The Vindictive Foreman (1910)
Fred Stafford's foreman had been sick for two weeks now and still no hope for his return, so when Anton Cyernay applied for the position, telling the contractor a pitiable tale of hard luck, but that he was a thoroughly competent man, Stafford engaged him at once, and in truth his work proved him to be all he claimed. When the generous contractor learned that he was a stranger in the city, he promptly invited Cyernay to stay with him until he could find comfortable quarters. Thus he met gracious Mary Stafford. Scarcely two weeks had passed ere he was madly in love with her and resolved to move heaven and earth to possess her. Returning early one afternoon he grasped the opportunity to declare his love, and it was not until she had broken a vase over his head and denounced him to her husband who fortunately had returned opportunely, that Cyernay realized that her scorn and indignation were real and that she was lost to him forever. The Hungarian was half crazed with rage; this woman had not only tricked him into falling in love with her and then scorned him but had allowed him to be soundly thrashed by her husband and discharged from his position. He would be revenged, but how? All night he planned, and in the morning when he knew that her husband would have gone to business and their young son to school, he set about putting his diabolical plan into execution. Entering the house by stealth, he finds Mrs. Stafford seated in a chair sewing; approaching her from behind, he seizes, gags and binds her to the mantel, and then fastening a shotgun to the table pointed directly at Mrs. Stafford, he arranges a cord in such a manner that by fastening it to the door, the gun will be discharged the moment the door is opened and cause the instant death of his victim. Writing a message to her husband to come home at once as his wife is dying and signing the name of the family doctor, he taunts his victim and shows her the letter, then locks all the doors except the one to which the gun is attached. He hires a boy to deliver the message, then he hides near at hand to watch the outcome of his diabolical scheme. Scarcely has he gone when the postman arrives with a registered letter, and getting no reply to the doorbell, is about to try the door when he discovers that he is at the wrong number and departs, The grocery wagon arrives and the boy, getting no reply at the back door comes around to the front and is about to enter when his horse takes fright at a child running in front of it and darts up the street pursued by the boy. The child that startled the horse happened to be Roy, son of Mrs. Stafford, fleeing from the wrath of Spiltzer the grocer, whose fruit stand he had patronized for the pleasure of little Louise, and being unable to pay had fled with Spiltzer and a mob in close pursuit, and gaining his own yard he attempted to enter by the back door, but finding it locked and not daring to attempt the front entrance, he climbs in through a window and hastening through to the front of the house to reconnoitre. Seeing a mob he believes to be his pursuers rushing toward the front door, he hastily bolts it, thereby unconsciously saving his mother's life, as his father was already bounding up the steps and in another moment would have opened the door. Being unable to open the doors, the father followed his son's example and climbed through a window. His horror upon discovering what Cyernay had planned can be better seen on the screen than described. Quickly releasing and reviving his wife, he had the satisfaction of seeing Cyernay arrested and led away to receive his deserts at the hands of the law, as his wife would not permit him to wreak summary vengeance.
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GenresDrama
Short
IMDbPro
See more details at IMDbPro
| Filmmakers | Role |
|---|---|
| David Horsley | Producer |
