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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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THE NEILL-FRAWLEY CO. AT THE THEATRE ROYAL.
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¡October 11, 1902.
with the nobleness of the girl's action, he refuses to act under the commission and revokes the telegram. His trial, sentence of death, and unexpected deliverance are well developed, in the last act.
Yee, but for the price thereof and for other prices witness would have to turn up his books; he could not remember what it was. The contract with Ngai Sam Yee was a verbal one and for a lump sum, about 89,000 odd.
SECRET SERVICE." For that sum Ngai Sam Yee had to do Hongkong is extremely fortunate this year Gaptain Throne had an excellent exponent in all the stonework of the fifty houses, above in having its theatrical season opened by such a Mr. Daniel Frawley. It is a fine character, and below, supplying both material and labour. distinguished combination as the Neill-Frawley that of a brave soldier who for cause and The contract for the brickwork was also a Company. The announcement of their visit country is impelled to sink his soldierly separate one, Tsze A Po being the sub- here-fitting though it was to be-was re- instincts and embark upon the perilous but contractor. The contract in this case was also ceived with delight; their unexpected detention | dishonoured career of a spy. His sterling for a lamp sum, on account of which Tsza A
en rout; and the consequent postpone bravery and coolness amid imminent danger Po was to supply the labour only, witness meut of their appearance only served to were portrayed by Mr. Frawley in a manner supplying the bricks, cement, and mortar. whet the public expectancy. Their fame had unmistakably convincing. No less powerful The price paid Tsze A Po was some $10,000 odd. preceded them to the Colony. It was little either were the tragic encounter with his The same course was followed with reference | wonder therefore that their coming was eagerly brother in Act II aul the pathetic scene iu to the wookwork, that also being a separate looked forward to. After compulsory abstention the last act where he takes farewell of his contract, verbal and for ก lump sum of from theatrical pleasures for a lengthened | sweetheart. Mr. Frawley was several times $3,000 odd. Tsang Pan, the sub-contractor was period, dwellers in the Far East are apt to recalled. Of the Edith Varney of Mi-s to supply the labour only, witness fiuding the glorify unduly the first " show that comes
Elizabeth Stewart, too much cannot be said material. A separate contract was made in along; but when to this lenity of view, this facilo in praise. In the light playfulness of the connection with the ironwork, which was distri-sensibility to the excellencies in a play, there earlier scenes DO les than in the more buted amongst four or five firms; the contract falls to be added the all-important factor of a emotional episodes of the later acts, her was for so many hundred catties (weight) from really splendid company to present the play, gracefulness and reserved dramatic powers each firm, and it was also to supply the anything less than a complete success must were marked, Miss Stewart got a fine recep- labour and material. This contract, a verbal be next to an impossibility, Mr Fr.wley's com tion. Mr. Gardner Crane as Benton Arrelsford one, was put through by witness's foreman, and
pany had many disadvantages to face on the 4th was a distinot success; his treatment of the role witness made no estimate as to the cost before inst., but to these they rose superior and was true and thrilling. The lighter passages it was entered into. The contract in respect of achieved a distinct triumph. Most of all as a of the play were pretty well embodied in the the glass was also a separate one, Ying Chun militating circumstance was felt the limited parts of Caroline Mitford and Wilfred Varney, being the sub-contractor. He was to supply dimensions of the stage.
dr ma like represented respectively by Miss Eva Dennison and put in the glass, and he charged so much Secret Service, where much depends upon and Mr. Chauncey Southeru. Miss Dennison's for each pane. These were all the sub-contracts. mounting and effect, the difficulties attendant acting was bright and full of vivacity and The roof was the work of the bricklayers, but upon presentation in the local theatre does insouciance; Mr. Southern's frank and manly. witness supplied the tiles. The bricks required not require dilating upon. As Mr. Frawley The Martha of Miss Christine Hill was quaintly for the fifty houses he purchased at different took occasion to explain during an interval, it humorous. Of the others especially notable were times and from different people, but he could was a case of this kind: the stage did not fit Mrs. Gardner Crane as Jrs. Varney, Mr. Jeffrey not say from whom the bricks used on Lot
their own scenery, so they had to endeavour to Williams as Gene al Randoph, Mr. 1,107, upon which building operations started make the scenery fit the stage. There were, Amory as Lieut. Foray, and Mr. Wallace Shaw first, were purchased. The brickwork was com-
consequently, longer waits b.tween the acts as the negro servaut Joans. The remaining menced some time in May or June of last year, than there otherwise would have been. But all parts were suitably allotiod. and all the walls were finished in December.
these minor things were obliterated in the general success of the presentment. The house, it is hardly necessary to say, was crowded to the doors, many being unable to obtain seats.
