Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-01-05

A Lunacy of A Tragedian.
A sTARTLING STORY CONCERNING THE
ELDER BOOTH AND HIS DEAD CHILD.

A sTARTLING STORY CONCERNING TIL
ELDER BOOTH N HIS DEAD CHILD.
"Shade of Kemble !" calculated Ward
at that time manager for Jefferson Nc
Kenzie, Baltimore, ''here it is past
o'clock, and crooked backed Richard no
in his dressingroom."
"My dear sir" said the most original o
all men, the imperturbable Thomas W
Grammer, ''do not precipitate. When TIT
late Daniel Reed"
"Ard you love me, Hal" interrupted thu
stage manager Ego to the devil r. ant
the poor manager chaZzeed, as his wont
with his hands clasped in agony, from one
side Of the Holiday stage to the other.
Ring in first music, sir 7" inquired the
call-boy, who scratched his head and
seemed to enjoy the despair Of the man
ager.
"Riag !? You -~ead-headed imp of Satan
you juvenile Caliban, get out Of my sight
or Ill wiring your neck off,"
Away went the call boy and away went
the manager. Ward searched every bar
room in the vicinity of the theatre for the
great tragedian but all in vain. At last. a
little boy cam running to him, almost
breathless of fatigue, and told him that Mr..
Booth was in a hayloft on Front street.
The manager found a crowd of people
gathered around the house in question,
and he had some difficulty in edging him
self through the dense mass. Climbing up
a rough ladder he cautiously raised his
head above the floor of the story, and
there saw the object of his search seated
on a rafter, with a wreath of Straw about
his temples in imitation Of a crown.
"Booth," said the manager, imploringly,
"for heavens sake, come down It's
nearly eight O'Clock, and the audience will
pull the theatre to pieces"
The tragedian fixed his dark eye on the
intruder, and raising his right arm majes-
tically, he t%hundered forth
II am seated On my throne
AS proud an one as yon distant mountain,
Where the sun makes his last stand y
"Come, my dear fellow, let's go; we'll
have a glass Of brandy and a supper, and
all that. Come, please Gomez
Booth descended gradually from his yell
low-pine throne, and, kissing the tips of
his fingers, replied with a smile: II attend
with all becoming grace. Lead on, my
Lord of Essex. To the tower--to the
tower.''
After a little persuasion Ward led the
tragedian to the theatre, got him dressed,
the curtain rose and the play went On.
Just as the second act was about to COM
mence, a messenger covered with dust
rushed behind the stage. and before he
could be stopped was in earnest eonversa-
ton with the tragedian.
"What?" SAID Booth, as he pressed his
long fingers on his broad, white temples,
as though he tried to clutch the brain be-
meath, "dead, say you? My poor little
child-my loved, my beautiful one?" And
then, seeing the curtain rise, he rushed on,
commencing:
'She has health to progress as far as Chertsey,
Though not to bear the sight OF me- sc.
The beautiful scene between Anne and
Gloster was never better played. The ac-
tor, 1.-THE noblest of them alp when he
chose to be, gave the words of the bard
with thrilling effect, but there was a
strange calmness about his manner that
told that his mind was not upon his charac-
ter. Still the multitude a%pplauded until
the old roof rang again. and those behind
the scene stood breathless with eager de-
light. The third act came out, but Booth
was nowhere to be found. X \
1t was a bitter cold night, and the far
mer, as he drove his wagon to market, was
startled from his reverie as he saw a horse
man wrapt in a large cloak-and as it
opened it disclosed q glittering dress be-
neath-ride rapidly past him. It was Booth
in his Richard costume! Madness had
seized him and, regardless of everything,
at the still hour of midnight he was going
to pay a visit to his dead Guild, Drawing
his flashing sword and throwing his jew
elled cap from his head, he dashed his hor-
SEES flank with the bare weapon until the
animal snorted in pain. The tall, dark
trees on each side Of him touched his heat
ed brow with their silyer-frosted branches,
and thinking they were men III pursuit,
the mad actor cut at them with his sword
and cursed them as he flew rapidly by.
At last, after a gallant ride Of two hours
the horseman came in sight OF a country
graveyard, and, as he saw the white tops
of the monuments peeping through the
dark foliage like snowy crest upon the bo>
SON of the black billow, he raised a shout
wild enough to have scared the ghosts
from their still graves. He ~dismounted,
and away sped the riderless horse oyer hill
and dale. 1t was the work Of a moment
(and the insane are cunning beyond all
imaginng) to wrench the wooden door
from the vault containing the body of his
child. He seized the tiny coffin in his arms
and with the strong arm of a desperate
man he tore open the lid, and in a moment
more the cold blue lips Of the dead child
were glued to the mad actors!
The next morning some member Of the
tragedian's family heard q wild strain of
laughter that seemed to proceed from his
sleeping room. The door was forced open
and Booth was discovered lying on his bed
gibbering in idiotic madness and caressing
the corpse Of his little one.
- Z
LONGEVITY OF OUR FoREFATHERs.-
No less than thirteen Of the fifty-six signs
ers of the Declaration of American indie
pendence reached the age of eighty years
and upwards, viz
Charles Carroll, Of Maryland, 95'
VIM. Ellery, Of Rhode Island, SO
John Adams, of Massuchelts, 81
Samuel Adams, do 81
RnLert Hreat Paine do 22