Nat Goodwin’s star began to decline from that day. He made a final essay as Shylock, and with that he was practically ushered out as a headliner of the serious stage.
Richard Mansfield and Francis Wilson were delivering nightly curtain speeches against the Trust wherever they appeared, and although the public was sympathetic it was very much like the present state of affairs—what could the public do? What can an unorganized public ever do against a small, organized, determined minority? The public hardly ever ap¬ pears as a party in any of the movements that concern itself; the public is the prize for which the parties strive.
The Trust dealt strongly with Wilson. His dates were canceled. Neither his status nor his ability was of any avail to him. One of the Trust made an open statement: “Mr. Wilson is a shining mark, and we determined to make an example of him for the benefit of the lesser offenders.”
Wilson’s strong spirit was finally subdued to see “reason.” In 1898