davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

the villains already there and went
into the railroad business. That is how
he became private secretary in the
railroad service about nine years ago.
1T was while I was still at college,"
Heffron resumed, that I got my first
taste for theatricals. Macduff was the
first role I assumed. John J. Barrett
was Macbeth and ]. J. OGara, by the
way, was one of the witches. Strange,
isn't it, that these two men now on
opposite sides of the graft situation
should even during college days have
been 'agin' each other? However,
always said that Barrett had the max
ings of a fine actor in him. Had he
chosen this profession he would have
been a great success"
~As a villain2" inquired.
'I mean to say that he has the de-
livery, the voice, and he has brains
and imagination, all of which qualities
are needed to produce a good actor.
NOT HARD TO BE AN ACTOR
'As sort Of recreation I used to
play in private theatricals in Sacra-
mento. In the various roles which
essayed I found my dramatic talents
unfolding and decided to leave the rail-
road Office and go upon the stage.
Everybody, particularly actors, tried to
dissuade me- They assured me that
the stage was already overcrowded;
that good men were not needed, and
that beginner like myself would have
no show at all. That was very bad ad-
vice as it turned out and luckily /
did not heed it. My observation after
eight years of stage experience is that
there is no profession in the land which
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

} villains commit these crimes, anyway
Usually because they are desperately in
love Nine times out of ten. if their
love were reciprocated, they would be-
come good men. In other words, the
motive of their villainy is a virtue
love. But how the audience hates 'emi
Recently at the Central. Manager
Howell made a little speech before
the production OF Robert Emmett
Howell told the audience how he was
going to give the role of Robert to me.
because I reSembled the Irish patriot
externally. and because Howell thought
could do justice to the part. I am
going, said he, to give Mr.. Heffron a
chance to be good for a week L am
going to sidetrack him from crime for
seven days and seven nights. After
that we shall see Then 1 made lit
tie speech L said that it wouldn't
make much difference to me, anyway.
for would get hanged. just the same.
as though / were still the villain And
the audience shouted 'Goody and Kissed
me vOciferously. in memory. no doubt,
of my previous crimes. They refused.
in short, to believe I could be even
good in the role Of Robert Emmett
The moment I step before the foot
lights the audience is against me. They
| hate me on and OF the stage. Once I
was engaged to marry young woman.
She had never seen me in a play until
one night-a fatal night it was-she
came with a friend of hers to the the
ater. The play was Why Women Sin.'
| assumed the role of a hypocriticaI
rascal whose ingenuity and damnable
/ talents were engaged in destroying
| the home of his friend and whose sole
/ aim in life was to elope with the wife
/ of his chum. The audience actually
threw things at me, and the missiles
/ were not flowers, either. My sweet
hearts friends persuaded her to break
/ of the engagement. She said: You
/ will never convince me that a man
who can act as meanly as that; who
can treat his own wife (rny stage wife)
/ so disgraeeful1y, and who can plot so
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

of his mind. / went again and pre-
sented myself and my card. l had
just returned from Australia. 1 said,
mendaciously. I declared / had sup,
ported Nance ONeil in the Antipodes.
looked the part, too, and Humphreys,
story
what do you play?' he asked
"'Genteel heavies,' 1 replied.
BROADWAY AT LAST
HE pulled a number of parts from
the role he offered me was insult
able, and / turned it down ,as though
had a pocket full of offers. He
took my address and said he'd see me
again A few weeks later, while
was on the road, received wire from
him. came back to New York on
the fastest train running. He gave me
the role of the heavy in Frohmans
production of Life. My associates
We're Minnie Dupree, Annie Irish, BIZ.
Bray, Maude Granger and George Bon
niface. That was going some for
beginner, wasn't it?
'.At last I was on Broadway. / had
landed there in a single jump, too
Though the play was failure and was
the most universally condemned drama
ever saw, / had a good role and made
hit with my manager. That was
all 1 wanted. had been on Broadway,
had made good and visions of private
secretary's office faded completely away
knew 1 was never going back to
stenography and letters again. After
that brief week in Life I said fare
welr to Broadway and then went as
leading man to Chauncey Olcott. play
ing Terence. After that / was with
William A. Brady in Shepherd King
and was his heavy as well as his
stage manager.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
ITO complete the biographical end of
this story, will say that following
the Brady engagement I was leading
light comedian with Adelaide Keim.
playing at the Harlem opera house. in
Hamlet. Heartsease. Camille and
other dramas. Then came The Heir of
=
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

