The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-18
yIEIlIF' ] IiIIIIz ID II!!LEIiI1IzAlTIglzs
THE COLUMBIA.
ssThe Third Degree"

"The Third Degree"
Charles Klelns Third Degree" The
second in the trilogy OF treatise" plays
which this author has produced in the
last FIVE years. opened a return engage
ment at the Columbia last evening after
an absence of nearly three years, and the
appreciation OF the audience showed that
the piece had lost none OF its ability 10
entertain nor a particle OF its appeal by
reason Of its prolonged stay away from
Washington.
AS In the lion and the Mouse" and
The Next OF Kim" the author had a
purpose In view when he wrote The
Third Degree" In the first named he
showed the uses and abuses 10 which the
lower OF wealth may be put, and IN the
second he drew attention TO the delays
and technicalities Of the law, whereby a
sane woman was adjudged insane and
robbed OF her patrimony by a trick So
IN The Third Degree he uses tho insti-
tuition Of the modern police captain to in
duee his prisoners TO confess 10 crimes
which they have never committed as the
basis OF a play which is as strong as It
is melodramauc. as appealing as II is
we'll drawn-even though one be forced 10
admit the exaggerations which the au-
thor. with the license OF the poet extend
ed 10 the dramatist. occasionally makes
use Of
There is little need 20 dwell upon the story
OF the play-its own popularity and the
ready sale Of the novelization Of the
piece have already familiarized the story
OF the young boy who. found in the
rooms OF a man who has Just shot him
SELF is forced by the police captain 10
confess TO a crime OF which he knows
nothing.
And If Is IN this same 'third degree
scene. at the beginning OF the second
scene. that the genius OF the author
makes itself felt The setting Is ideal
the haggard boy. tortured by the captain
into a confession OF the killing OF Rob
ert Underwood. is hypnotized by the
sight OF the revolver with which he was
shot and speaks the words put into his
mouth by the captain, and he IS only
saved from the results OF this forced
confession by the untiring efforts Of his
wife.
Fernando Ellscu. as Mrs. JefIries jr.
really dominates the play This clever
actress has done some excellent work
here in the past. but she surpasses It all
with her reading OF Mrs. Jerries' lines
In a voice that rises above a monotone
but twice throughout the performance,
she manages 10 indicate shades OF mean
Ing that many another actress might
envy She acts the part OF the girl OF
humble birth with a simpleness which
quito wins the audience and almost
forces the applause which was given her
in generous quantities. Miss Eliscu has
come into her own. and Il Is hoped that
she viii be better recognized In the
future
IN the role OF Richard Brewster. the
lawyer who frees Jefrr!es and exposes the
methods OF the police captain James
Seely amply upheld the traditions OF the
role as played here last by Edmund
Breese, while LYDIA Mcmillan. as Mrs
Jeffries, ST, and William Herbert. IN the
small bit OF Mr.. Jones. did admirable
work. Earle Williams, the Robert Under
wood Of the piece. shot himself in the
first scene. and one could not but regret
that the same fate did not overtake al
least Two others In the cast.
On the whole. the play IS we'll present
cd. but il is one that makes great
demands on It's characters. and there
were a couple OF glaring exceptions 70
the standard set by Miss EHscu and Mr..
.-H-
mirable, the first scene being particularly