New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-15
THE DRAMA
MAXINE ELLIoTT's THEATRE.
The Ringmaster.

mat are made. by INSCRIPTIONS business men, for
the purpose of concentrating vast wealth in the
hands of d few persons. That subject has been
treated in other contemporary plays,-notably in
The Speculator,' produced with Thomas q Sea-
brooke I'm the leading part: THE Pit i'm which
Wilton Lackaye finely CONSPICUOUS. and "rhe
Lion and the Mouse In which Edmund Breese
gave a strong and impressive performance. A long
time ago, furthermore. the whole theme greed
craft indirection, dishonesty in business. and the
social or domestic troubles sometimes thereupon
sequenD was adroitly and piquantly treated in the
comedy of The Game OF Speculation i'm which
the brilliant Charles Mathews gave a capital req
resentation OF Sir Affable Hawk. An old Hebrew
writer once directed attention the fact that
there is nothing under the The choice
or this old topic for theatrical Illustration, in this
instance. while commendsbIe. because theatrically
effective and because likely to suggest salutary
reflection does indicate any novelty of thought
nor does the treatment of it exhibit exceptional
felicity OF either invention or constructive skill
me spirit that animates the play. however is the
Tlsht spirit. because ii condemns monstrous
ihiquity: and II is spirit rightly directed because
me concentration is pronounced. not by means Of
lecture essay but by means OF theatrical iIIus,ra
uaton The play contains story and therefore
character; and il also possesses movement and
1t is interesting and effective
In the first act honest man. the possessor OF
much inherited wealth is asked by three other
wealthy men. to cooperate with them in nefari-
Gus business scheme, denominated "a merger the
success OF which will augment the opuence of the
tour'persons concerned and. in particular VIII in
crease the financial power of one OF thern,-an I'M
scrupulous hnancer. whose high-handed dealings
have acquired for him supremacy in Wall Street
ana the title OF the Ringmaster. The request is
declined. and thereupon It is agreed that the
scheme shall be abandoned. and that the mention
of II shall be considered and treated as strictly
confidential Later The movers In the scheme break
their promise and secretly begin operations 70
eject their Ubiquitous purpose Accident reveals
their duplicity 10 the man whom they have vainly
uled TO tempt and 70 dupe. and thereupon he
counters them. in monetary combat on the stock
Exchange in which after having been very nearly
defeated, he overcomes mis- adversaries, and pre-
vents the contamination OF one Of those corrupt
business deals, which. whenever they prove
be successful. hqied brilliant examples Of
great practical ability. and tacity approved by A
great part OF the public That summary indicates
the ground plan and the ethical drift Of the play
The details are numerous and in representation
the success OF the drama is far more dependent on
those details than upon ethical drift.
John lie Baron was an honest man His father
dead and gone. had a ruthless financial despot
and had amsssed a huge fortune which John had
inherited. Richard Hillary was monetary mag
nate. a man OF tremendous energy. resoute will.
ample sapience hard. relentless disposition. and
little or - moral principle He a widower
and he had beautiful daughter. grown 10 woman
/ heed intellectual and accomplished. acquainted
with the ways OF tne world. OF the corrup-
non rampant In business dealings. and yet conf
dent that her father the OF men and abso-
lutely incapable OF doing wrong An ex-senator
Paul Craven was the legal adviser OF Richard
Hillary railroad president, Kingsley McElroy,
was closely associated with Hillary and Craven.
Those three men devised the rascalIy scheme. in
which lie Baron sternIy refused 20 participate and
thus the dramatic situation was provided
Richard Hillary. whose affairs called him abroad.
having given instructions 10 his associates. en-
baTked aboard a steamship for Europe. John lie
Baron. having no business affairs occupy his at
tertio9 embarked aboard his steam yacht with q
party OF guests. including Richard Hnary's sister
an elderly widow. Richard Hiary's daughter
Eleanor. a young cousin Of Eleanor's named
Rebeeoa Love; newspaper reporter named Peter
Stuyvesant Cobb and Miss Hnlarys secretary
with tho monetary magnate's private cipher code
As soon as those were we'll out 10 sea Rich.
ard Hillary began 20 send messages from the
steamship 10 his Wall Street representative by
wireless telegraph, and u occurred 20 Rebecca
Love,-a g!ddy girl a nischievous as a MONKEY
that IT would be amusement 10 intercept and de-
cipher all the wireless messages thar might chance
70 be picked up by the Yacht. That prank was
effected one Of those messages proved 10 be a
command from Hillary. which betrayed his pur.
pose 20 persist in the ubiquitous scheme that he
had declared 10 lie Baron he would abandon L.
Baron and Eleanor Hillary, long acquainted had
fallen in love with each other Eleanor was dis
SATISFIED with John. on the ground OF his Austen
ton from business. and she wished him to plunge
into the affairs Of active practical life When
| Hillary's dispatch placed in lie Baron's hands
he had scrupes about his right 10 read II. Eleanor
confident Of her fathers integrity directed him TO
read II. and thus became the unconscious instru-
rnent of disclosing 20 her lover the perhdy OF her
sire lie Baron. making light OF the message
stated 10 her the case OF intended fraud in hypo-
thetcal form: asked for Eleanor's counsel and
was told TO use every means in his power TO thwart
manifest iniquity. The aboard the yacht
In which those proceedings occurred is very pretty
and well managed and the end Of II Is an order 10
make for land
le Baron. on arrival In New York hired an otnce
In Wall Street and began active hostites against
Hillary. his prospective father-in-Iaw who pres
entity returning from Europe Stunned not the
combat. there Vesuvian tumult I'm the
stock market. accompanied by an uncommonly
varied and vigorous use of telephones At one
point Eleanor Hillary interviewed. duplicating that
John would cease To assall and injure her father
but. finding him obdurate she signihed in a fearful
exit. that all over between them on this side
of the grave. At another point President McE,lroy
finding that old swindle OF his had become
known TO lie Baron. weakened and did a deed Of
virtue. after which he went To his Office and Was
frightened 10 death by the voice os the terrible
Hillary. calling upon him through the telephone
The Stock Exchange battle exceedingly well
done. all persons. concerned in 1t evincng passion
and infusing prodigious alacrty into both move
ment and speech. so as To create and sustain an
Illusion and make the scene seem declsivey actual
At the last. lie Baron having conquered he called
Hillary. proposing an honorable reconciliation.
and asking for his daughters hand In marriage
The overture at first. was sternIy and maignanty
rejected. but when Eleanor appeared. and. in her
ignorance OF the truth. denounced the conduct of
her father, that iron relented Acknowledged
the error Of his ways and removed all impediments
from the triumph OF righteousness and the course
of true love.
bN, Indi "A.