Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-31
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

NV XuU UXaXl
With the opening OF Tord's Theater.
on 10th street. Washington had two
major places of entertain
dramatic ment fifty years ago. the
c%or. other being the Washington
Theater, at the corner of c
and 18th streets. An exceptionally at
tractive bill was rendered there during
the last week of March. 1862. In The
Star of March 81 is this account Of the
engagement of a company of unusual
merit:
The Washington Theater has been
crowded to it's utmost capacity this
week to witness the representations of
Shakespeare's immemorial creations by
the eminent dramatic stars in this city.
and hundreds have been unable to OBJ
tain admlttance. 'Othello' was well
rendered on Monday night, and the Iago
or Mr.. Wallack is spoken of by good
judges as the perfection of acting. The
cast for Hamlet on Tuesday night was
unequaled in the history of the stage
in this city, and the piece could not
nave been better performed. The Ham
let or Mr.. Davenport, the Ghost of Mr..
Walack and the Laertes of Mr.. Wheat
ley We're finished pictures, while Miss
susan denim astonished those unac-
quainted with her versatility by her
faithful and touching portrayal of the
fair Ophelia. Last night Julius Caesar
was performed in capital style, the
sius (Messrs. Davenport and Wallack)
ana Mark Antony's (Mr. Wheatley's)
grafton over the dead body of Caesar
belng the gems of the performance.
MRS. Wallack. as Portia, daughter of
Cato and wife OF Brutus, represented
the character admirably Mr.. Kings
iand and Mr.. Barron have added much
to the pleasure Of each performance by
the faithful rendering Of the parts as
signed them Tonight Damon and
Pythlas' will be performed with an eX-
esilent cast; also the comedy of The
takes his great part OF Vapid."
The Friday nights performance of
Wild Oats" concluding with Black
eyed Susan" On Saturday night the
plays were THE Stranger and 1.-The
Honeymoon.
There was plenty Of diversion for the
people Of Washington in other lines than
theatrical entertainment. some
Soldiers of it being of dramatic and
d. somewhat shocking character.
AAo'' For instance, in The Star Of
March q. 1862. is paragraph telling of a
serious riot in the Northern Liberties"
as follows:
Last night number of soldiers be-
longing to various regiments, out of their
camps with or without leave, paid a visit
to the restaurant of Mr.. P. Hingle, near
Q street, in the third ward, and demanded
liquor. The proprietor refused to sell or
give them any and they tried to obtain it
by intimidation. The proprietor sent for
the police and Patrolmen Beavers and
Bell went to the house and by persuasion
and force got them out. Supposing the
soldiers had gone to their quarters, these
patrOlmen left after some minutes, when,
hearing some more firing, they returned as
fast as possible and found Patrolman John
son OF the county police lying in the street
bleeding and apparently dead or dying and
a citizen named Conway struggling to Sc
cure a stout man, a private Of the 4th
Pennsylvania Cavalry, named John CASH
dy. They took Cassidy and conveyed him to
the central station, and this morning he
was brought out for trial. Justice Walter
committed Cassidy to Jail for court to
answer the charge of assault and battery
with intent to kill
Another form Of the lawlessness that
was rife in Washington during war time
is described in The Star of
Stealing March %, 1862. as follows,
u.. under the head Horse Steal
so many cases of this kind have oc-
CURED of late, which have been brought
officially before our police magistrates,
that it seems necessary and proper to
caution citizens, as we'll as strangers Wis
iting this city on horseback, against the
unsafe practice of hitching their horses
to posts, ratings or racks and so leaving
them while the owners or riders go into
taverns, stores. public and private Of
fees to transact business. We thus pref
ace our notice of a late horse-stealinS
case which was brought before Justice
Thompson and finally disposed of Tues
day last.
the 18th instant. at night, Mr.. John c.
Lewis of this city left his horse fastened
to the railing of the Presbyterian Church
on New York avenue, and that the horse
was stolen while Mr.. Lewis was in the
church. Nothing was seen or heard of
the missing animal until it was seen by
Mr. Lewis himself. harnessed in a light
wagon, owned and driven by a person
small grocery store at the navy yard
Being arrested, Mr.. Lewis alleged that
he bought the horse of two persons at
the navy yard who, being also arrested
and taken before Justice Gull, alleged
that they bought the horse of soldier
The justice. after hearing all the evidence
in the case. decided to dismiss the charge
against Mr.. Lewis and to hold to bail
Charles Schroepe and Henry Hienburch
to answer at the criminal court to the
charge Of buying and receiving into their
possession horse, knowing it to have
been stolen. The soldier who sold the
horse to them, and whose name is Thomp-
son, is said to belong to regiment now
at Fortress Monroe"
* X
One of the familiar characters around
the streets Of Washington during
the civil war days was DAN
Daniel iel Pratt, who called himself
III 1.-The great American traveller"
AA"eS and who had made himself con-
spicuous by claiming to HAYS permitted
the successive elections of Presidents
Harrison, Polk. Pierce, Taylor, Buchanan
and Lincoln by waving his claims to the
first office in the republic, he being
somewhat of a standing candidate for
that position. In The Star of March -.
1862, is news paragraph describing an
assault committed upon him by soldier
named McCarty. while the traveller was
looking about one of the regimental
camps in the city. McCarty not only
handled Pratt roughly. but robbed him of
Confederate note and a penknife blade
and some real money. The robber was
captured and committed to jail, his de-
intnYfc3tiOn