Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-02-24

Corruption IN judicial circles is the
theme Of George scarborough's latest
production THE Last Resort" placed
on view regularly for the arst time on
any stage al the Shubert Theatre yes
terday afternoon. AS in The Lure
Mr.. scarborough's drst success in
which he treated the subject Of white
slavery in plain unvarnished Ian
guage. 50 In The Last Resort does
he treat crookedness that may pos.
sibly exist in some courts
So plainly. st times with keen wit
and at others with satire and opea
contumely. does he treat judicial con
ditions in his latest play that It 8
serious question whether ne will not
find himself in trouble in some cities
where il may seem that he hitting
too near home in MS expose Of court
conditions.
Mr.. Scarborough has not localized
his gripping ciean-cut drama other
than to say on the program that its
action takes place "a An Ameri an
cap. tai time about now This wi
probably save him from contempt
proceedings, but it can safely be said
that he is skating on the borderland
of contempt in his production at /
times.
The plot has to do with the efforts
Of Senator Richard Osborne. a corpor-
alton lawyer and political boss. 70 get
rid Of Sheridan Holt, yonns millia-
aire lawyer, who is a thorn in the side
of big business In order 70 do t7is
Osborne mas Judge Prendergast MS
former law partner. transferred from
another district to hold court in
trial where Holt is seeking to recover
damages from railroad company
for an old woman, Maggie Ryan.
Before court opens Osborne and
Prendergast conspire TO trap Ho I
into situation where he viii commit
criminal contempt OF court. In court
Judge Prendergast, by a series Of un-
just rulings, succeeds in getting Hot
to place himself in contempt
Realizing that he had been trapped
Holt denounces Judges Prendergast
and Osborne in open court and as q
result is fined, ordered committed to
jail and disharred. The second act,
LAID six weeks later in the conference
room of the Appellate Court on the
day decision Is to be made by the
upper courts in Holt's case, brings
into view two justices Of the Appel
late Court, who frank Y discuss the
raw deal that is being given young
Holt.
One, Justice Alexander, Is disposed
TO kick over the traces and refuse TO
submit 10 the dictation Of Osborne,
but his scrupies van sh when Os-
borne appears ana grufly orders him
to obey orders. Osborne also orders
that the TWO justices get the chIsf
Justice to concur in their opinion dis
barring Holt for all time.
The chief justice overhears this
part Of the CONVEX alton and prompt
ly refuses to be any party TO any
such agreement. The chief justice
is the only member of the court not
under the absolute control OF Os-
borne. but hav ng majority OF the
court he orders the other Justices 70
ignore the chief justice ana bring IN
the disbarment decision against Holt
which Osborne himself di tates.
While all this is going on Fran 1es
Ellison. a newspaper woman with
whom Holt is in love, has been con-
cealed in a telephone booth IN the
conference room and has stenograph-
icallv taken down al that has be
said. and has watched to see that dc
toeraphs placed in the room work
oroperlv. She is d discovered by Os-
borne. who rough ATTEMPTS 20 tax
her note book away fro N 1er hel
screams are heard ~ Holt, Wne
PUSHES to her assistance.
Miss Ellison admits that she nae