similar circumstances, being determined to escape the guillotine, leaps through a convenient window, thus giving the police an opportunity, which they improve, of shooting him to death. The play is immensely inferior to the story upon parts of which it is based, but it serves its purpose as a “shocker.” The escape of the two convicts on the raft at sea provides an effective scene, not the less so because of its resemblance to a similar scene in the earlier melodrama of “The World”: the expedient, however, was an old one long before “The World” was produced: it is employed with great skill and effect in Reade’s fine novel of “The Simpleton.” Belasco’s mature opinion of this play of his has been recorded in four words which cover the case: “What buncombe it was!” A notably good performance was given in it by Osmond Tearle as _Jagon_--a part which he expressed himself to the dramatist as delighted to undertake as a relief from acting the repressed “leads” to which he had for some time been restricted. It ran for two weeks. This was the original cast: _Jagon_ Osmond Tearle. _Joseph Blanchard_ Gerald Eyre. _Robert de Meillant_ Joseph R. Grismer. _Lorenz_ Max Freeman. _Captain Jules Guérin_ Walter Leman. _Mons. Claude_ A. D. Bradley. _Bontout_ John W. Jennings. _Papin_ Charles Norris. _Dr. Fordien_ J. P. Wade. _Mons. Vitel_ George McCormack. _Mons. Xavier_ E. N. Thayer. _Governor of Prison_ George Galloway. _Longstalot_ } { R. G. Marsh. _Grégoire_ } { Logan Paul. _Jacquot_ } { G. L. May. _Cabassa_ } { John Torrence. _Pierre_ } Convicts { G. McCord. _Zalabut_ } { J. Higgins. _Lamazon_ } { Charles Robertson. _Zorges_ } { G. Holden. _Jacques_ } { S. Chapman. _Commander of Prison Ship_ W. T. Day. _First Lieutenant_ E. N. Neuman. _Second Lieutenant_ E. Webster. _First Marine_ J. Sherwood. _Mathilde_ Jeffreys Lewis. _Jeanne Guerin_ Ethel Arden. _Sophie Blanchard_ Jean Clara Walters. _Zoé Lacassade_ Mrs. Elizabeth Saunders. _La Grande Florine_ Eva West. “The Stranglers” was superbly mounted, it delighted the public for which it was intended, and was played for two weeks, attracting large and enthusiastically demonstrative audiences. NEW YORK AGAIN.--“LA BELLE RUSSE” AT WALLACK’S.