much vileness is safe man for a
young woman to intrust her happiness
with That ended my romance.
yet in spite of that unhappy expert
ence and in spite of Joe Jefferson's ad-
vice to young actors. 1 am glad I'm a
villain-on the stage You don't know
about Jefferson'S advice2 Well, he
said, If you would get ahead on the
stage, never permit a stage manager
to cast you as the villain The world
loves lover, but it hates a villain.
and you can not play .heavies' and
retain the affection of the public. which
is, after all. the paymaster. Therefore
play comedy or be a hero
That seems like good advice. but
Booths masterful portrayal of Iago
would seem to contradict JeffersOn's
statement, and then there was Keene
the elder, who was the greatest actor
in the world. He did not despiSe VIII
Iain's clothes.
There is only one reason for fol-
lowing Jefferson's advice; that is
money A hero, you know. gets a big
ger salary than the villain But if an
actor loves his art he win play 'heav-
ies,' for it is harder to succeed in them
and there are fewer who are capable
of playing them.
'As for the materials from which
meIodramaS are drawn it is a we'll
king of melodrama.' draws all of his
plots from actual life. So does Charles
z. Blaney, who does not have to leave
New York for his plots.
Think of the melOdramas which
have been founded on fact Take the
life of Black Bart. the Wells Fargo ex-
press robber Wasn't he the genteel
villain? Remember how he mingled
with the swells on the stock exchange
and was a fine gentleman between
raids Then recall how he was cap
tured finally through the medium of
cuff which was traced by the laundry
mark TO the Chinese wash house where
he sent his sOiled linen There was
melodrama ready made. Or take The
Lancashire Lass, in which Robert
Redburn figured. That play and char.
acter were founded on the experiences
/ in crime of a prominent artist in Eng
land who was a bigamist, wife killer
burglar and arson expert He was cap
tured and shot in Australia after he
had killed a superduous wife in order
to get the insurance money.
NO, there is truth in meIodrama and
the presentation OF good plays of that
| type is an advantage to the people. for
1t keeps before them the immutable
| laws which compensate in human ac-
tion- To the goe1. reward; to the
wicked. punishment
But" I asked. SIS that really life
Are the good always rewarded and the
wicked punished2"
You may answer the first half OF the
question yourself" said Heffron. polite
4 ~ +As to the last half, believe me, the
wicked are punished ultimately, at
least on the south side of Market
street.
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

and the Humming Bird Whitaker
you know, was once Booths leading
man. Then followed a tour with Cres-
ton Clarke and a trip to the coast with
him. Bishop engaged me as his leading
heavy at the Chutes. Along came the
car strike. and Manager Howell took
me over for 10 weeks engagement
when Herschel Mayall played at the
Central last summer. have been here
ever since as leading heavy and stage
manager.
$50 you see what came of a bluff in
good clothes and determination to
land on the stage. I never did begin
at the bottom of the ladder though
might have had to If had not thought
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

handy, for / would take down the
speeches and the business OF the good
actors and study them over at my
leisure.
For instance, when the opportunity
to play Francis Levison in East Lynne
was given me-purely by a stroke of
good luck--I was already up In the
part. I took it over in a night and
made good. There's the finest villain
on the modern stage. Such choice ras-
cality; such smoothness and equipoise
Levison is the goal toward which all
heavies' aspire. He is great
Villains are not such bad fellows
after all,' he went on, reminding you
of Bernard Shaw's theories. why do
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16
"CentleMen's Agreement
Means Huge Combination

The fact that al the theaLrlcdI DuSl-
ness of the United States has been
practically tied up in ganglion Of
centralized power is an accepted
truth Morris Meyerfeld. president OF
the Orpheum circuit company. control
ing the vaudsTtlle business of the
west, was represented at the recent
gathering OF the theatrical magnates
in New York by his general manager.
Martin Beck. Meyerfeld is authority
for the statement that the compact is
fact.
There is no corporation formed. The
interests of the various managers have
not been pooled-they have been mere
Iy allied
A "gentlemen's agreement has been
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

