New Britain herald., 1914-05-05
Reviews of Weeks
 Bills at ThcaterS
''The Ninety and Nine'
 Makes an Interesting
 Lyceum Performance

."The Ninety and Nine,' which opened at the Lyceum last evening for a week is of the melodramatic or der with scenic effects in the form of a railroad station, with telegraph instrument heard clicking through an open window; a locomotive which is pressed into use for the purpose Of conveying the people of a small town in Indiana to place of safety in or der to escape death in a prairie fire. The story, however, does not depend for interest on these scenic effects alone, though they help to give it at mosphere. Tom Silverton who had been engaged to marry Kate Van Dyke comes to Marlow, Ind, and hav- ing no employment he hangs around the tavern, drinks to excess and a former New York lad produces some newspaper clippings showing among others the picture of 8 man who had committed murder and it bears such a striking resemblance to SilvertOn that no one could be mistaken about it. In the meantime the latter meets Ruth Blake, who shows an inclination from the first to reform him. Her parents dislike him, the father more than the mother, and Mark Beveridge is also unfriendly towards him. It is the latter, however, who at the time the play opens has the affections of Miss Van Dyke. Beveridge plans to have $2,000 taken from MT. Blake's home. Hud Bryson, half-witted fellow, do- ing the stealing under instructions, the idea, being to fasten the crime on Sil- verton. It is when the prairie fire is discovered in Gloves that the true character of Beveridge becomes known. He has a private car on the track near the station and when he is asked to use it to carry the peo- pie out of the path of the fire he re- fuses and Silverton, who is an en- gineer, volunteers his services, runs the engine and carries the people to safety. This scene aroused the au- dience to high pitch of enthusiasm, the engine in operation being shown, the bell changing and the fires under the boilers being visible.
 The character of Silverton was taken by MT. Cross, he presenting it as an intoxicated individual, not a staggering drunk, but with just enough liquor in to make him bit unsteady and his brain bit muddled. The character was not overdrawn, the finer qualities of the man being wis., ible beneath the exterior of discourage ment wrought by disappointment in love and a thirst for liquor. The advent of Ruth Blake into his fife lessened his desire for drink and through her influence his steps were turned in another direction. Miss Sllirvin played Ruth with charm and ocfn h. lri
 ness oH disposition and her sublime faith in Silverton being rewarded with his restoration to manhood. Even when her father swore he would kill
 him if he found him in his house again she could not be swerved in
 her devotion to him and while he
 broke his promise to her to abstain from drink he won in the end. The
 work of Miss Skirvin and MT. Cross all through was we'll done. Mir. Locke, as usual, was very good as Beveridge, the villain of the piece; Mir. Fuller played Blake, Ruths father, with care and precision, and MT. Mullin, MT. Birch, MT. Sage and MT. Schmidt the latter a New Brit
 ain man, filled their respective roles acceptably. Mrs. Hubbard had the
 character of Mrs. Blake and was just
 as gentle and kindly as any one could be. Miss Brownell played Miss Van Dyke with that peculiar heartless spirit so essential in that kind of a l character, but relented and wept when she realized the true nature of her erring ways. Grace Barton had a good part as Aramantha Markham, l who seemed to know everyone in Marlow, and Nan c. De Voc made a good appearing young Marlow girl Mrs. Alfred Cross occupied a front seat during the performance and 1 seemed to enjoy the play immensely, being very generous in her applause.