, 1872-12-13

mr. 1oH1 Il" otoAe SpAIlacus, IN 'In6
Gladiator" by DR.. Bird; s'Brutus, )" by John
Howard Payne; and slack cade," by Judge
Conrad, OF Philadelphia. In 1884, he visited Eng
land, where he played his leading partawith great
success, which Was in part due to the
friendly courtosies of 11acready, the emi-
nent English tragedian, who, ne
believe. is still living. During his SECOND visit
to England he married Miss Sinclair, daughter
Of the well-known singer OF that name, and re-
turned to the United States, with her, in 1885,
In 1874, he went to England the third time, and
romained there two years. During this visit,
there was rupture in the friendly relations Of
Forrest and Macready, which subsequently led
to disastrous results. Mr. Macready made three
visits to the United States,-the first in 1885,
the second in 1s43 "A, and the third in 1849. His
presence in New York during the latter year re-
viyed the old quarrel, and, during his engage
ment at the Astor-Place Opera House, the ami
mostly between the two ran so high that the
friends of Mr. Forrest also espoused the quar-
rel. On the night OF May 10, 1849, A1r.
Macready was attacked by mob, from
whom he narrowly escaped with his
life. The riot became so alarming, and the
efforts Of the city authorities so unavailing to
check it, that the military were called out and
fred upon the mob, killing twenty-five upon the
spot, besides seriously woundng several others.
II anything had been wanting heretofore to
bring Mr. Forests name prominently before the
public, that want waB now supplied, and for q
time be became the most noted character Of the
day, both in America and England, and WAS the
recipient both Of laudation aud villdcation sufi-
| cient to suit the ambition Of any one. Another
event happened in the same year which brought
his name afresh before the public, and with as
! much prominence as the Astor Place riot had
caused. He separated from his wife for alleged
improprieties upon her part. Subsequent
" she brought an action against
him for divorce, alleging infdelity, and, in Jan
| uary, 1852, aho obtained verdict in her favor,
| with On annual allowance OF $4,000 as nlimony.
| Mr. Forrest took m appeal from this decision,
which Was pending in the courts for about if
| teen years, and was finally decided against him.
| The result was that he WAS compelled to pay
| the accrued alimony in lump, with interest
and costs, amounting to nearly 100000, and
$4,000 per year thereafter. Mr.. Forrest derived
some consolation from the fact that he would
mako the American people pay it, and, although
he had quit the stage. returned to it with this
F! purpose in view, and for many years succeeded
in his purpose.
These are the principal events in his life which
have public interest. His first appearance in
Chicago WAS made nearly twenty-five years
ago. at Rice's Theatre, on Dearborn
street, in the character OF "Jack Cade."
During his engagement, he was Kissed, where
upon he left Chicago in towering rage, avow-
ing his determination never to play here again.
He kept his VOW for twenty years, and then,
about five years ago, returned here, and played
an engagement at Crosby's Opera House, which
Vas unsuccessful, both dramatically and
financially. He had grown old, gouty, and
crippled, and he left Chicago the second time in
even d more towering rage than the first, and
incenscd at the unfavorable criticisms which the
papers had bestowed upon him. He would
live to eat tho goose that ate the grass that
| grew upon the grave OF the man that wrote that
criticism" we're his cheerful parting words to
ono Of the Chicago critics.
| Alr. Forrest, in his prime, was q man OF hercu
lean mould and magnificent carriage. His
symmetrical development Of muscle, his broad
chest, and especially his neck and the
superb poise OF his head, gave
him the statuesqueness Of an antique.
The statue OF the Gladiator was not O more per-
feet embodiment Of Spartacus than Mr. Forrest
with his magnificent and colossal physique
There has never been on the American stage
such a powerfully, and at the same time sym
met1ically, developed man. His presence il
whatever role ho appeared, was imposing ant
majestic. His voice was no less wonderful thar
his physique. It was rich, deep, robust, anG
sonorous, and boro the same relations to the
dramatic that Carl Fornea voice did to the lyric
stage whom the latter was in his prime. In ad
dition to these natural qualities, it possessed un
ezampled power. In certain passages Of Meta
H.
low rumble of distant thunder, and, by the use o1
superb crescendo, reach vocal climax which
WAS almost appalling. In the stormy lines o1
"Othello's" wrath, tho power OF his VOICE waE
almost ear-splitting. At other times, he conli
reduce his voice to q whisper, which Was &c
clear and penetrating that every word was audi
bio even in the most remote portions Of the
theatre. In an parts which required the exer-
else of these natural capacities, he excelled; au6
the result WIS, that the characters which vert
written for him, with special reference to thest
capacities, were h1s best. He vas almost purely
an objective actor, and always greater favor
ite with the grouudlings, and those who ad
mired furious displays Of passion and robus
exhibitions of power than with the more intel
lectual hearers, who looked for artistic concep
tions Of he'spirit OF characters and refnemen
Of expression. He was the great exponent O
the romantic school as opposed to the natural
and carried it's theories to such an excess that b.
often became stilted and conventional His Whis
per, his stage-walk, his attitudes, and especiall
his rant, became notorious, and they we're copie.
far and wide by lesser actors. In this name
he became, to certain degreo, the representa-
tive of q new school of acting, whose influences
, in some respects, have been very vicious, @
might naturally be inferred. What in him WE
tolerable, when joined to his really grea
qualities, became in LESSER men simply ridiculou
OF painful. In characters Of subjective o
! metaphysical class, like Hamlet" for instance
he was lacking, although he always had the be
lief that he was the greatest Hamlet" on th
STAGE and defended his belief with unuBuu
, courage and considerable ingenuity. His pei
sistcnco in remaining upon the stage after ol
{ ago and it's ind1mities had seized him, and th
, delusion which he cherished, during the last to-
years OF lis ifo that he still 1eta1ne
tho power to fascinate audiences
| rara nainfu] In fhnsa WIN rememharad him +