Joe Humphries. He didn't even look up
from his desk when l was ushered
into his office. l didn't get a sight
of his eyes. So 1 went right out
again. I had some money left and I
took it to a tailor. I bought an Eng
lish travelling suit, top hat, new shoes
and. in short. a complete outfit. 1 pro-
vided myself with some engraved cards
and then went around the summer
snaps for experience. That's all an
actor gets playing the snaps you
know. After a few weeks had elapsed
1 returned to New York, confident that
any slight recollection which Hum
phreys might have retained of my for
mer visit had passed completely out
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16
Bv Walter Anthony

-EFFRON is no ordinary villain.
He has committed every crime
and outrage which melodrama
is competent to incite. Murder
ing pretty, blue eyed babes who
prattle and grasp at the keen blade
which slays them is a speciality of his.
he has buried children alive and then
nonchalantly has consulted his jeweled
watch to learn the exact moment when
the sleeping potion which has rendered
them unconscious has worn of so that
he may exult in the knowledge that
now they are writhing and choking in
their narrow, dark and breathless
tombs: he has tied young girls to the
rails before the onrushing lightning
express and he has cracked as many
safes and skulls as you and have pea
nuts.
he likes his job. too. and takes a
pride in his work. His heart is in his
career and he is as ambitious to get at
the crimes of next week as a gaspipe
thug on the scent of loot What cheers
are to the hero Kisses are to Hefron,
and the sibilatiOn OF a horrified audi
ence at the Central as it watches his
dfabolical work is as sweet symphonies
10 his ears.
Yet he was not always thus. He is.
indeed. and in spite Of his professional
a
science whole as you and ] who never
in all our lives have committed bigamy
or arson or stripped jewels from life
less feminine fingers.
As PRIVATE SECRETARY
His start in life was conventional
enough. No one could possibly have
foretoId his present sanguinary occupa-
ffor. once he was private secretary TO
the general superintendent of the
Southern Pacific companys motive de-
nartuent in Sacramento. 1t was while
there that he got Impressions which he
saws are useful to him now in his busi-
ness Of depicting abandoned and de-
bonaire wretches-
Won viii be shocked to hear that one
N the finest types of real villain that
TEeHron ever encountered was his boss
when he worked for the railroad.
It can not mention his name" said
44eefron 10 me, as we sat safely in the
central Office. Heffron had invited me
~ the stage. but ii was dark and
fare and lonesome, and besides it is
fle scene Of his ghoulish operations, Sc
7 said no, we'll chat in the office
.sTt wouldn't be etiquette TO tell yor
his name" continued Hebron, because
7 -,-ae his rrivate secretary and so had
access in professlo sllio cgiiliueiie eis
wav to his secrets THESE can not
Now I call that honorable in villain
don't you2
.sr5owever.1 pursued Heffron. "he was
.,,o oilsest rascal that ever slid safely
mast the penitentiary and the most ac-
compIished liar I ever met He had
Taro lashed TO the mast and Munchau-
ee1 beat at the post mean" said
1enron. checking his enthusiasm
that my boss was crafuer than
C,+be1io's ancient and a finer prevari-
cator than the baron. He was the ex-
,7nisite' of fiction and would knife his
besf friend. His solemn word had as
,,,-cb weight with him as curling
blue ring Of smoke from the end of his
,cigar-ah. he was wonderful man. q
roost admirable villain, Whenever ]
,os1re m to do a genuemanly heavy
I commune with him and Iago-
EARLY TRAINING
..fn the ofice where ! worked
studied other types. became an adept
et picking the bad ones. and uncon-
eciouslv learned something from
fheu all During the short time that
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

of the fib about Australia and Nance
O'Neil.
vILLAINOUS WORK
But it has meant work While I
was in New York l went to the
theaters as often as could, and would
take my pad and pencil along. That
was where my shorthand came in
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

small they told me. to get part;
or you will have to begin at the very
bottom on starvation pay; or unless
you have a pull you'll die for lack of
nourishment.' oh, they were an en-
couraging bunch.
SEEING FROHMAN
The nearest L got to Frohman was
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

the Hoorah, wherein 1 had one of the
best roles of my career-that of Liv-
| ingston Winthrop, society man and a
| cad. Around that character centers
the entire devilment of the drama. 1
am the only discordant element in the
piece. Afterward I did a protean
| sketch at Tony Pastors, and then sup
ported Mel Whitaker in The Mummy
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

affords equal chances with the stage to
young, ambitious and intelligent men.
You would be astonished If you knew
how ignorant and incompetent the ma
jority of players are. Many of them do
not even speak decent English, but are
illiterate and unimaginative. Well,
anyway. I gave up my position in the
railroad and went to New York.
"On a pass?"
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16
IN NEW york

