A PRACTICAL JOKE BY SOTHERN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3062, 20 April 1881, Page 4

A PRACTICAL JOKE BY SOTHERN .

The American papers are. full of stories relative to the practical jokes played by the late Mr Sothern. Here'is one, told by the popular comedian, John T. Raymond, nhoiit a scare be and Sothera got up when in Pai is playing Dundreary. Mr Eaymond snys : — " The celebrated bill poster of Paris and London, Willing by name, was in the greenroom, and made some remark as coming from Sothern concerning me, which I purposely construed into a most grievous insult. Dashing impetuously into Sothern's dressingroom, which was just off the green-room, I demanded in a loud tone that could be heard by everybody, instant satisfaction or his life, whispering to Ned to keep up the joie. A.lways as quick as lightning to take a hint, he presently emerged, kicking me out of his apartment into the centre of the now thoroughly alarmed people in the greenroom. I rushed oft to get a knife, swearing vengeance. Everybody appealed to me to be quiet and tried to hold me back, while I contended that nothing but his life's blood would wipe out the insult. Of course the play had to continue, but the actors were almost afraid to go on the stage, looking on me as a wild American, who, with bowie knife in hand, was about to commit a horrible murder. Meanwhile Sothern had quietly sent a note, telling me to slip into his dressing-room again, get some stage bloocl there, lock the door, and as soon as iie cmno off we would hare a ' time.' I followed the instructions, and after the act he came and joined me. The people in the green-room were on the alert, and between Ned and myself we gave their listening ears a full chorus of moans, groans, imprecations, struggles, and other sounds of distress, among which every now and then my knifo could be heard sticking into some convenient soft substance that ■winded very like a human body. Willing, whose remarks had been the cause of all this commotion, frightened almost to death, rushed after the gendarmes. When the latter came they demanded entrance in French. A low groan was the only response. Believing that one or both of us was nearly dead, they burst open the door. Willing was the first man to rush in, and was followed by the soldiers and such of the company as were not on the stage. You can imagine their feelings when they saw and myself covered with blood lying upon the floor, with the gory knife near by, the entire compartment in confusion and bearing evidence of a desperate struggle. " ' Poor fellow,' said one, ' has he not a pulse ?' 'He must be dying,' was the remark of another. 'Go for some stretchers.' 1 What awful fighters these Americans ■»re!' 'Don't touch the blade !'and other similar expressions were also to be heard. " Willing, with a hoyror'stricken face, stooped over and felt Sothern. Ned partially raised his head and feebly whispered, ' A glass of champagne —quiet/ The poor billposter didn't stop for a glass, but knocked off the neck of a bottle, and in his haste, to tte g reat dis g usfc of Dundreary, nearly chofced *" m to death as ne P ora " c< l i fc down A* instant I lifted my head in the same and faintly called, 'Some wine, too. , ™> ° oth rose U P on , our elbows and asked . fOT ™ ore wme, and then to our feet, until ™th a heartylaugh at the success of our 3 oie > we invited the whole party to join us in potation.