The Great Vaughn’s Stage Mystery
A stage performer’s escape act at the Acme theater creates a local stir, prompting a skeptical investigation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
A large crowd gathered in front of the Acme theater last night, and Frank Metsker of Everett made the claim that the escape act at the Acme was manipulated through a trap in the stage. The management made arrangements at once for him to go under the stage and keep a watch until the 'Great Vaughn' made his escape. After the performance, Metsker was asked to explain what he had found, and he said he knew no more than when he went under. Tonight at 7 o'clock, the safe will be opened for inspection and anyone is invited to make a thorough investigation. This act is positively the greatest mystery act now before the public, and contracts are closed for it to open on the Orpheum circuit next week for eight weeks. The Vaughn will appear at the Acme every afternoon and evening this week.
“This act is positively the greatest mystery act now before the public.”
Vaudeville-era stage magic and 'mystery' acts were standard entertainment, often sparking intense, playful public debate about the mechanics of illusion that still resonates in modern investigative journalism and debunking culture.
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