could be convinced that gnder any
circumstances she could be "A thief Now
Jessie BuSley plays the part, and she
does il with great skill She has that
rare quality of magnetism that appeals
to her audience. she is always womanly.
often defiant. sometimes doubtful Of the
future; but through all the moods you
can feel the true and fine woman behind
it all In the second act, where she tells
Latimer about the Cruelty was
their name for the Society for the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Children-and the
life there. it was with pathetic conviction
that she insisted that stealing was all
right. It's your graft, and my graft,
and everybody's graft" she says. Get
all you can. any way YOU can.
OF course, the audience realizes the fall
lacy of her poor reasoning, but it is deeply
pathetic, none the less. Il was a splendidly
conceived character as played by Miss
Busley and admirably sustained through
out
That conscientious actor Byron
Douglass, played Latimer. and did il we'll
1t calls for that most difficult branch Of
the actors art, reserve, and Mr.. Douglas
quiet power in the stronger scenes was
/ finely manifest. It was good too. to see
that venerable but always good actress
Rose Eytinge. on the stage once more. She
has only bit" as Mrs. Latimer. but she
made It count The Tom Dorgan Of
James Keane was fOrceful and convlnc-
ing, especially in the last two acts, and
the bit" by Ernest JOY. newspaper
man, was done with much more realism
than is usually seen when such a part is
essayed. A clever character part was that
Of Mag Monahan. played by Miss Lavinia
shannon. for many years leading woman
Of prominent stock companies.
Altogether the performance was an ad-
mirable one, well played adequately
staged, and picturing a story that holds
the interest of the audience from begin
ming to end. \ large audience was pres
eut, and Gen, Harries had box party
a sort of farewell to Maj r. Richardson
who leaves soon for Alaska In the party