The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-26
OBITUARY.
BARNEY WILLIAMS.

Six weeks ago he seized with attack OF pleuro-
pneumonia This disease, alter two weeks yielded 10
the treatment Of his physician. DR.. Walter NJ Fem-
ing, but succeeded by cerebral loss Of
circulation OF blood about the brain. When this
trouble in Mr. Williams became an almost uncon-
trollable maniac and took absolute force to
keep him in his bed lie raved day ana
night, with lucid intervals OF q few min.
utes duration, when he would call his
family around him, aud converse with them kindly
and ntclligcntly. A consultation Of physicians
held three weeks ago. which Drs. Van Buren, James
X. Wood Flint. Ciymer and Fleming were present, and
twas their unanimous OPINION that II the patient did
not in very short time meningitis or paralysis
would follow As subsequent events proved mem ngts
supcrvened on last Friday. and Mr.. Williams had two
strokes OF paralysis yesterdays slight one NJ four
O'Clock in the morning and another at nine O'Clock
after which time he lay perfectly unconscious, a
completely state, till the hour Of his DEATH
During his last hours all his immediate family
and the greater part OF hls relations at his
bedside and kneclns down. gave the responses TO the
prayers for the dying which read by Rev Father
Henry Mcdowell! pastor OF tho Roman Catholic Church
4 Of ST. Agnes, who attended Mr. Williams through his
illness aud prepared him for his last change by all the
rites of the Church Among those present AZ his do
misc were his wife, hts daughter, girl OF thirteen
years; Mrs W Villains mother, Mrs Pray; his mother his
|
Mrs. Williams brother-in.iaw. Mr.. George Browne,
aud hts OLD friend Hon. William E. Robinson. Shortly
AFTER his death Judge John r. Brady and Rev Thomas
Ducey called al the house. Dir. and Mrs. Florence,
VINO were playing an ensascmcnt at Boston, were in
medixtcly ciegraphcd for and expected to arrive
! In this city last night
It's only thrtynve years SINCE the good people Of
this city first had offered FOR their favor the rshman
on the stage specially OF course there irish
characters IN all sorts OF old dramas, but starring in
IRISH characters was har lily known. Tyrone Power
the first 10 undertake II, and he succeeded In
demonstrating tho feature which has since In var-
forms been strong element IN our theatrical
entertain Power FIRST gave the freshman a ra
ticnal being not long aerward John Brougham showed
I that he might also be gentleman; and later still
bon Bouc,cau,t has raised him IRON the wh,skey stl
ana tho nrc 10 the regions chvary and poetry
Poor Power sailed away IA the ill-starred steamship
President in March, ls4l, and neither he the ship
have ever been hoard from. Genial John Brougnam
stl remains faithful to his many New York friends
and Mr. Bouccauit Is IN England where he proposes
TO give John Bull his iceas about Ireland and her grev
anccs
last conspicuous representative Of the traditional Irs-
man-.he ragged, reckless whskey drinking, ignorant.
called s'these wid Irish" aud Shakespeare scarcely
deigned TO notice, and then with undisgused
Barney Williams Whose real name was bernard
0Flaherty) was born in Cork 1928, this
country when about ten twelve years old He FIRST
ecieI Good Intent Engine No. 49, as his favorite-and
many song and dance did the young Irish lad give
the bunk room in poyer street. though making
Tor q trade, he chose printing, and began
apprenticeship job Office in Wall street; but he
had already served the Office boy the Office OF the
Courier and Enquirer newspaper a characteristic
lnecdote told OF him this time his liie Ponder
OF his tricks than OF the dull routine of ofcc work he
managed to get himself discharged, and advertise
mcnt was inserted IN the paper for another boy But
Barney at the door before any else, and TO
each lad who came with tho intention OF seek
ing the place he said, "och you needn't go
There wsro ''s no applications c"nsequsSec
and SO he managed to secure rcenga9emcnL In
In untl ileaf a
cretion and OF course the typos were not too modest
to ask for them. Young Barney hadthe run Of the
Park, the Richmond HUI and the and magnificent
Bowcry theatres, and like many other printers devils
before and SINCE lac took liking 10 the players do
dancing ability had become known and after watching
chance for long time, he got into June, Angevine X
Co Circus, at No. 81 Bowcry, where he had an act
consisting OF n song and Irish breakdowns danced
sprngboard In the centre Of the sawdust ring But his
nxed upon the dramatic stage The great success or
the Bowery induced other enterprises and in Septem-
Der, 1885, the Franklina little box OF place, only
about twenty 1--we icct w,de-was opened on tho south
sIdc OF Chatham square Small US II was, IL boosted
such player, as the Sections, including JENNY
first appearance in this country Billy MITCHELL after
ward manager Of tho Olympic; Joe Jefferson, then
boy; Alexina Fisher. Mary cannon, the first Mrs.
