Part 496: George Samuel and “The Convict’s Daughter”
In 1905, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “My old friend George Samuels of ‘Convict’s Daughter’ fame, came out and gave us a good order. In 1905, the production was in its fourth season of a “powerful melodramatic success” and revamped the show with new scenery (Independence Daily Reporter, 18 Dec. 1905, page 8). The Independence Daily Reporter commented, “a wealth of beautiful scenery” and “startling mechanical effects” had been provided for the show. “The Daily Oklahoman” mentioned the new scenery, costumes and performers for the 1905 tour: “‘The Convict’s Daughter’ the attraction that will appear at the opera house, matinee and night, January 1 will be given this season with an entirely new scenic equipment, new costumes, etc., and a stronger cast that has ever been seen in the play before. The play still retains that strength and intensity that has in the past won its way to the hearts of the public” (31 Dec. 1905, page 14).
The article continued, “The play is in five acts and has a wealth of beautiful scenery, the dialogue is bright, witty and full of comedy, and every actor has been especially engaged for his or her respective part…The first scene in Act 1 is indeed charming-an ideal southern home where sunshine and happiness dwell hand in hand” (31 Dec. 1905, page 14).
The central figure of the play is William Woodruff, an escaped convict who is innocent, unjustly sentenced for another man’s crime, that of murder. He finally escapes from prison and becomes known as the tramp “Weary Willie.” “The Independence Daily Reporter” reported, “The great sensational scene is the jail yard, where convicts are at work rebuilding a wall beside a railroad. In this scene a locomotive and twenty freight cars cross the stage. As the train passes the wall, one of the convicts, standing on the top stones, leaps for liberty to the roof of the car” (Independence, Kansas, 19 Dec. 1905” Page 2). Of the train scene, newspapers boasted that this scene was the “most astounding and realistic scene ever presented on stage” (Willmar Tribune, Wilmar, Minnesota, 4 Oct. 1905, page 1).
The melodrama takes place in the bluegrass region of Kentucky. A local banker, Col. Mathew Gould, has in his house a young woman whom he adopted when she was a baby. A young clerk in Gould’s bank becomes enamored of Miss Gould. All arrangements for the coming marriage of the pair are made, but Mathew Gould is unwilling to give his consent to the match.
James Blackadder, the supposed cousin of the girl, is also in love with her. He tries several schemes to break up the engagement between her and her lover. While Col. Gould is telling the girl’s lover the secret of her birth and that she is not his daughter, Blackadder overhears the story.
Woodruff approaches the Gould house to get food. He is employed by Blackadder to present himself as the girl’s father. Later, when all is ready for the wedding ceremony, Woodruff appears at the Gould home as the girl’s father. He shows bogus proofs of his identity and brings his “daughter” to an old shanty in the woods, arranged by Blackadder. While living in the woods with the two men, the girl finds a letter one in an old Bible, left to her by her mother about her father and his career. While reading the letter to her supposed father, “Weary Willie,” Woodruff realizes that the girl is actually his daughter.
When Blackadder arrives at the shanty, the two men quarrel and Blackadder has Woodruff arrested as the escaped convict from Sing Sing. Woodruff is taken to prison to serve out the remainder of the sentence. In prison, he is a good prisoner and soon wins the confidence of the warden. However, one of the prison guards is working for Blackadder and hired to kill Woodruff for the least offense. A new stonewall is being erected around the prison yard and Woodruff has been chosen to do some work on it. Immediately outside the wall is a railroad. It is the suspicion of the guard that Woodruff will attempt an escape on a passing train. His suspicion is verified by Woodruff taking advantage of the guard’s back being turned, leaving the line of prisoners and scaling the wall and leaping on the passing freight train. Pistol shots follow, but Woodruff escapes unharmed. Woodruff’s innocence is proven by the confession of the dying murderer, who leaves all his property to him. He returns to the Gould home in time to witness the marriage of his daughter to her choice. Gould’s daughter marries the man whom she has loved and waited for many years, the melodrama ending happily.
To be continued…
