New-York tribune., 1911-02-25
ANOTHER RIOT At THE
COMED|E FRANCHISE
Police and Republican Guards
Make Many Arrests in Paris
Audience.
"APRES MOI" THE CAUSE
Opposition to Bernstein's Drama
Forces Actors to Stop Play
ing - The Writer
Belligerent.

Paris. Feb. "a There were riotous
scenes at the Comedie FRANCHISE to-
night. during the production of Henry
Bernstein's "Apres Moi" rivalling those
which in 1901 forced the withdrawal
after two presentations of Victorien Sar-
dou's "Thermidor"
NJ. Lepine. the Prefect of Police, had
hundreds of police and Republican
Guards scattered about inside the thea
ire In the first act. where lie Bargy is
asked the question. What is the most
irrepara BILE thing in lfe?" man In the
balcony rose and shouted a coarse
epithet as a response. Instantly the
theatre was i'm an uproar. cries OF
Put him out" and Of mo. no. were
everywhere yelled. as the detectives
dragged the offending man from MS
seat This demonstration was followed
bv cries Of "Deserter," and Down with
the Jews" and it was several minutes
before the demonstration ceased and the
actors could proceed with their parts.
4 moment later. However. pigeons
which had been hurled from the gallery
caused the women i'm the audience to
shrek as they futtered helplessly I'm the
orchestra During the intermission after
the first act. the "Camelots du Rof
started riot i'm the gallery. and as they
were dragged out several of them were
struck IN the face by adherents OF Bern
stein. After this scores of the specta-
tors. men and women, with threatening
gestures. engaged i'm loud arguments for
and against the play.
The climax of the disorder was reached
in the second act, when six men barri-
caded themselves i'm lOge and caused
suspension of the play for five minutes
by blowing fish horns. Finally the police
battered in the door of the loge and ar
rested the disturbers.
There is sensational controversy
going on I'm the newspapers concerning
Bernstein. who has written a letter to
the "Matin' admitting that he deserted
from the army four months before his
time was up, but saving that this act
was due to his infatuation for a woman.
Tonight Bernstein wrote letter TO NJ.
BRAND. the Premier, asking him to give
the Loyalist Lacour his liberty tenn
porarly. so that the author might fight
duel with him. Lacour. who is vice
president of tho "Camelots du Roi," is in
jail for assaultng Premier BRAND last
November He, sent his seconds to Bern
stein yesterday.
Certain clerical organizations have taken
exception to the production of plays by
Bernstein. both on account of his race and
various allegations made against him. Ac-
tive trouble began on Tuesday night dur
ing the second performance of "Apres Moi"
at the Comedie Francaise. The organiza-
tions opposing the playwright We're repre-
sented by rowdy members, who were post
ed in different parts of the house and kept
up incessant Interruptions They violently
resisted election from the theatre. and
Bernstein's brother got a black eye in a
fight with one of the disturbers. Eighteen
Of the troublemakers were arrested.
on Thursday evening the disturbances
were renewed. Members of the organiZa-
ton of Young Royalists known as the
'1dmelOtS uI fNOls dI IUtu Will dulOIlO-
bile horns, rattles, whistles and other
noise making devices, interrupted the play
continuously. on this occasion twenty
were arrested.
II was reported that several duels might
result from these demonstrations. and the
newspaper campaign which is being waged
for and against the play. bernstein, it is
said, has challenged Leon Daudet. the
writer: Urban Gohier. the publicist. and
Gustave Terry.
Henri Bernstein is native Partisan Of
Jewish extraction. His mother is an
American. He was educated at Cambridge
England He has written more than a
dozen plays IN the last three years. most
of which have been successful Among
his best known plays are The Thief
which had long runs in Paris. London and
this city: Samson" which ran here for
an entire season: Israel" "Frere Jacques"
La Rafale" and "Apres lie Deluge."
"Apres Mof' is the story of a gigantic
petroleum trust financier. whose daring
but disastrous operations at last wreck his
own fortune and those Of his wife and
friends conGded TO him. He is on the
point of blowing his brains out with a re-
volvcr before the truth can be discovered,
az night in his study, which Is also an
anteroom to MS wife's bedchamber.
Suddenly. just as the iinancier Is about
to pull the trigger the doc. opens and his
wife. with disheveled hair and in scant
attire. stealthily returns 20 her chamber
from her first clandestine meeting with her
lover, a young man who. as ward of the
petroeum iinancier is also the victim of his
dishonesty. The hnancier who loves his
wife. bursts into paroXysm Of jealousy.
His ferocious determination 10 ascertain the
identity of his wifes lover Is bafiied in
frightful scene by the wife.
The young ward and lover having heard
of the financial catastrophe, calls next
morning TO pardon his guardian and is
adroitly cross questioned by the latter, who
thus discovers the truth. The hnancier
abandons all idea of suicide and summons
his wife to decide in ten minutes whether
to elope with her lover or to escape with
himself. or mnal and fugitive from JUS
tice The wife. a:ter "A terrific scene. dis
misses her lover and follows her criminal
and penniess huband.
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