Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 201, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1913 — “The Third Degree.” [ARTICLE]

“The Third Degree.”

‘The Third Degree,” Charles Klein’s latest play on. a topic of the moment, will be -here at the Ellis Theatre on Thursday evening, Aug. 28th. Much favorable comment has fallen to this play during the past year and it is not straining a point to assume that public attention has been unusually attracted to Mr. Klein’s clever Wbrk, by reason of the publicity gained through the use of ‘The Third Degree” by the New York police, where the play ran for seven months, and during which period Commissioner Bingham, head of the police department, owing to the proven brutality which he/used towards subjects, was forced to resign, and to which the New York papers attributed the Klein play as having caused the uprising that ended in his being impeached. The story of “The Third Degree” reveals a deep study in psychology, Howard Jeffries, Jr., has been severed from his aristocratic family because of his marriage to a shop girl of treble intention. On the night of Howard’s visit to a college chum and debtor, in quest of a loan, the friend kills himself while the benedict sleeps in an adjoining room. The police arrive befpre Howard learns the eause of their visit and he is put through a severe third degree inquiry by a dogging police officer, until he confesses his guilt. The fight of Howard’s wife, Annie, for her husband’s life, proves that her real womanly nature has escaped the shortsight of her father-in-law. Her path is strewn with thorns until she outwits her opposing factors. ‘The Third Degree” is an intensely human play, filled with true-to-life characters, supplied with bright lines and snappy situations by the author. As Annie Jeffries, Gertrude Ritchie has the best role bf her career. The play will be presented here under the management of the United Play Co., Inc.