The Washington herald., 1916-05-16
POIi's-''Back Home,

In the spring the city-dweller's fancy
turns to thoughts of Back Home" and
so with customary timeliness, the Poll
Players gave last evening the premiere
performance in this city Of the pleasing
rural comedy OF that name
Two eminent writer's are responsible for
the effectiveness Of Back Home"
Bayard WELLER founded his three-act
play on Irwin S. CObb's popular stories
which deal sympathetically with alleged
abuses of child labor in cotton mills down
South, and the Poll Players have given
the play an admirable production. Mr..
WELLER knows how to score his points, de-
velop his situations. and get the best
there is in a story, as was evinced by his
drama, within the Law" and he has
been no less successful with Back
Home"
A. H. Van Buren has a fine opportunity
to display his ability to the best ad-
vantage as Judge Priest, and he cap
tured the applause which seems to be a
personal perquisite. Small Sam Iden
Thompson made his debut as Buddy"
and gave to the part the natural charm
Of his own boyhood Harold Kennedy was
amusing as the negro Jeff, and Ben Tag
CART Is very good as Robert Carter.
Maude Gilbert was a charming Sally
Priest, and John NJ. Kline. May Alden
and John B. Mack were all most capa-
BILE.
Robert Carter comes to waynesville to
expose the abuse of child labor in
Wayne's cotton mills in that place. and
falls in love with Judge Priests pretty
daughter Sally. Wayne directs the fac
tory men to make it so disa greeable for
Carter that he will leave the neighbor-
| hood. A circus comes to town, and be-
cause the children are late in arriving
for their work, Wayne's hired man
brutally Injuries little Buddy.
As Carter attempts to call the scoundrel
to account, he is struck by him. The
two men fight, and Carter kills the man
by blow on the heart By this time he
has established such close relations with
Sally and her father, to whom he has
presented a letter from an old friend
that the Judge furnishes his bond, and
Carter is invited to make himself at
home in the judges house Wayne de-
termines to convict Carter, and forms a
close union with Nash the commonwealth
attorney, who aspires to Judge PIiest's s
place, and hopes to win the nominate
by convicting Carter of murder Another
enemy Of Carters IS the brother of the
man he killed, who organizes a mob to
| lynch the young reformer.
This plot is baffled by Judge Priest He
reaches a quick understanding with the
sheriff and as the mob enters. Carter
glides out by a side door and is taken
into custody by the sheriff and conducted
in safety TO the county tail. The third
act brings on the trial. Nash gets a
jury of old Confederates, hoping to bring
sectional feeling to bear on Carter's con-
viction, succeeds in obtaining another
judge, and otherwise carries the day with
high hand until Judge Priest is sum-
moned by the defense, adroitly injects
statements favorable to his prospective
son-in-law into his testimony, and then
makes so insidious an appeal to the
sectional prejudice Of the jury, revealing
the fact that Carter's grandfather was a
Confederate soldier and his grandson was
commended to him by their old COM
mander that the defendant is summarily
acquitted. The happy ending Of the play
is left to your viewing in order not to
lessen pleasurable antictpatons.