After lunch, witness gave further evidence regarding the progress of the work on the various blocks of houses. As to the materials, he supplied the cement, wood, bricks, tiles, and mortar. He had brought some books with him, and they contained particulars of the sub-contracting in connection with the houses, They showed that he paid $12 for one hundred cabic feet of the foundations--for concreting, labour, and cutting the foundations; witness supplied the lime. The total amount paid to this particular sub-contractor, Kwok Yee, he was unable to say, as the amounts had not yet been totalled up. (Witness was directed to have them totalled up.) For the stonework $8 673.20 was the total amount paid and payable after deducting $126 for customary trade exp: nses. Witness could not say, without looking up his books, how much cement was used, but its cost was $5.50 per barrel, exclusive of coolie hire. For the bricklaying work he had paid $9,478, the last payment being on 8th September; $1,253.10 was still due to Tsze Po, the sub-con- tractor. The amount paid for carpentry was $4,118, and $122.20 was still owing; what he paid for the ironwork witness could not say at present. Dealing with the estimates for the houses, he said that for the 30 houses on Lots 1,107 and 1,108 came to $88,070, whilst the 20 on Lot 1,118 figured out at $57,850, making a total on the three blocks of $145,870. This amount included cash for sub- contractors, material, and labour. If there was no wind and the price of material did not go up, witness explained, there would be a profit on the figures, but there was no certainty in a building contract of making a profit. As matters stood, witness did not know whether he stood to lose or gain. There was in his estimate no item for profit; if he had luck, he would make a profit, and if he had no luck, he would make no profit. He was simply gambling, he said, on the price of material going down during the fulfilment of the contract. If the price of material went up, he would lose, and if he had! money to pay the loss he would pay; if he had not the money, he would run away. Questioned as to the prices of material, witness said he paid $100 per 10,000 bricks to one firm-$92 for the bricks and $8 for coolie hire.
ཟ་
The enquiry was adjourned till next Tuesday at ten o'clock.
Wireless telegraphy will probably be installed between Tsushima and Fusan, owing to the present failure of the cable.
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In &
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Jack
From the rise to the fall of the curtain, the play was followed by the audience with attentive interest, and there was unstint applause as the various striking dramatic events unfolded themselves. During the last entr'acte, Mr. Frawley cam forward and thanked the house for their kindly reception of the piece and their indulgence towards the delays which the nature of the scenery entailed. On Monday night, he said. they intended to use the Theatre scenery itself, and hoped to be able to run through without a hitch.
"LORD AND LADY ALGY,"
With regard to the play itself, Secret Srvice has already received the flattering approbation of London and New York (which means Eng- land and America) as brought out by Mr. William Gillette. It is not a great play in the proper sense of the word. But it is possessed of qualities to make it the success of a season, as the phrase goes. There is a rare blending here of stirring incident and virility with emotional purity. Iut withal the stagey" element predominates. The play is set in Richmond during the Civil War of Qu the 6th inst, the Neill-Frawley Company America, when that city is beleaguered by appeared at the Theatre Royal in Mr. R. C. the army of the North, and General Lee is Carton's play Lord and Lady Algy. After withstanding their attack. The central figure Secret Service the change was a great one, and is Lewis Dumont of the U. S. Secret Service, the mere fact that our visitors acquitted them- who has penetrated the Southern lines in pursu- selves so well in both pieces shows what a ance of his dare-devil avocation. In Richmond sterling company they are. Lord and Lady he is known as Captain Thorne, As such be Algy is not the best of Mr. Carton's plays wins the love of Edith Varney, the daughter of but it is at any rate a favourable example of a Confederate officer of high rank. Through that style of dramatic work in which alone time he gains access to and control over the English playwrights of the present day show a military telegraph department and is in particular aptitude. Lord and Lady Algy has the act of despatching a false order which a good fist act, a rather farcical second, and a would have proved fatal to the Sonth most excellent third ac. The Neill-Frawley when he is shot and wounded by Benton Arrels- Company took full avantage of their oppor- ford, an officer of the Confederat Secret tunities in the first and third parts, and if they Service, who has suspected his duplicity an did not succeed in toning down the over- sworn to expose it to his sweetheart. Arrels- accentuation of the second the fault is more ford calls the guard and denounces Thorne as a the author's than theirs, To Mr. Daniel
Frawley AS spy. But when the guard appears the tables re
of the impersonator
Lord turned. The spy, who has bound up his wonnded Algernon Chettand the most difficult part in arm and coolly resumed bis cigar, accuses
the weakest act fell. It may be said at once Arrelst · d murderous attack and orders his that he acquitted himself admirably. Zuch a arrest, whilst he quietly goes back to the role as he played is best described as instrument and continues his interrupted Hawtrey part," and anyone who has seen Mr. despatch. This passage occurs towards the end Charles Hawtrey will readily understand the of Act III and is the most powerful in the play. task which awaits him who undertakes it. The General suddenly appears on the scene and Moreover, in itself the portrayal of a drunken is toru by the conflict of Arrelsford's denuncia- man is immensely difficult, for the legitimate tion of Thorne and Thorne's strenuous aver-stage has not the license of the music balls. ment that the despatch is genuine. He orders Thorne to stop the telegram. Thorne refuses and the General is about to enforce his com mands when Edith Varney steps forward with a plenary commission from the President iu! Captain Thorne's favour. This commissiou had been previously procured by her for quite another and legitimate purpose, but she allows her love to get the better of her patriotism to save the man whom yet she knows to be her people's dangerous foe. Now is his opportunity to complete the false despatch. But, overcome
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Mr. Frawley, however, overcame the obstacles before him, and gave a capital representation of Lord Algy. As his wife, Miss Van Buren at one made a successful appeal to the house. She is a most gr ceful actres, than whom no better has been seen in Hongkong for a long- time-ouly old resid nts can say if ever. Certainly the reports which preceded her arrival in Hongkong have proved to bз no exaggerations, and it is a matter for regret that we have not now the opportunity of seeing her in other plays. After the sustainers of
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