Hambhn N. II. BannIstcr and other strong names.
Barney was 'suPe and an apt scholar and after pa
ticnt waiting made his first appearance speaking
part in q bcneGt performance the 2sth or July,
1s40 the part being Pat Rooney. His brogue was
genuine ana his success Immediate. Small, agile,
quick OF apprehension, lair singer and gond dancer
his march was rapid and easy 10 what was then con.
sidered high position Hc held to the little Franklin
for several years though the house poor property
In the spring OF 1872 the Franklin opened variety
house The famous negro dancer Master Diamond was
billed 10 dance tho sCowchoaker'' q burlesque Of
Fanny EIsslers ssCachucAn
other towns with tocrabe succcss In August OF that
year he became the manager Of the vauxhan Garden,
III the Bowery, opposite the Cooper Union, which,
however. he did not long retain. In the OF hs
professional business Barney had become well
quanted with handsome young actress Mrs. Charles
Mestayer. THIS lady became a widow about 1sls and
in 1850 she and Barney were married. From this nt
pecuniary success Mrs sicstayer OF three
sisters, tho daughters Of Samuel Pray an atachc Of
several theatres whose career closed suddenly at the
Broadway, on tue I'D Of april, ls4S. On that evening
the large danask drop curtain caught lire from The
garlng of movable light and the carpenters barely
saved the house by cutting the hoist rope aud letting
the curtain drop the stage Tho drum roller
down also, striking Mr. Pray the head aud killing
him instant. The three daughters were. or had
been Ia the ballet for years; (Maria) was
then Mrs. Messenger, now Mrs. Barney Williams;
another (Mavina) subsequently became Mrs. William j.
Florence and is well known In tho profession and
third is the wife OF George y. Browne OF
note, ana a Boniiace Of wide reputation.
About the time Barney and tho FAIR young widow
went INTO life partnership there was on the Stage
bad player known Yankee Hill. whose caricaturcs OF
The Down Easter more outrageous u possible
than tho pictures OF rishmcn drawn by williams But
such stun was popular and so attractive that
inimtxbIe "Fastan." the vcrtabc Baron Hackeit him.
SELF c0ndesccndcd 10 don Short striped trowscrs with
seven inch straps and talk through his and white
England Yankee Thank Heaven, the animal
casscd among the extinct specicS Mrs. Williams out
Hcrodcd Herod by concciving and bringing into tho
world still worse monstrosity the Yankee Girl"
What she made OF Il. and how she enforced with a
peculiarly adapted TO the work ringing
can still remember We mad thus double team 10
TO spcak-tne unnatural Irish and the impossible
Yankee woman Turning over the files Of tho HgRALD
We lind "a the autumn o. 1850, Mr. and Mrs.
Barney Williams ~ stars az the National or Chatham
Theatre Barney IN the customary Irish parts and tho
lady IN Yankee caricatures. Worthless and untrue
these representations the people eagerly sought
anu supported them the Yankee impossibilty became
positive aud paying reality, aud from that
the preSeDt there have usually been largo and
thusastlc Audiences to welcome and applaud Mr. and
Mrs. Williams IN line OF characters which they
1 never TO any extent departed.
/ II ID Unnecessary follow their career. Husband
and wife worked hard and faithfully their vocation,
travelling many tunes over the United states aud