New-York tribune., 1910-03-06
THE LONDON STACR
John Gals1corthy's Ne1g Plan
"Justice.
London. Februarv "a

been opened WIN a SITOHS play by
tragic writer OF exceptional power. ",
John C;alswOrthy's Justice" may be d..
scribed with accuracy as a tract on TIA
genesis of crime and it's developms,,
through nismanagement Of mercils,,
legal processes and Unscientiic priso,
discipline 1t is also earnest drama pul.
sating with ideas and swayed by mon,
nurpose: and il is tragedy because "A.
commonest facts of every day life ara
recited with grim veracity and movin,
realism, and because the spectators. be-
nurnbed with horror. are impressed with
a sense that the catastrophe is inevitahs
from the morbid, neurOtic tendencies N
the victim and from the heartlessneu
of the human methods for bounding him
OF to his doom. 1t IS not an entertaip-
ment for thoughtless people eager IA
obtain the distractions OF idle amuss.
ment. 1t is a depressing play that tends
TO promote serious thought about whz,
is going on in the world and TO creates
vearning for genuine. broad minded rs.
form measures
There is the simple story Of weak
minded young clerk in a solicitors
office who defrauds his employees b,
altering a check from nine TO ninety
pounds, pocketing the surplus and con.
cealing the crime by false entries Fsl.
der's motive is a desire TO rescue
woman from a drunken husband and b
take her and her children 70 ny
country, where they can make f-xa
start. The situation is clearly broux-
out with hOmely realism in the first &c,
in the solicitors office. There are txs
lawyers, the father. stern and Unyielding
and the son. soft hearted; there Is ths
amiable, faithful clerk, Cokeson, unwil-
ing to have the routine of a well man.
aged office disturbed by life's cruel
ironies: there is the distracted woman
Ruth Honeywill, and IN the end the
neurotic cuIprit is forced TO admit his
guilt and is arrested by a police officer.
Every detail OF this scene is carried out
with unfinchfng naturalness; and the
second act is an equally close reproduc-
ton of a trial in a criminal court. Tia
defence is mental alteration, and -thres
witnesses are questioned and cross-sx-
amined-the benevolent COkeson, tss
woman and the prisoner-by two barris-
ters in gowns and wigs The humans
plea that Falder IS a neurasthenc pa
tient who will be converted into q
criminal by prison life is overruled By
the easygoing judge before and after
the fury have brought in a verdict OF ina
prisoners guilt. The law takes its ner-
ciIess course, and when barristers. oenen
and Jury have done what is correct and
almost perfunctOry, the spectators, over
wrought with the irony of the proceeC-
fngs. are ready to cry out against
cruel and wanton miscarriage or Jusuce
In the third act the processes Oh
penal discipline are illustrated VIII
the same potent, hard realism. TnsFs
are glimpses in turn OF the governors
office. the exercise court, the coFridor
with numbered cells, and. finally Far
der's prison home. The official figures
are the humane governor, mentaAs
disturbed by a sense Of responsibility luz
the human creatures under his care, anu
the doctor and the chaplain, VINO nave
been rendered callous by familiarity WIN
criminals. The convicts are seen al
first restlessly pacing up and down tA'
crowded court; four cells IN the CUTE
dor are opened and the varying eHe0''
of solitary confinement and lack OF oe-
cupation are disclosed with character
fstfc contrasts: and. finally, Falder'
victim of melancholia. is exhibited u
most narrowing scene. Alone IN hs
Gark cell, he CreepS across IL ntIuiy'
the walls with his hahu''
next he glances hOpelessly at "Ins'"
E bove his head and then rushes up anu
down like a aged animal. and when 10
upsets pan and hears a fellow prisons'
banging on the door q another een'
shrieks from sheer despair and oeal'
against the grating NoI
word is uttered; it is pantomlme; 0u'
il is a picture of the horrors OF soiitaiy
confinement which oppresses the HIM.
and cannot be forgotten
In the final act the convict. after t"s
years of service. is out on ucke'-o
leave and is trying TO obtain WorA -
the solicitors offices, with the s9'
hearted confidential clerk as his falthia.
friend to intercede for him. Father aH'
son. after much pressure. agree 10 sHs
him a chance for redemption, II ne "'D
break away from the woman VINO Ia.
been his evil genius. He still loves H'
and is unwilling TO make the sacrin0a
but she insists upon taking herse1 o''
)f the way because she has sunk 10 'h'
Owest degradation. After being t0i'
lred by those who are seeking 10
-orm him. he falls into the clutches
: Scotland Yard detective for nes'e
% report himself on ticket-Of-leave' anu
s arrested for forging a letter o. reis.
.nce while he was trying 10 oo'a1A
work. There is only one way Of escap'
rom a second term of Imprisonment
This is a mad plunge out Of a Wiha'"'
~ which his neck is broken. so ena'
he tragic story of the ruin of life os u
worlds ironic processes of justice
asst word is the only religious para,
n the play. II is the pious CooSs'n
ejaculation: He's safe with gsh'
esus,"
II is not pleasant story for sna
people. who have dined we'll ana
,oing on 10 a political reception at i',
light Ii is not play which ca"
upon to yield handsome RET
% the box office and to reach IT,
Iredth or a two-hundredth perforniap