Sure on a pass.
When L arrived there I met the
same discouragement that had been
given at home l said I was going to
see Charles Frohman and my acquaint-
ances laughed at me. You are too
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16
EARLY TRAINING

an the ohice where ! worked I
studied other types. ] became an adept
e. nsclxfng the bad ones. and uncon-
s~for~1v learned something from
them all During the short time that
The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16
This decks Attractions

Van Ness Henry Miller in the Great Divide
American Comedy drama, "At the Old Gross
Roads"
Princess-Ferris Hartman in "The Idols Eye"
AIcazar- -Whittlesey in "Heartsease"
Orpheum- Vaudeville
Central -MeIodrama, kidnapped"
NationaI-VaudeviIle
Chutes-VaudeviIIe and Amusement Park
Wigwam- Vaudeville
Empire Vaudeville
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26

A lot Of old newspapers,
tied up in neat bundles for
sale, Sc a bundle, at The Jour-
nal office.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
z FREIGHT
TRAINS OFF
Suspension of Two Local
Freights Becomes Effect
i've Today, Pursuant to the
Recently Announced Re-
trenchrnent Policy.

The order for the suspension of all
freight trains not necessary on local
divisions of the Louisville & Nashville
has resulted in the suspension OF two
more freight trains on these divisions.
This is effective today, when the new
time table just issued is to 60 into
effect. At the same time the Sunday
train on the Yellow River division
goes Off
The freights to be taken of are No.
SO, leaving here or Flomat0n each
morning, which returns 20 the city
the same day as No. "a, and No. 81,
which departs each morning over the
P. & A. division, returning each night
as No 81
The decrease in business over these
divisions is the reason assigned for
suspending these trains until there is
an increase in business. t
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
INSTRUCTION
CAR COMING
AIR BRAKE INSTRUCTORS WILL
COMMENCE GIVING LESSONS TO
LOCAL FORCE ToMoRRow-THE
INSTRUCTION CAR COMES ONCE
A YEAR.

The Louisville and Nashville air
brake instruction car, which has been
giving instructions to employees of the
eompany for the past three or four
years, is due in Pensacola today, and
tomorrow those on the car will COM
mence giving lessons to the men ON
the local division.
The car makes annual visits to
each of the divisions ON the L. & N.
system, and remains from two to three
weeks, according to the number of
men to be instructed an the use of air
brakes, and how to make repairs and
tests when needed. Tomorrow and
Tuesday the inspectors ana air-brake
repalrers at the shops Will receive in
structions, and beginning Wednesday
morning the road men will be instruct
ed each lay until all have been to e
car for their lessons Each day the
engine men will receive instructions
from 3 a. m. to noon, and IN the after
noon from to the trainmen Will
visit the car.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26

lacks Laxative Cold and
Grip Tablets cure or money
back. Hooton's Pharmacy.
Phone HOO.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
YOUNG MEMS
BARACA CLASS
Organization of the Sunday
School Workers Meet
and Elect Officers.

Inc Young Mems Baraca Glass of
the First Methodist Church held their
regular monthly business meeting at
7:S0 Friday night.
They had a rousing good meeting,
and from the large number present
1t shows that the Barracks are going
TO be an important factor in Sunday
school work in the city in the near
future.
The meeting was called to order by
the president, J. W. Andrews. The roll
call of officers followed, and two alb
sentees were noted. The minutes of
previous meeting were read and APP
proved The routine work was care
fully carried out, and all the stand
Ing committees made good reports.
The committee On bylaws was given
further time in order to submit laws
that will meet with the approval of
the class.
Five applications were voted on and
elected to membership in the class,
making total of 81 members.
The following offioers were elected
for the ensuing six months:
President. c. Griffith
8 MISREPRESENTATION Heinje.
Treasurer-C. l.. Mann
ecretary-Charles Hall.
( The Baraca Glass is not denomina-
tional Young men of all denomina-
lions, 16 years of age and over, are
to membership. The motto is
.'Youn men at work for young men, all
standing by the Bible and the Bible
school"
Devotional services every Sunday
morning at $3.50 at the First Method
ist church. Strangers are cordially
invited
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
4 NEW DEEP
WATER CANAL
FIRST SHIPMENT THROUGH THE
SABINE LAKE CANAL CUT TO
DEEP WATER is CARGO OF LUM-
Der FOR ENGLAND.
BY Associated Press.

