The Washington herald., 1919-05-03

New York. May 1.-The Gondorrs,
smoothest OF confidence men. used to
say that the easiest picdngs were
In New York and II you really want
ed to md what is known In their par
lance As . sucker just drop around
F'orty-second street and Broadway
any afternoon or evening.
Alexander Pottruch, a smiling little
East Side Hebrew, was in General
Sessions Court the other day for
selling the entire New York subway
system. He did not sell 1t to gem
tleman from the hinterland with q
celiuloid collar and a by Guml" ex-
preston. He sold it to q man who
was born and raised In New York.
Pottruch. by the way. picked up
the victim In the Times Square Sec
ton Another time a neighbor Of
Pottruch accompanied him to one of
the highest floors OF the Municipal
Building and there was presented to
parsonage in a silk hat and en-
compassed In a frock coat and wear
ing q bright red mustache.
Conceding that he was the mayor
Of the city. when addressed by that
title. the parsonage admitted the build
ing was for sale, speaking in fluent
fiddish and advising the investor,
who was introduced to him. that the
building must be sold that day or
not at all.
Later Governor Smith. speaking also
| in easy Yiddish. appeared upon the
scene, then in quick succession men
who were presented as John d. Rock
efeller. jr., Judge Swami, Police Com
missioner Enright and Sheriff Knott,
all speaking Yiddish.
A policeman strolled along and di-
rected them not to collect so in the
hall. II was the alacrity with which
the putative Richard Enright obeyed
the order which set the investor think
ing. and that spoiled the sale. Pott-
ruch admitted in court that he had
sold the subway. and when he did so
the following turned in their graves:
The man who used to sell tickets
to 90 up In the obelisk in Central
Park: the man who sold Brooklyn
Bridge to q farmer from Pennsyl-
vania in 1872; the man who sold City
Hall to another farmer in 1897. and
the man who sold the park around
the hall to the same farmer the next
day: the man who sold the East River
to an Australian in 1908 and the man
who sold the Statue of Liberty to
Calabrisn in 1917.
| It Is a dull season on Broadway
that brings no new dramatic star
fitting through the glorious star-dust
of the Cleaning White Way and by
the same token it is singularly
auspicious season that uncovers a new
and worthwhile comedian. Comedy
roles. particularly of the musical
type. are taken by the same men
who have been appearing in them
for from five TO twenty years. or a
half-dozen favorite American come
dians-Raymond Hitchcock. De Wolf
Hopper, Joseph Cawthorne. Richard
Carle, Lew Fields. Sam Bernard
Hitchcock's career as a star is the
\ shortest and IL is now some sixteen
seasons since he arrived " on Broad
way in THE Yankee Consul" All
Of which is apropos of George NJ.
Cohan's find in his new CohaniZed
opera comique. The Royal Naga-
bond" The new comedian Is Rob-
inson Newbold. / have not seen him.
but the critics agree in acclaiminG
him the find OF the season. He simply
fitted into the part and then devel-
oped some amusing business" that
landed him a permanent berth on
| bTOauWdy. IL Is nara 10 understand
Broadway's taste for comedians. In
my opinion Richard Carle is one os
the funniest men on the stage. Broad
way has never liked him. He plays
seldom on the big lane
The hotel detectives. A strange lot
OF huskies who never fail immedi-
ately to give away their occupation
by their dress. I see them around
the smart foyers of the Ritz, Wal
dorf. Astor and St. Regis-looking as
much out of place as a dock-wal-
loper at a Park avenue tea. They
are Invariably square jawed. bull
necked and wear black derbies and
sQuare-toed shoes. Their watch
chains are redolent of Latonia when
the touts with their fowered vests
and checkered suits were promiscu-
Gus nuisances. However. the hotel
managers say they are indispensable
and prevent many crimes.