Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-15

Light; Kate Fisher in "Mazeppa" and
Jack Sheppard with Joe Winters as
Tom King; Oliver Doud Byron in Across
the Continent" and Hero" Mile. Zoe
Spy Johnny Thompson in ION Hand
Johnny Allen in Schneider" Frank
Mayo in "Davy Crockett" and SO many
more hair-splitting exhibitions that.
| taken with the pocketful of peanuts in
the top tier. made night worth while.
| Then were the days one had something
| to look forward to.
| How men and times have changed,
| To think that Stetson has been alive
and in retirement all the years since!
| Does the old-timer remember his ia
nous back fall? He was as noted in
this respect as Joe Nagle. the old Bowery
favorite. who was popularly known as
| Back Fall Joe In fact Stetson's ad-
| mirers used to say that he was better
in back falls than Maggie. This particular
business of the stage used to have more
terror to the actor, and was attempted
with more apprehension. than any other
| mechanical necessity of the art. There
| have been few persons on the stage. no
matter how long and arduous their expert
ence has been. who could do it. or who
would attempt il An old New York
manager. William Stuart, If memory is
not at fault, once said that a famous
| star actress had assured him that she
would give a months receipts, and they
were then among the thousands. If she
was dDiS " uO lllc DdCh ldll SUCCESS
fully, as its effect on an audience is
tremendous. But the, to her, apparent
certainty that to attempt 1t would result
In broken neck or back always deferred
her. as it has nearly every other act
reSS, from making any effort to master
the accomplishment. and not only nearly
every actress. but actor as we'll. The
memorable fall or "sit down of Selma
Fetter. in The Henrietta" was probably
the most daring effort any actress ever
made 10
inc back fall.
Whenever StetSon was to play in a
strange company he always rehearsed
this back fall to the members so that
they might become used to it. as he
knew if he sprang it on them without
warming II would demoraliZe them for
| the whole performance. But even. after
the perilous acrobatic feat had been done
before the company time and time again.
actors on the stage with Stetson were
still 50 frequently nervous and ratified
when he came to do this fall that they
would invountarily start forward with
outstretched hands as If to catch him.
so real and 'unstagy'' was the act even
to men and women used to all the aero
batic business and stage Jokes of their
art.
Most old theatergoers thought Stetson
dead long ago. That his last days were
passed in Brooklyn was not surprising,
because he used to like Brooklyn and
he found it for years a lucrative field
for his stage performance. The old Park
Theater. under j. j. McCioskeys and John
w. Carrolls management, and later UNI
der the management of Ed Lamb. and
later still, when Alec Samuels had the
playhouse. was a money-making scene
for his Neck and Neck and other
productions. 1t was McCloskey. memory
seems to say, who wrote 'tNeckt and
Neck. Stetson had been on the stage
for many years before he blossonaed. out
as star. He was a native of MamarO-
neck, N. Y, and was in his sevent y.sec-
ond year at his death. His debut was
made at the Old Bowery in. 1855 as the
First Indian in Putnam IN