Widnes Examiner. — 1892-05-21 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

STAGE W-I-TTA-N-D-TWAGGERY. aozQ  A popular actor and dratiatist, Mr. Kenny,- never let an opportunity slip of making a joke or perpetrating a pun. While drinking a glass of wine ime day he inadvertently swallowed'a small substance, which nearly choked him. A friend, seeing his distress, and being anxious to Proclaim to the company the sad state of 'the case, 'exclaimed, "It is cork gone down the wrong way." "I d—d—don't know whether it is the wrong way to Cork," grasped the barely-recovered punster; "but it seems a very likely way to Killienny." What an incorrigible joker Sothern was everyone knows, and quite as bad was To Flynn,the famous American comedian. Perhaps the funniest story related of him has reference to the time when he' was playing at the Bowery Theatre, New York.: During his engagement the celebrated Junius Booth came to "star" there,upon which nccasion "Julius Omar" was produced, Booth being Cassius, .1-larablin (the manager) Brutus, and/ John Woodhull, Mark Antony. Hamblin, after dressing, repaired to the greenroom, and having a bad cold,which somewhat impaired his speech, asked Flynn what he' could do for it. Toni, who never lost the chance of a joke, let it hit where it would, said, "Use my ' remedy." "What's that ?" asked'llamblin. "Why get some vinegar in a teacup, put some snuff in it, mix the two together, pour it into your band, and inhale it throggh your nose." Hamblin, not thinking of the consequences, immediately took a sufficient quantity of this wonderful remedy to produce a fit of sneezing, which he found very difficult to overcome. After going upon the stage, he saluted the audience with a sneeze, and struggled hard to smother the effects of the snuff, but without avail. He began—" What is it that you would (sneeze) impart to me? If it be aught toward the general good .(hang the snuff), set honour in one eye (sneeze) and death in the other,and I will look(sneeze) on both indifferently, For let the gods so speed Me; I love (sneeze) the name of (sneeze) honour more than I fear death. (curse that Flynn!)" All his efforts to check the effects of Flynn's remedy,which proved worse than the disease, were unavailing. The sneezing became contagious with the Bowery boys, for directly after one of Brutus's convulsions an immense sneeze would echo from the audience. Flynn Eat in the boxes enjoying Hamblin's discomfort. What rendered the affaiernore ludicrous was that Hamblin several times attempted to sneeze,but filling,, the audience did it for him I and then when they expected the tietor would remain quiet, he would give another sneeze, which would cause the whole house to roar with laughter, thus converting the tragedy into a laughable farce. After the play Hamblin rushed• into.the greenroom and said to Flynn, "What in the name: of Heaven did you advise me to take that infernal mess for I"' Tom, standing before the grate with his hands under his coat-tails, replied with tbe utmost coolness, "Why, it always cures me of .a 'cold in the head, Mr. Ifamblin, when I take it," and as the sneezing Beaus left the room Flynn turned to Booth, who had been standing in one corner enjoying the joke, and said, "Why, Junius, my boy, I never thought before that your performance of Cassius was to be sneezed at 1" Of a famous French actor's dry hintour many instances are recorded. Meeting one day a pretty actress whose lover had jilted her, he opened the door of her coup, and did all that was in his power to console her. But she would not be comforted. "No, no," she cried, "I can never smile again! I must drown myself?" "Very well," said her hearer, calmly shutting the d00r,," we shall meet at the Morgue. Coachman, ,drive this lady to the river." Yet he once meditated suicide himself, and, having loaded a pistol, called it a friend and brother actor to receive his /lying wishes. The friend did not attempt to dissuade him, but calmly jotted down the desired requests. Then, while his companion was writing a farewell letter, he took lip the pistol and began examining it. It was cocked, and the muzzle was pointing straight at the intending suicide, when that individual suddenly ducked with remarkable agility under the table, crying, "Look out! The infernal thing is loaded." Foote, the dramatist, was once the author of an extremely practical pun. Having in one of his  that gentleman waited on the mimic, and indignatly complained of the injury his character had sustained through his being taken off upon the stage. The comedian having vainly endeavoured to laugh his visitor into good humour, at length observed," well as you seem displeased at my taking you off, you shall immediately see me take myself off !" The enraged actor was pacified, and Foote, taking up his hat, walked out of the room. O'Brien waited an hour before he saw the joke, and found that he would have to wait longer still before he saw the joker. So he, too, "took himself off." An ercinent, but at times rather absent-minded, special pleader, being at a theatre witnessing the play of • Macbeth," allowed his thoughts to wander away from the performance to an elaborate case he had on hand. Coming to the scene where Macbeth questions the witches in the cavern, "What is that ye do?" and they answer, "IA deed without a name," his ear just caught the phrase. and suddenly turning to a friend, he said audibly, " What's that? A deed without a name. Pooh ! nonesense I a deed without a name is void, of course."