The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-03

Obatuaxy.
DEATH or JUNTUe BRUrUs BOOTH THE TRAGEDIAN
BIOGRAPHICAL sKITCH, ANECDOTES, ETC.
Our telesraphis columns, y~tsrdsy, announced the
death of talented and eccentric veteran Of the drama
Tic corps
We uae the term veteran in reference the time
which ne has up0n the boards not to his age for
he was at the time Of his death but In his 57h year. hav
ing been born In st. Pancras London ON the LIST May
I7e6
Mr. Booth had been to California where two Of his
are at present pursuing the profession Of the stage one as
manager Of the Jenny Lind theatre San Francisco He
had arrived New Orleans where he had appeared several
times and was proceeding board the steamer Cheno
wsth to Cincinnati, In which city he had enter
ed into an engagement when he died. Beyond this
the brief have received the wires does
not enable give any particulars Of his death An
idea prevails that he advanced In years. owing
probably to the early period at which he commenced his
and became favoraby known to the public but the
date above given have carefully ascertained to be cor
rect
whatever profession pursuit he may have besn in
tended certain is that he received classical educa
ton the fruits Of which added to the many charms
Of his conversation asremembsrsd by his private friends
talents emneny qualified him, and in which his iregu-
lsrites alone prevented him from taking the first rank
The first efforts Of the asprant for histronic fsmo
necessarily involved in obscury and it Is likely that the
subject Of this memoir filed post in the lower range
Of utility" in London before his appearance at Depord
under the management Of Messrs Penisy Jones' where
he is ssd to have commenced his theatrical career.
The latter town, however, Ia small 'longshore
the south eide Of the Thames and almost adoin-
ing London) is the first place whence We receive any
authentic account of him. Under this management
he paid visit to Brussels then part Of the Netherlands
but he at this time certainly not looked upon as
an actor of any consideration promise Indeed as
most Of city readers aware his entire physique
voice, figure and gait were ell against him but with
innate consciousness Of his ability perhaps he
was welded to the art though sufficiently discouraged
for in 1873 he occupied the position Of prempter at
small theatre in Worthing, very uncomfortable water
ing place in Sussex. This theatre the property Of
Mr.. Trotter, q gentleman Of independent means, who
kept it up rather during his annual
tirement to the seaside.
From this obscurty, Mr., Booth destined suddenly
to emerge, under circumstances which afford another
proof to be added to the many, that
"There is a tide in The affairs of
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune"
One night Kean announced for Richard the
Third but did not arrive and in the confusion
quent the disappointment the little prompter offered
to play the part The manager is said to have laughed
at the proposition, and treated 1t an absurdity No
ether member Of the company however, having the
holiness and the becoming desperate, he had
better than to allow the asprant to "go onn
amid the undgused Of all that he going
to make fool Of hmselfn
The play proceeded-the jeers began to be hushed-
what was all that noise about? The gallery applaud.
ing Peal followed peal which, adding to his confidence
rendered his success unequivocal and complete The
little bowlegged prompter had made
"Ahit-a very palpable hit
On this occasion John Quincy Adams present and
in after years has often given his remniscence Of the
debut when the hero had become generally and favora
bly, known in this country.
At this period Mr. Booth was but eighteen years of
age, when Light dawned upon him. and after
very short engagements in the important provn
cial towns he was introduced to London audience in
1914, at Covent Garden Theatre.
In January Of that year, Edmund Kean had come
forth in his glory and electrified the London play goers
by his memorable appearance In the part of Shylock
On the arrival Of Booth in London. the first mentioned
eminent genius performing at Drury Lane, drawing
nightly crowded audiences, the ore Of whose admira
ton at Its zenith. Booth nothing daunted by this
apparently empowering state Of hngs boldly entered
the and threw down the gauntlet it WERE by ap
other That the committee of Drury Lane Theatre
acknowledged him rival in the contest for
hstronc fame and public favor is sufficiently evidenced
by the fact that they made overtures to him. and at
length offered him terms sufficiently LIBERAL to induce
him to join their draaisue and to alternate the
hrst and second parts with kean particularly those
two houses which resulted In such serious riot After
few nights had elapsed in which Booth had added to
the attractions Of Drury Lane the propietors Co.
Garden succeeded in reclsming their Grant STAR
and he was announced for one Of his great parts
1t may here be well to remark that, at the date Of
which write these patent theatres were the only
ones Of note Whatever (save the theatre in
the Haymsrket which was an establishment per se and
fierce rivalry existed between them and the public then
drama loving people were almost universally interested
in the contest Booths conduct therefore in thus trans
ferrDg the attraction of his talents from house house.
and which would not be thought anything Of gave
great offence to the gods and after what they looked
upon his second treacherous detection they deermn
ed he should not play at all and civil commenced
the fury of which only exceeded by that famous
oss After Various vain appeals to the justice and
bearing the announcement "Mr Booth is wthdra Wn;''
and the great tragedan was compelled to leave the
tropotan boards and seek the Obscure field afford
ed him in the Provinces, until the feeling against him
had subsidized Having purged by long rustica
ton he returned London and became CON .iderable Ia
vorte though falsely said many to be serve mitstor
Of Kean but his irregularities and eccentricties very
early exhibited themselves, and he enjoyed the
confidence respect Of the public or what greater
obstacle to his professional advancement Of the
In enc Of his moments Of excitement In which he was
accustomed TO act rs III he were really not) an
insane man, he committed an assault upon Antonio
rope dancer for some imaginary cause Of jealousy
II We mistake not by firing pistol ct him, and fearing
the consequences Of this rash act he left England and
went to the est Indies whence he came In or about
1921, to the United States.
His first appearance on the American stage was made
the same year at Petersburg in Virginia. under the
MANAGEMENT Of Jane II. Caldwell and In his great and
favorite part Of "Richard.n
He sustained the character in 1922 at the old Park
Theatre when he was first introduced to q New York
audience His since ,hen is familiar to most of
readers in the Of il believe he per-
formed at nearly every theatre in the Union and 1t
would be protess to recount his peregrnatons Thirty
years ago the proceeds of his profession enabled |
him to purchase q farm Baltimore, and In |
the selection Of this spot he displayed his usual |
eccentricity. 1t has been described q barren |
rock, which 1t necessary to transport soil |
in carts before any hope OF vegetation could be |
entertained and which after outlay Of twenty thou