The Washington herald., 1912-07-14
The Weeks Play Bills.
poli'-..The Third Degree"


The Third Degree" the most recent
drama from the pen Of the man who
wrote The Lion and the Mouse has
been selected for presentation this week
by the Poll Players. 1t will offer a
striking contrast to the farce comedy in
which the strong cast of players at
Polls Theater was seen last week. The
play is an exposure and a denun-
citation of the inquisitorial methods
adopted by the police of big cities with
the view of entrapping prisoners into
confessions of guilt The following story
of the play supports the claim Of the
best critics in the country that Charles
Klein's latest triumph is by all odds the
best crime story ever presented on the
American stage
Howard Jefrries, jr., a young SPEND
thrift, has been cast off by his million
aire father because he has married a
girl whose father is a convict. Being
hard up, Howard appeals for aid to an
old college chum, Robert Underwood, a
Thoroughbred rascal, who is at the
point OF suicide as the only means Of
escaping his swindled creditors, and falls
asleep in a drunken stupor in his rooms.
Underwood, 1t appears. is a rejected
suitor of Howard's stepmother, from
whom he has been extorting money. He
has written to her threatening to kill
himself IL she will not come to his as
sistance, and she pays him a secret
visit while Howard lies unconscious. She
declares that henceforth she will have
nothing to do with him, and upon her
departure he shoots himself.
Afterward the drunken Howard is
discovered in the room with the dead
body, is suspected of murder, and is
subjected to a cross-examination of
seven hours duration by Police Capt.
Clinton, who finally flashes a pistol be-
fore the eyes of the half-crazed prisoner
and tells him II is the weapon with
which he did the deed. The theory is
that Howard was completely mesmerized
by the gleam from the shining barrel
and repeated mechanically the confession
dictated to him by his remorseless cap
tor.
Howard's wife is convinced of his inno-
Gene and undertakes his defense single
handed. She .defies the police and her
proud father-in-law, and by dint OF sheer
importantly forces the eminent constitu-
tional lawyer, Mr.. Richard Brewster
private counsel of the elder Jeffries-to
take up her husbands case and to con-
duct 1t to a successful conclusion. At
the end. the faithful little wife not only
purges herself to prevent the disgrace
OF her step-mother, but even agrees to
permit OlNOTCe OF NerSeII ana neT nus
band as the price of the assistance she
needs in her fight to save the life OF
the man she loves. At the last moment
her husbands father softens, and the
play has a happy ending.
There are three big roles in The Third
Degree" which will be played by three
Of the most talented members of the cast
selected for the presentation of the piece
this week. Miss Jewel will appear as
young Mrs. Jeffries: Mr.. Van Buren has
been selected to play the part of Richard
Brewster, and Mr.. LIE Sueur Will play
the role Of the suspected prisoner.
The characters of the captain of police
and the elder Mrs Jeffries are both
sharply defined types and will give op-
portunities for fine acting by Miss Kent
and Mr.. Penwarden. The other MEM
bers of the company also will be called
upon this week to do exceptionally good
acting in the most powerful play that
has been announced at Polls Theater this
season.