Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-21

was req bl lnrce WaIuIesses Win a reed
ing cup.
The governor came to her and told her
that he had received a letter from the
home secretary in reply TO a petition
which she had sent, In which he said: II
cannot interfere with the magistrates de-
cision and have given the prison author
tiles every power to use what force they
think necessary to make you taxi food"
Later, she said, she started another
hunger strike, but was forcibly fed, and
on the Friday morning when she was
cold and in a state Of collapse she was
taken to the hospital and surrounded with
hot water bottles. She remained in the
hospital until her release.
A Girls Great Memory.
There lives in Chicago a remarkable
young woman, blessed with a beautiful
and wonderful Gift, Of whom the whole
world will hear in a brief period OF time.
She is Miss Ellen Won Volkenburg. After
witnessing a single performance Of a play
relates the Chicago Reoord-Herald, she
can repeat word for word every accuracy
every infection, every gesture, every tone
Of voice and every detail Of stage busi-
ness.
Miss Won volkerburg is a thoroughly
charming young woman, most gracious OF
manner, most u~nassuming and apparently
wholly unable to account for her unusual
talent, which is as mystifying to her as
It is to those who have witnessed her lem
onstrations. She has large brown eyes, a
clear olive skin. wonderfully beautiful teeth
and a 1.-THE, strong, healthy body. WhiIe
there is always much animation in her face
there is also at times a look Of seriousness
that makes one feel that there is something
- -. .A..A L. IA# nfzron 70 MANY Ehn
is exquisitely sympathetic and there is ever
present an apparent note Of extreme SEN
sitlveness.
\"when 1 was a very tiny girl 1 used to
play show" she said. 1T was always
that I lived in Fort Wayne. and, of course,
the best plays did not come there. But my
mother used to take me TO the theaters
and after seeing a play 1 could not rest UNI
I'll 1 had played show When we lived in
hotels, as we nave most OF my life, the
women guests found much amusement in
my performances and it was a part Of my
daily routine to give parts of plays to a
little circle of women.
my interests have always been In the
Rtrical events and theatrical people,
though I must confess that / know very
few Of them and almost nothing about the
actual real life behind the footlight. But
the drama attracts me strongly, If I go
to the theater In a condition of mental
repose, I absorb every word, every detail,
every voice sound, Sometimes 1 have &C.
lected particularly important plays which
1 wished to catch entire. 1 have gone to
them in a state Of nervous excitement,
thinking I must try to remember. I found
1 could not. The subconscious mind which
takes this all in for me must be tranquil.
II must be at peace. Then, afterward, it
all comes to me. I can't explain 1t. 1t
is just there, slowed way somewhere,
complete and perfect. 1 saw 'Zaza' when 1
was IA and repeated it when 1 was %.
TN Ann Arbor some time ago" said
she. II was visited by IN actor named
Emmet Kirk. He rather doubted my
claims, I believe. and wanted proof, He
} brought with him the manuscript of a one
act play which he had just completed. The
manuscript had never been out of his own
hands, and he knew that 1 had no possible
means of access to 1t. 1t was a weird
story about an absinthe fiend who dreams
that he commits murder. I must confess
that 1 did not care for the subject Of the
story. He took the manuscript of the play
and read it through with all the dramatic
gestures and regular stage manner of
, speech. In one part the absinthe fiend
/, opens a safe, takes out a bag OF gold and
then lifts q chair and crashes 1t to the
, floor. When he had finished l started
, with tho opening speech, He tells me !
, followed the text word for word, and ]
moved about just as he had done. When
/ 1 came to the safe incident l went through
, the same business. but when It camo to
} lifting the make-believe chair 1 couldn't
, do It.
, 81 still have the money in my hand,
+, 1 said to him, It is heavy. 1 must put II
4 somewhere before I pick up the chair.
He was a bit astonished, and so was /
i 1t was somethinL he had not thought OF
d when he wrote in the play business"
. Naturally Miss Won Volkenburg meets
: many people-particularly men Of scisn,
: tific turn of mind or with an interest II
matters psychological-who like TO inquire
concerning her almost uncanny ability t
reproduce the entire text of a play, ant
who feel an inclination to seek the sourc,
a IL her wonderful powers Of initiative in
depreciation. This produces a strange nerv
n GUS constituencies that makes her mos
a unhappy.
Il have such a horror OF being regarded
o as some strange freak" she said as a mis-
8 appeared In her eye. 1T isn't that 1 fea.
10 investigation, for 1 do not. / have EiveI
d proof of my ability over and over again
10 But to have scientific men look me owe
as II 1 were not a normal being seem
: hideous. 1 would give up my work befor,
= I would be looked upon in that light. Z
q s1cb an unnlaasaut thnupbt -