The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-05-10
THE wILLIAMsEs AND FLoRENoEs

THE WILLIAMSES AND FLORENCES
GRIEF OVER BARNEY wILLIAMs's DEATH
HIS PERSoNALITY-RIvALRY BETWEEN
THE BROTHERs-IN-LAw-FL Sue
CESS.
The New York correspondent of the
Buffalo Courier writes to his journal: The
death of the brightest and merriest Irish
comedian that the present generation has
known. causes much sincere regret in New
York, where Barney Williams had hosts
of private as well as public friends. The
professional star of the dead actor had been
waning for some time. Boucicault's more
refined and gentle personation of Irish
character pleased the public better than
the noisy. bois.erous, pugnacious Irish
man OF Williams, and the latter had lost
caste accordingly. But he still had a great
many admirers before the footligbts and
his personal popularity in clubs and social
circles remained undiminished. Barney
Williams, or Bernard Flaherty, which was
his real name, was very prince of good
fellows, and his company was as eagerly
sought as thai of any man In his profess
sion. he had some OF the very best quail
ties of manhood In his nature, and, with
the Ir.shman's quick impulse, he was al
ways ready to resent the smallest slight
Know-Knothing crusade of twenty years
ago, he was frequently in collision with the
anti-Irish element, and on each occasion
he acquitted himself with personal credit
ifnot with satisfaction to those who Of
Tended his national pride.
HIS PROFESSIONAL RANK
was not very high, yet it will be long be-
fore the "Irish Boy and Yankee Girl" so
often and so cleverly depicted by himself
and wife, are forgotten. The attachment
of this couple ever since their marriage,
when be was a very poor actor and she a
popular dsnseuse and soubrette, was OF the
strongest kind. Mr.. Williams was also
warmly attached to his mother, a plain
and rather whimsical old lady, who sur
wives him, and made her comfort one OF
the chiefobjects of his life. He had more
tact in the art of saving money than actors
usually have, and, though his hand was
always open to charity. he managed to
lay up q fortune that is estimst I'd at
$3.50, 900. A considerable part of this was
invested in handsome country seat, which
he called "Kathleen Villa, in compliment
to ais wife, at Bath, Long Island. Barney
Williams was as true hearted a man as
ever lived, on or of the stage. For several
years there was a sharp professional
rivalry between Williams and William
Florence, or William j. Conlan, bis
family name, who had married his wife's
sister, and started out in the same line of
parts which Williams and his wife had
chosen. The rivalry WAS at times so strong
as to lead to very untriendly personal rela-
tions, but as each couple found ample
opportunities for success without inter-
feriDg with the other,
THE ACRIMoNY WORE AWAY,
and Williams and Florence finally be-
came the warmest friends. While Flor
ence confined himself to the Irish line of
character, he deprived Williams of some of
his lsurels, for his acting was more refined
and natural than that of Williams, but he
soon rose to something higher than the
absurd and backneyed Irishman of the
stage, and his progress since the change
was made has been steadily upward. His
first distinct success outside of the Irish
drama, so-called, was as Bob Briefly In
the" Ticket-of-Leave." Subsequently he
made decided hit as the Jew Obenreizsr
in the dramstization of Dickens "No
Thoroughfsre." He also took up Burton's
part of Captain Cutie and surprised the
critics by playing IL very we'll indeed, but
bis chief success was in creating (for it is
as distinct creation as Rip Van WinKle
or Lord Dundresry), Judge Slote, in the
Mighty Dollar" Ibis part, as Florencs
plays it, is triumph that any actor might
be proud of. Mrs. Florence has also de-
veioped very clever versatility and is a
valuable factor in the success OF her hus-
band. Their attachment TO each other is
as close as that which existed between
Mr.. and Mrs. Williams, and like them
they are privately held in the highest
esteem for generous and attractive per-