The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-30

A BRIEF sketch Of hts Life rs u Man and an
Actor.

I
Of the family in this city. received last night.
conveyed the sad and unexpected intelligence
that Mr.. T.. /. Davenport. the distinguished
American ttg"dian. was breathing his last.
For years Mr.. Davenport has suffered intensely
with hereditary complaint. which Of late ran
INTO govt IN the stomach. causing ut times So
YER" pninInd grave apprehension of fatal re-
suit Last spring the disease took such hold
upon him that his physicians commanded him
to r'lin1uish Il mental AMI physical labor.
ana t. take pcrfc rest ~ the only means of
securing even temporary freedom from the dis
tr 'ssimg pain. which at times overcamc and
pr' ~irt"d him. Their advice was taken. and
he retired with his wife to thcir place
near Canton. Pa. whore the pure air
and change of scene apparently worked
an irpruy"n 'n'-So great an improve
n ~ that Nr. Davenport felt no hrsltancy in
q 'cltin- ENGAGEMENTS and LAYING out "A routn
Tor tire later fan and winter season. The de-
Ilriurr of his dnu. .htnr for Eurnu. WIS ,lelnvrd
until sN" irlt assured ot his entire HunVnlcspncc
Nhi uh Nun1nrr long he seemed to IMPROVE.
VIA tncr % was ih" extreme heat uf this month
or normal req ton from the abnormal ,unVil-
@'hr l. not determined. hut a fnW days since
hi~ 'ondi i.un again became serious and tncn
critical. Finally. his daughter. who had lust
lew dtNs alter sh" reached him he WIS pro-
BOUNCED tnruraulc 10y Dr. bowling OF this city
Wh' had been called TO attend HIM. lie sank
= lIHN ana yesterday the sat scenes Of fare
wei Wrr" had, and the patient rapidly sank
iuiH The condition which prcccdps and is all
s " men ON any stage wcrc so peculiarly and
dl-tine tivo'y American ms Mr.. Davenport. lie
WIS without question - ilnc scholar and great
q tor. but beyond these his specially was MS
Aneri'anisn.a feature which was ni,usinnd
lf circumstances. AMI which injured him
NNioti. while u ~ no time brought him especial
ihN r or reward az nome. lie WIS born ma Bps-
i.u IN 1916. of humble parentagc. hut enjoyed
scIurnty the higher school. lie was not in
tended Tor an actor hut nrIdent gave him an
N.guputnncr with som" OF the people connected
lam lar there he conceived the idea of going On
tl' stag himself. At that time the elder Booth
m,ortr field His excuses were there re-
garIcd aS cccontriritics and money flowed
sp'nd IT, Hearing that Booth was to play
-" 'i|eS prered'h in Provide nee. MIR. Davcn-
tvlt m1d" nold 10 seek an opportunity, and
To- MS delight the tragedian AT onee accept
cd him. and cast him to play Passion wa Da-
vnports rrpon Of his DEBUT was most enter
tanning However, he pleased Booth. who from
that time on was his friend and helper. After
~ up-ani-iown M. in the New ENGLAND towns.
and on tountorinl: The celebrated Tom HamhIln'
made short rng cement with him At the old
BHW,ry Theatre. IIrr" b" led a hard lite. and
mai had lux. En"h niehtthe hil Wa changed.
sometimes two ur three nnW pi'.ts bnin, billed,
90 thut me- got il.uty of eNperien re, though ycly
lur money. H. amhiu'n was lir'd. AMI ie
d'i"rn, mod 90 - higher than his comunn-
ions Putting himself unler competent trteh-
yr~. he read III" m English clmodlrs ami
tie TRACED. oi Shnk.- peui, 49, .i.y yrrn writ
%. u- we'll a. in the acting editions. stuffed
IN. -u ti'r peniu-1. and watched the noted
GrAuaD ac -. and in 1899. whom but
TWENTY -iw" years of as". p. WIS nered q flat-
teru- "u-aE ru.rut iu the Walnut street Thea
ire ihilhdrlpl.H. whore he Illv"d 'uIu,f Nom
tdNdn. in the . Hnn,yuoon.' Success attended
MN, an ln ali ne ei~uln- Ten years, cor rather
until ls47. when h. visited Europ" he WIS a
sfgat Ind srow.nS lay At" "a Boston, lnilg irl-
he fail"i 10 touch. lie played here frequently.
nut De was tor go. Tor hi- audience. and they
hr am" apparent; iiat New York W. Mt the
place for him. Wnn b" won't To- Europe he
was NOT particularly !orunai.. hut uier d ll,'le
Ire. whess ~ pi@5e'2i cacie " box, t. Mr..
Await F'nhnr. a great ier' 4rman'r Mr.
tur" Good and thoughtful, and not ovor-snnguine
~ any direction 20 his English trip emit tiercd
him ly intcnsifylng himself.
AZ years grew over his head Mr.. Davenport
played the iull round OF English comedy. and
subsequently, tragedy. with orcasiennl eXcur-
sluns in ih" realm of melodrama. HIS iaNorite
rol"s AMI his greatest hits were SIR fiiles Orer-
react, Hamlet. and B.N Nytes. These parts in
could hope to Overland Davenport covered It
well. HIS ,ibS was nnsieriy hii of character
PAINTING. IL was hurt Ny Buothl-I4s. hut n will
he remembered he iqhd" ms d"nut with Booth
in the part. HIS Hdn,H was 20 purely intel
ectual deNelotmcp'' WIN r',u!iarr r.nd-
oi madness. II = b Sst' WAS hrut. Aty ler-
Rose tytinge as Nam y. and james " Wnna.k
as Fam. Davenport thr " himself into fhs
character 90 the Ing. i-h brute fully ant thief
he wiull h. nhe'.ut'.ly eNhausi.~! Im,f i MA. "A
iAvortr part with man. AMI ho greatly regretted
very fond II Roman clara t.rs. In B,uiuS e..
wa- notably fine. AMI hI~ Int.rlI rotation Of that
- '"irn'"i JuiiA' ta-ar' run IA Booth
Theatre.
Like qyml"n''d men Mr. Davcnpcr, was
un-urr,ss ,ii. A. a ~lv.ranl IuA.-trr hr.,y..-
unfortunate. II" rlIy amt. .ilf.tri his ~.l-