The San Francisco call., 1907-06-18
By James Crawford

- y "a w AOk -
HerscheI Mayall is in town and at
his old stage tricks.
With unimpaired charm for a cer-
tain playgoing cult, the great actor of
melodramatic heroes has returned to
the Central theater and his own.
His magnetism serves to fill the big
house at every performance. A Glen
tele extending from the Potrero TO the
Presidio, from North Beach to the Mis-
sion. gives him nightly greeting.
Secrets of the Police is the medium
of his temperance, and his role is
that of a most versatile and ubiquitous
detective. Shortly before he was
earthquaked and con1agrationed out
Of his job at the old Central he thrilled
me with his intrepid courage as a loco
motive engineer, one of his feats being
that of leaping from the cab to the
COW catcher of his speeding engine and
plucking the heroine from the track
just as the whirling wheels were about
to juggernaut her. But that was a
commonplace deed in comparison with
some he performs in Secrets of the
Police"
There are IA scenes in the four acts
of the play, and Il times does he prove
himself possessed of the physical brav-
cry of a Roosevelt, the sagacity of
Solomon, the shrewdness of q William
J. Burns. At pistol point and in plain
attire or DISBURSEMENT he rescues the
maiden from (1) the clutches Of the
villain, who would inveigle her into
marriage with intent to obtain her for
tune and then murder her, CD a black
hole in London, CD the sewers of Paris,
ca the den of the terrible Red Ring of
Russian nihilists. Her hand in wed
lock is inadequate reward for all he
does in her behalf, but he accepts it.
In most of his noble work he is aided
and abetted by a tramp. Indeed, the
tramp performs most of the heroic
hard labor, thus enabling the master
mind to thwart villainy with more
ease. The tramp is first assistant hero.
This innovation has been a surpris
ingly long time in arriving. Often
have I sympathized with Mr.. Mayal in
his doing of mere manual things which
could just as well have been done by
an intelligent and muscular subordi-
nate.
OF course, the returned favorite is
compelled to deliver speech in re-
sponse to the welcome given him when
he makes his first entrance. His words
of acknowledgment last evening were
few and well chosen.
Ladies and gentlemen and girls and
boys, he said, I'm glad that you're
glad I'm with you, and I'm glad to be
with you"
Then he proceeded to battle vice.
Throughout the play he was pro-
foundly revered and rapturously ap-
plauded by citizens who have been
known to hurl bricks at real detectives.
Impressionable members of the gentler
sex were outspoken between acts in
their admiration of his physical graces
and manly virtues. But to the younger
set of male spectators he appealed, per-
haps, most forcibly- He was the de-
tective with whom they became ac-
quainted through "The Boys Own
Nickel Library" He did things. Sher-
lock Holmes talks too much and does
too little.
After probing the subtleties of "The
New York Idea" and you Never Can
Tell" it was invigorating to witness
such a fortnight drama as Secrets of
the Police which title, by the by, is
a misnomer, inasmuch as there is little
OF no secrecy in the play. To follow its
plot requires but slight mental effort.
The lowest brow can instantly grasp
the full meaning of its dialogue and
action. It's characters say bluntly, and
usually with emphasis, exactly what
they mean. Their hearts are exposed
on their sleeves. And from start to
finish you are never in doubt as to
what is next going to happen.
When the villain is Matching mischief
or gloating over an evil deed you know
it, but TO make sure you do know it
he tells you what he is thinking about.
BY similar process the heroine, who
has little else TO do than suffer and be
rescued from perilous situations, OBJ
viates necessity of conjecture.
AS for the hero, he never equivocates.
Ever aboveboard and free speaking. his
candor might make him ineligible to
SERVE as one of Jerry Dinan'S pIafrl
clothes men, but as a stage detective
he is joy forever to tagged brains in
front