New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-01


grow old nowadays through the faithful
ness of their admirers than through any
thing else.-Act !. Page s.
GIBSON: Pansy Parr-Women grow old
because of the faithfulness of their admir-
WILDE: Lord Illington-An women be-
come like their mothers; that is their
Mrs. Allonby-No man does: that is his
Woman of No Importance. Act IL.
GIBSON: Pansy Parr-An women become
like their mothers; that is their tragedy
" WILDE LID a Sir Robert Chiitem-spies are
of no use nowadays. Their profession is
over. The newspapers do their work in
stead.
Lord Gorng-And thunderingly well they
do it-An Ideal Husband, Act ". Page So
GIBSON: Ferguson-You've been spying
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS are of no use now
adays. Their work is done by the news
papers, and great deal better.-Act IL
Mr.. Gibson took this criticism seriously
and saw At to answer from the stage OF
the Hackett Theatre last night. In re-
Spouse to a demand" for the author he
was literally dragged" before the foot
lights and made this statement:
My attention has been called to an aru-
Gle published in the morning papers con-
tanning statement said to have been maze
by a student at New Haven, which IS 10
| the effect that I have used ABOUT nlts
words of the late Oscar Wilde in my pay
The Turning Point. which contains about
| twenty thousand words.
Il would like to state some facts nave
no especial knowledge of Wilde. nor have
I had any opportunity to search out any
passages alleged to have been copied l
san say, however, positively and aosoiutelS'
that if there is any similarity in expression
| tn NV
production of any other playwright 1t is
tho rasuIt of uniform human experiences.
and nothing more If there has been any
unconscious absorption, hope and believe
YOU will agree that it is creditable mental
process.
The author then launched forth INTO
defence of plagiarism In the following
words:
The great soliloquy beginning TO be or
NOT to be- is a verbatim report from North
English translation of 'Plutarchs Lives
Romeo and Juliet in plot and dialogue
is from the Italian-of course, William Is
not here to give us his side of the story
but that's another matter
| ..Rostand was accused in court by Ed
mund Gross of stealing nearly In full
'Cvrano' and his latest play The Chante-
cler'
MY friend in New Haven, if reports be
true, treated me more kindly imam lhe
enemies of Shakespeare and Rostand' LOT
he has only accused me or using lie"
words Shakespeare ABSORBED from al
sources-Rostand became 1nocuiateo Win
Gross-Gibson is charged with enlarsiiis
his vocabulary from Wilde. This company
is too fast for me!
II have worked for a great NUMBER OF
wears to become a playwright, ana nave
had some failures and some measure OF
success especially with The Vacuum
with Miss Charlotte Walker in the tltie
role / have been earnest ana sincere III
nv work and l want to be regarded as So
but in my widest dreams L never ahtcl-
mated such a compliment as has been pald
me by my schoolboy friend in New Haven
The lines that are spoken by Miss Grace
Ffl6ins as Mrs. Parr belong to me and 10
| Mrs. Parr-to her environment-to her
character and TO herself L personally
know several women who are just IKE
bar who live right here in New York. So
! do you!
! eff nv lines anuse, delight and please
II is q great satisfaction to me-the satis-
! fsction of a man who has worked seven
wars To obtain recognition in the field OF
American drama
| Tho NAV tells the story of Frederick Fer
euson (Cuyler Hastings). a New York busl-
| ness man, who buys an extensive estate III
! Virginia of Brent Breckenridge -tCnaTles
! CotthoId) Ferguson knows that there Is
| coal in the mountains, and he floats com
many in which he persuades Mrs AHoeISoii
! amelia Mayborn), Pansy Parr tMlsS Trace
| F'ilkipsl and the Rev. DR.. Smoker IEdWard
! See) TO invest There is only one thing that
! is needed to make the venture success
right of way to the railroad. This, strange
! to saw was not foreseen by the astule anu
i unscrupulouS Ferguson. But breckenridge
| aerees to sell him for 81 600 a few acres of
! marshIand on which to build the necessary
| road.
! breckenridge in the mean time tells his
! friend Aline Anderson Miss Edna Archer
! Crawford of his agreement, but she per
suades him not to sell and arouseS IN MN
! an ambition TO make something or hlmseH'
! she tells him to form mining company OF
! his own and dig the coal from the lana
| that ne still owns. She loves breckenridge
and he loves her But he says that he will
not marry her until he has become a rich
man.
Breckenridge prOspers and ferguson fans
/ threatening ruin to Mrs. Anderson and all
SOAA
! funds of her daughters and others intrust-
ed to her care and unless she can bring
about a marriage between her daughter
and Ferguson she sees nothing but bank
rlIptcv and dishonor before her. Aline
agrees to sell herself 70 Ferguson, IN spite
of her love for Breckenridge. But Brecken-
ridge saves her from this step presume bly,
by marrying her himself.
Incidentally, there is a story of love be-
Dave Denny a sweetheart of her childhood
Barbara is seduced by Ferguson and comes
North with HIM under the guise of mar
rage. She is deserted by Ferguson, and
reports of her death in a hospital come to
her friends in New York. In the last act
however she appears, and in a long and
weak speech tells in dim light how it all
happened Denny forgives her and takes
her home.
One Of the crudest scenes ever in
ficted upon a New York audience was
pictured in the third act when Brecken-
ridge forces Ferguson to give up the key
of Mrs Anderson's strong box and sign a
paper agreeing to restore $4,000 to the
various friends whom he has persuaded to
invest in his company. While the act goes
on Dave Denny who wants to shoot Fer
guson, stands in the next room. Breck-
enridge, by way of intimidating Ferguson,
goes to the door and says: How are you
getting along, Dave?'' Sounds of dire VEN
| seance come from within and Ferguson
trembles 1t is the crudest of sheer yell