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Show ADVERTISED AS FIRST ACTOR TO GET THE HOOK . , niv -hot through the trap, but H Willie Hammerstein is already booking headliners for next season, and the uplift of the 3iage (as "Willie "Wil-lie sees it) will assuredly go on. His first important attraction, when the Victoria reopens, will he John R. Rogers, "ynura merrily." who will be billed as the first actor who ever really got the hook. Undoubtedly, Undoubt-edly, a controversy will arise over this claim with regard to Mr Holers, Hol-ers, and incidents of stage history and tradition may be earnestly, If not acrimoniously, cited to disprove it. Mr. Miner, who recently on-ducted on-ducted Miner's Eiehth Avenue Theater, The-ater, largely with the assistance of the hook, will claim that he was the original user of th Implement, that h used it first In the winter of 1 886, and ttmt on the occ-islon when it was first used, Mr. Rogers was not at the other end of it. .Mr. Rogers, however, is fortified with evidence to support his claim Ho says that no one had ever got the hook until he got it in Wood s Theater, Cincinnati, in September. 1869. during a performance of the spectacular play, Tndlne," in Which piece he appeared as a mes-senger mes-senger from the other world, and made his entrance through a trap door, being propelled into view by a spring. He bad been called suddenly sud-denly to play the part on account of the illness of the actor to whom It was regularly assigned, and the clothes did not fit htm. Also, he was not accustomed to being shot throiip-h a trap. As a result of this combination of difficulties he was not onlv shot through the trap, but also pretty well through the clothes. J Without realizing the embarrass- . ment which was beinr caused b V his extraordinary appearance, h 1 Parted to read his lines, and wAl pulled Off of the stag-, by Manager , I John B Radcllffe, who used, for JH the purpose, for the first time in history, a long-handled hook which j whs part of the stag? carpenter I ;j Quite Thorough. Did the physicians make a thorough thor-ough examination of this unidenti- J fied man ?" h(1 il Well. I should say so; even Ul , ht was felt." H IBS I -ml |
