THE DAMPIER SEASON.

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5516, 19 September 1892, Page 3

THE DAMPIER SEASON.

" CRIME AND PUNISHMENT."

At the Theatre Royal to morrow evening Mr Alfred Dumpier and the Auatraliau Dramatic Company, by which bo ia supported, will open their Timaru season with " Crimo ond Punishment," a four-act drama. Thia drama is by Messra Honry Pottitt and Georgo Conquest, both of whom doisobb s very shrewd notion as to llie direction m which tho tasteß of the bulk of the dramatio publio lie, and if tho sensation is at times eomewhat highly spiced, it ia only another instance of the supply meeting the demand. In tbe drama under mention, thrre is plenty of inoident, and much of improbability m the play, but melodramas must not be gauged by too high o standard ; und " Crimo and Punishment" is not so sensational aa ita mime reasonably implire. The plot turns upon the fortunes, or rathor misfortune) of a ship's O'irpeotcr, nimrd Paul Markham, who ia m such low water that m the first act tbe audience is preparod for an execution being put into hia house at the instance of a firm of money lenders — of whom one only, Septimus Swindledon, is introduced into the play. In the nick of time, however, Paul ie able to borrow tha amount necessary to enable him to fido over his difficultier, an old orony of his, named Capt. Saafißld, standing his friond io the matter. Tbo lalter bed, however, been making a boast about tbe competency ho had acquire d nnd had been exhibiting his jewels. Eo was seen and heard by one of the villains of the piece, Joseph Millbank. who, with the view of lifting himself out of the financial mirn that he win m, determined to possess himself of tbe enptain's money and gems ; and this ho achieved br first, of all murdering 8o»fiold, and an adze, conveniently left about by Paul Markham, wob sufficient for the end required. Circumstantial evidence connecting bim with the crime wob brought egaimt Mirkham, who waa found guilty and transported for life, his liberty being sworn away by tbe real culprit. Tbo vessel that was onn"oying a number of prisoners, including Markham, to the land of their transportation met with such beavy weather that sho was destroje-1, and the hero escaped, to turn up m the disguise of a sailor, who is distracted to find that bis wife, beli.iving him to bo dead, is married to tbo ninn wbo actually committed the offence of whioh lie had been convicted. There are links missing f rem the chain of evidenco which would establish Markhom's innocoi.ee, and eventually, aft.-r some complications, into wbieh it is unnecessary to go, poetical justice is done all round. A tensationrl drama the play is callad, but the lurid lights which are tbo general accompaniment of modern melodrama are wanting, and, indeed, the only part of any consequence io the pieco— and it is one written up with great sltjilll — is a humourous one. •