The Washington herald., 1913-10-07
COLUMBIA.
"The Master Mind.


''The Master Mind"
A murderer brought to the electric
chair. His brother, a king of crooks,
vows vengeance upon the district at
tOrney, whom he regards as responsible
for the execution. The district attor-
ney while on a visit in Chicago is
hurt, and by the timely assistance of
a young girl of the streets the effects
of the injury are minimiZed. The brief
encounter leaves n lasting impression
on them both. The master crook who
has sworn vengeance upon the law off,
Ger for bringing his brother to the
death chair discovers the girl. takes
her from her sordid surroundings,
sends her to Paris TO be properly edu-
Gated, and after an absence of four
years brings her back, with the set
purpose of bringing her into the life
of the former district attorney, who by
this time has retired from that Office
and aspires to the GoveTnorship of the
Empire State He plans the marriage
of these two and the subsequent dis
grace of the man. To this end he sum-
mons several fellow-crooks. whom he
has in his power through his knowl-
edge of their criminal careers, and
they are made to figure as the i'm
mediate family of the girl whom the
former attorney has married. Then a
thief is brought into the home. where
the master crook poses an valet of
one of his tools The thief is to make
a pretense of rObbinE the safe when
he is to be met by the young wife.
Through representations to her that
only by declaring that the thief has come
TO the house at her behest, not to steal
but to take her away from there, she
can save her husband from disgrace,
the master crook binds her to her pur-
pose. The plot succeeds. but at the very
last moment the affection OF the master
crook for the young wife causes him to
foregO his revenge and he passes from
the scene.
This is an outline OF Daniel D. Car
ter's play. The Master Mind" which
was presented for the first time in
Washington at the. Columbia Theater
last night. In conception and construc-
ton it is melOdramatic TO a degree. but
its sensational character is shaped with
such fine discretion that even the most
highly wrought incidents and scenes of
the play do not crate too harshly upon
the judgment The action is of the
rapid-fre sort: events are made TO move
with unhalting precision: and, while not
much is left TO the imagination. vet
the nervous attention of the spectator
in the plot is in what comes near being
an anti-climaN in the final scene when
the master mind relinquished his re-
venge.
To the wonderfully fine deIineation of
Andrew, The Master Mind" by Edmund
Breese. must be ascribed the tense in
tersst with which the audience followed
the action, albeit he is most ably sup
ported At no time did the masterful
manner in which the pseudo valet move
his puppets as on a Chessboard impair
the assumption Of the servitor's demean-
or The iron mastery over others. as well
as over himself, is steadily kept in view
until the moment when Andrew bursts
out int" torrent OF accusation against
his intended victim and warns the lat
ter that the hour of vengeance has come.
No less Impressive is the final scene.
where ''Thet Master Mind" Yields his
cherished plan to the pleadinGs of The
Young wife. Every situation is invested
by Mr.. Breese with consummate effect.
Miss Francine LarrimOre, a winsome
little lady, who made her first
bow to Washington audience last
alias Maggie Flint. whom Andrew
has selected as the instrument of
his vengsnCe. She was rather lackd-
daisical during the first two acts. but
rose fully TO the requirements of the try
ing situations of tine following scenes.
Miss Dorothy Rossmore gave a splendid
setting to the part of Mrs Blount. alias
Milwaukee Sadie whilom shoplifter, who
for the nonce is made to pose of Lucene's
mother. Arthur $. Hull, as CORTLAND
wainwright. was a most dlgnified political
aspirant we'll as loving and fOrEiving
husband. Frank AlIworth as Walter
BIounL alias Diamond Willie. and Will
lam Riley Hatch as John Blount alias
Blank Hank. We're plausible tools in the
hands of the master mind. and Walte-
Allen as Prof. Forbes. an alienist; Sid
ney Gushing as Creegan. a Chicago crook;
John T. DOugherty. a detective. and
Archie J. Curtis as Parker. completed a
weII-baIanCed and most effective cast
The stage settings We're extremely ele-
CANT and in admirable taste. and the same
commentator is due in the matter of
the gowns exhibited in the course of
the play.