Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-30
HiIIiard, in argyle Casa
Scores Great Triumph at
the Newark.
BY ADELINE cARRIcK WELLS

The notwithstanding detective, he
of the exquisitely tailored clothes and
the long, lean, clean-cut face, sans
false whiskers and other old-sleuthian
aids to the discovery of deep-dyed
criminals, appears in all his glory at
the Newark Theatre this week as
hero of 1.-THE Argyle Case" four
act play from the pens Of Harriet
Ford and Harvey j. o'Higgins, whose
information anent dictagraphs, radio
phones, f1nger-print processes and
other essentials of scientific detec-
ton came straight from no less an
authority than William ]. Burns him
self.
The distinctive qualities that are
responsible for Robert billiards
position of importance in the
histrionic world probably have never
appeared to better advantage than in
his present role of Asche Kayton,
head of the Kayton Detective Agency.
Calm, clean-cut, forceful, Mr.. Hill
Hard characterizes Kayton along the
lines suggested by the modern de-
tective story, the romantic aura OF
whose hero is formed of electric
vibrations, rather than gunpowder.
Though. in the cold prosaic light or
tain has descended, 1t seems impossi-
BILE that such marvellous reasoning
power could be condensed into one
medium-siZed masculine Uranium,
nevertheless. while the play is going
on. and Kayton sits and thinks lean
chin on lean hand. his processes of
deduction and inspiration appear so
simple and so plausible that an ad-
miring audience sits and gasps at its
own stupidity.
Mr.. Hilliard is always an actor.
His is not the modern natural school.
But his work is so smooth, 80 fin
ished. SO seemingly spontaneous that
we mind not at all his tendency to
attitudinize and to shift from right
to left his highly expressive eyes.
Rather do we like him better for 1t.
Assisting him is an excellent COM
pany, The work of each member
fits into the work OF the others with a
clock-like precision that makes the
whole performance a joy to watch.
The story of 1.-THE Argyle Case Is
reasonably familiar to those that
read the theatrical news. Mr.. Ar
gyle, an eccentric millionaire, is found
murdered. Suspicion rests upon his
beautiful ward, and upon his son. De-
tective Kayton is called in to unravel
the mystery, and 1t Is his skill at
deduction that finally throws the
cloak of guilt where it belongs, on
the shoulders of the family lawyer,
who with Mr.. Argyle had become in
volved in the doings Of a gang of
counterfeiters.
When Mr.. Argyle, the eccentric one,
had tired of the pastime Of bleaching
bills and reprinting them
into hundred dollar bills so perfectly
that government experts could not
detect the counterfeit with a magni-
flying glass-though Mr.. Kayton did |
at one glance when he found a bogus
bill In Mr.. Argyle's |
desk after the murder-when Mr. |
Argyle tired of the game he desired |
to tell everything to the general pub |
lie. Naturally, the lawyer objected |
to this, not being over-fond of break |
ing stones and wearing striped |
clothes, and in the alteration that |
Mr.. Argyle was hit-but |
why go over that?
Asche Kayton saw through that |
lawyer person at glance, and his
UP of the counterfeiters |
gang was a mere incidental happen
Ing during his real work for that day, |
which was to get the woman who |
saw the murder and who happened |
% be the wife of the head counter
letter, to tell right out in plain Eng
ish Just who did the dark deed; be-
cause, though he knew 1t, he couldn't |
prove il. Detectives, even the "scien- I
.ifcest." get cornered that way some
times.
The woman above mentioned was |
he mother of the suspected ward, |
out the girl never found it out, and
after the cringing lawyer had begged |
FOR a chance to explain and was
,cornfully hidden to run away to his |
little cell and tell his troubles to the |
district attorney" .Asche kayton's |
marvellous mentality just went TO
pieces for a few moments, and In |
plain, ordinary, but highly endearing |
way, he asked her-but why recite
he obvious? Even twentieth CEN
Jury detective play must nave Its
little love story, when there's a pit |
and a balcony and a gallery, all to
please.
Miss Olive Oliver, in the role of the |
wife, gave a perform
ance that will live in the minds of her !
watchers. Her facial play in the last |
act. wherein she sought to show the |
shell of woman whose soul has |
been crushed, was a triumph of re- |
preston in acting; and when, in the |
presence of the girl who was her |
daughter, though all-unknowing, the |
ice gave way and the tears came, |
Miss divers work reached stand
ard which it is to be hoped she'll be |
able always to maintain.
Miss Stella Archer was winsomely |
pretty as the ward. In the first act |
she showed strength, but as whole
ner work was monotonous, because OF
her duplication and triplication and
of the same manner