Houston, Tex. Jan. 25.-The first
shipment through the Sabine lake ca
nal, the last cut in which was made
by the government yesterday morn
ing, was of export lumber for Eng
land by lumber company of Orange,
Texas. The shipment consisted of
three hundred thousand feet of run-
Der, which was sent out of Ora1Se
Thursday night and laid alongside the
dredge until the canal was opened
Congress has expended $3.50, 300 on
this canal 1t is fifteen miles long.
connecting the Sabine and Neches
rivers. Dredging began Jan. IL, 1906.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26

A lot of old newspapers.
tied up in neat bundles for
sale, sc a bundle, at The Jour-
nal office.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
.CONV|CTS OFF
FOR THE CAMPS
Two Leave Here in Charge
of Deputy Sheriff Smith
for Ocala.

Henry Wright and Joe Thompson.
two negroes, who were tried at the
recent term of the circuit court and
convicted, left here yesterday after
noon In charge of Deputy Sheriff
Sheriff Smith for Ocala, where they
will be delivered to S. A. Rawls & Co.
lessees of state convicts.
Wright is to spend the remained of
his life at hard labor, having been
convicted of murder in the first de-
gree with Recommendation of mercy.
He killed negro woman on East
Chase street several months ago.
thompson Is the negro who was con
Vlcted OF attempted criminal assault
upon a nine-year-old colored girl. He
is to serve seven years for the crime
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26
CIVIL SERVICE
EXAMINATION
Twelve Applicants Appear
ed for an Examination
Yesterday.

Twelve applicants appeared at the
custom house yesterday to take the
civil service examination for positions
in the customs service at Pensacola,
and the civil service board was kept
busy a large portion Of the day.
The number to appear yesterday
was larger than ever before known
and it is expected that when the pa
pers are passed upon by the commits
sion in Washington that a number of
the applicants will be transferred to
the eligible list. Nineteen persons
signified their intention of taking the
examination, but seven failed to ap-
pear yesterday
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26

On the docket of the recorders
court stands case, the City of Pen
sacola VS.. T. A. Hall, charged with
violation of the new liquor ordinance
NE date of arrest is shown as Nov.
80. On the police record it shows
the arrest as having been made on
Dec. 2, on a warrant issued Nov. 30
In reviewing the docket in the record
er's court the record for each day
shows the margin under the caption
Remarks, the abreyiation, "Contd",
meaning continued from day to day.
The violation of the liquor ordi-
nance as Charged against Hall is for
selling liquor without a license, and
has to do with the payment of the ST.
500 license fee for saloons outside of
district set aside by the council in
which the license is only $1,000.
Hall operates two saloons, one on
Palafox street south of Government
near Zarragossa and the other is near
the Louisville and Nashville depot on
Wright street 1t was for operating
the saloon near the depot that Hall
was arrested.
The last day for taking out city
licenses was Nov. Is. Under the CITY
ordnance all persons operating bust
nesses who have not taken out H.
censes by the date set by the city to
procure same are liable to arrest and
II they do not then obtain a license
their places of business NAV be
closed under the law. Hall. however.
gave bond in the sum of $4,000. and
mis- saloon continuing in operation.
From Nov Is, the date of the last
day OF grace for procuring licenses to
today, Is SO days. From Dec. 2. the
day upon which Hall was arrested M
to today, is So days.
Mr.. John b. Jones, city attorney
says the c.Sy is fully protected. "He
gave bond for 81, 800" said Mr.. Jones
yesterday afternoon. That's the
amount of the license. The case has
been continued" went on the counsel
for the city, because of the inahilitv
OF Tie attorneys for the defense to be
present for trial, having cases in the
other courts which have been in SEES
sion. The case will come ND for trial |
soon. however, he concluded.
Avery and Avery are the ATTORNEYS
for Hail. The case is in. the hands
or Mr.. j. C. Avery. ST., who could not
be seen last night, and the Junior
partner of the firm stated that he was
rot at all familiar with the case. /
naSmuch as there is already a
charge against Hall for operating his
oar-rnom without license, the notice
mold they can not close his place until
ne is tried on this charge
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-01-26

A lot of old newspapers
tied up in neat bundles tor
sale, Sea bundle, at The jour
nal Office.