The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-03-17
A Play That Should Help Reform ou
Police System.

In writing The Third Degree,
Charles Klein arraIgns the gweatbo
method Of extortIng confession Q
crime, now generally employed b. tn
police Of every large city in tn
country. and By means Of which m2n,
persons, driven By hypnotic asgges
ton, confess 20 crimes Of which shel
are wholly innocent. II Is a power
ful play. abounding in tense, well
built scenes embracing group d
stong and interesting characters.
Howard Jehhes, Jr.. An amiabIe bui
weak young man. the scion Of a
wealthy family. has met and married
against bis fathers wishes. a young
woman Of the laboring class. known
as Annie Jefiries. the daughter d a
convicted criminal who died IN fail.
This mesailiance has been not only
the source Of great unhappiness and
public humiliation to Jehries' family,
but has been the cause Of complete
rupture between father and son. The
misery Of the situation has proven
Howard to drink, and on the night Of
the tragedy which is to bring him
worldwide notoFiety as a murderer he
stumbIes into the rooms Of Robert
Underwood, a college friend The lat
ter having failed to play an honest
game himself, has Just been discover
ed and eornered as q sWindler who
has beeE preying upon soceity By the
sale Of bogus antiques Howard, hard
up for money and begging for loan,
continues TO drink IN Underwood's
apartment until be becomes nnaudlin.
A strange bond between the two men
is the fact that Underwood had once
ioved HoEzrd's young step-mother,
but she lad thrown him over 10 favor
o. the richer and older man, Jefries,
ST. Driven 70 desperation By press
inx debts. By the lack Of patronage
from Mrs JefrieE' own circle, and By
her complete contempt for bis dishoD-
esry. be has threatened to kill him
self She calls there In reply TO
threat he haa sent, and reaches the
apartment shortly after. Howard has
fallen into . drunken stupor Though
she pleads With Underwood to refrain !
from 70 rash an act as suicide. sbs
refuses further to befriend him. 70
sacrifice her friends to him, or her
seIffesDect 70 his ogertures. She has
scarcely left him when be steps to an
inner roon. and kills himself
one hour later. Captain Clinton and
Sergeant Maloney. Of the district de-
tail. confront Howard Jefiries in Tn
derwoodsz apartment and accuse him
Of the crime. In the presence Of
Doctor Bernstein. summoned to ex-
anime the body Of Underwood, they
ply the drink.stupefed brain Of How
ard with bOmbardment Of searching
questions which gradually undermine
lis protestatlons OF innocence, and he .
freaks down finally and weakly echoes G
yllntons statement that be shot I'm y
lerwood. Clinton knows woman
amed Jeffrles had called Just before 3
he pistol shot was heard, and when Z
.nnIe Jenriea. Howard's deapised 2
.oung wife comes to him, Clinton &
lrns the terrible seareh-light Of his y
IeFcileaB cfoea examination upon her 3
he elevator attendant fails 70 idea. a
~ Annie as the woman VINO did .
all and 70 bic chagria be fails % get y
single statement from annie 70 II. p
either herself d her has, y
snd yegrlea. sr. fae boy's father Z
il only fails ~ display a particle Of y
nnrathy fof his son, but refuses even Z.
defend him
q only sanf - ak gop not % de. 1,
- Jour aea ~ zBeh : iime.v Annie /,
ssSs uhea genrles faces her. What -
~ b mzI azve cone % deserve 4,
~ sN1sf. egf 4. don't deal hiM SUCH =,
1lgw ros can't realize what Il 4
essz II er1ilczl m0meit ike this J,
gea Il yoa only pretesss 70 BE- friend II,
ID hsm ggB mOnt ased VI b. really n.
ssnse win Alu. but don't yoa sec 4,
azi fss Eject vii De II you. MS s.
tasr, publicly refuse him support a
YeFybo9y siii say the boy IL no good.
} cant be any good or BIS father co
ogl1Df r. hack on him, they'll say Ga
~ know what the world IL. II will 10
,ESemn hlm because you condemn M
p, and they won't even give him a n
airing Oh. don't. for Gods sake. en-
mt ~ hack on him now" "a
@of course. you realize" Jeffries an
owied. shutting her of that you
'oye all others, are responsible for te
> present position"
"Responsible-me7" she cries, well RI,
right, I'r responsible. but don't I'm
4 back at him" Al.
Il could have forgiven him every .T