New-York tribune., 1910-07-24
Anglo-American Memories
LXXVII.
. esANx HILL AND THE DAILY NEws"-cAPrArN ROBERT
tcopyr,sh.. 1910. by George W. snaI,ev,

George W. SnaIleyo
other journalists to follow and not an
example TO avoid
FOR many purposes I should bracket
these three journalists, Hutton. Town
send and Hill They did not resemble
one another Each OF them was distinct
and individual Bu4 they had In COM
mon some of those traits which go to
the making not of q good Journalist
merely, but of an upright and useful
man, with talents and character not too
common IN Journalism or in any other
profession.
A writer OF a very different order from
Mr. Frank Hill died yesterday-Captatn
Robert Marshall, known for many years
as writer Of plays. Whether his plays
nave been acted in America I cannot
say. They are SO full Of local color that
they might not thrive in another atroos-
phere- Nor was Captain Marshall in the
front rank OF English pIaywrights. His
pieces had perhaps no higher object than
to amuse; a high object. but not the
highest. OF late years other men with
much the same views of the theatre had
pushed Marshall g little aside He be-
gan lie as a soldier. He was Of good
Edinburgh family, but chose to enlist as
a private in the Highland Light In
fantry, rising from the ranks to be cap
tain and then aide-de-camp to Sir Wal
ter Hely-Hutchinson, Governor Of Natal.
When his first important play, His Ex-
cellency the Governor succeeded. Cap
tain Marshall resigned, and thencefor-
ward took play writing as his profession
He had two other great successes The
Second IN Command" and The Duke of
Rilliecrankie." With this last he rescued
from imminent financial disaster one Of
the best known managers in London.
Perhaps "A Royal Family may be
named as q fourth success
Captain Marshall had a pretty wit
and the art Of neat dialogue, which at
times turned to briIliancy He under
stood the stage. His plays, whatever
else may be said Of them, were plays
He had nothing in common with those
modern writers for the stage who have
set up for themselves, as Sir Arthur
Plnero says. "a please
drama Mr.. Shaw and Mr.. Granville
Barker and others of their kind seem to
look upon the stage as a medium Of
conversation, and Mr.. Shaw, who does
not lack courage, calls his latest pro-
duction-I believe il is the latest, but
you never know-a conversation. The
title is the announcement Of a theory.
Plot, action, dramatic Significance
what are these to Mr.. Shaw7 All con-
ventionalities, whether theatrical, social
or political appear to be to him abhor-
rent His cleverness, which nobody de-
MES. is a calamity, demoralizing to the
public and mischievous to the stage.
There was in Captain MarshaIFs work
a sparkling and delicate quality which
was not only literary but personal He
had II IN private life. He had manner
which never seemed modern. In q club
which he frequented he was known as
the Chesterfield of the cardroom. and,
indeed, there were moments when he
seemed to belong to the eighteenth cent
ury OF late years, and especially during
the last twelvemonth. illness had set its
mark on him, but il never much affected
the sweetness OF his disposition. Though
In conversation, both in private and on
the stage, he knew how to use irony, his
use of il was never malicious He dies
al forty-seven, but out Of his forty-seven
years he had, I imagine, contrived to
extract as much as most men who lived
more slowly and for more years.
G. ". S.