Reviews for the film was positive and focused on the novel methods used to attract the audience to the theater . The Moving Picture World stated , " A burlesque picture which become more thrilling as it proceed . The convict is supposed to have escaped and the way he is chased and surrounded bodes no good for him . But somehow he manage to elude the steadily increasing army of pursuers until they are gathered around him , when he calmly show a motion picture announcement , and the reason for all this melee , in which the whole countryside took part , become apparent . " The requirement that the fleeing " convict " be continually assisted as a part of the plot may have been lost on The New York Dramatic Mirror reviewer . The reviewer write , " Perhaps , in real life , things might not happen so luckily for the convict unless the carriage , the boat and the automobile was previously arranged for him . Even then , Fate might conceivably have some disagreeable card up her sleeve . In the film , at any rate , everybody bit nicely . They pursued the escaped convict in increasing crowds until he led them to the theatre he was advertising . There they all obligingly bought tickets to the show and , no doubt , enjoyed it hugely . They did if it was as good as the film is . The least interesting sections of the film are the telephone messages exchanged by agitated police officials ; but they set off the livelier adventures of the convict with agreeable contrast . " Walton of The Moving Picture News identified the set up and assistance to " the convict " and states , " In spite of the Thanhouser folk joining in the racket and the peculiar readiness of carriage and automobile and boat to help the gentleman in a costume , not used in this state for some two years , the audience did not ' catch on . ' When the revelation came , at the door of the New Rochelle picture show , the theatre ring with laughter . We was all ' stung ' and we enjoyed it . "