National Republican., 1877-03-04
DEATH ATTHE FOOTLIGHTS
rhIYERS NOSE INTENSITY WIS TOO
TERRTBLF REAL,
Tragedies That We're Tragedies Indeed.

TERRIBIf I RE-lJ,
Tragedies That Were Tragedies Indeed.
From the SGh FrdRciSco Chronicle.
The simulated but terribly realistic death Of
Edwin Booth In his pctsonatlon OF "Rlchard
ILL.," calls to mind the many cases in which
death, or at least its sudden approach, has oc.
cured on the stage through excess OF feeling.
Moro than one Roman tragedan died on the
stage. and the history Of the more modern drama
aiIords numerous cases in point The most nota-
bic Of these is that Of the actor John Palmer. Ho
had n wife and eight children, to whom he was
devotedly attached, and when Mrs Palmer and
fnvorltc son suddenly died, tho shock so affected
his nervous system that his grief could never bo
shaken of. On the ID of August, l7ss, he was
playin at Liverpool in the principal role In Ben
iamin Thompson's translation Of "The Stranger"
In the fourth act he had answered, ~ love her
stu" to the query of Baron SicinJori, regarding
his wife, and then to the question as to his chill.
dren he gave reply, ~ LEFT them in town hard
by" but the words, fcolngly uttered, had scarce.
ly escaped his lips when he fell dead at tho
BGron's (whitheidl feet.
While acting Rosdiind on the sth OF May, 1857,
Peg Wellington was parallzcd on utterng the
words N The epilOgue, I'D kiss as many Of you
had boards that please me-"
Mollerc, while netting the sick man In tho we'll
known "Nialadc Imaglnairo' en- tho fourth night
OF the run, became preceptibly weak and Ill.
When he came to the place where he was sup.
fNsNA
50 naturally that the audience became alarmed.
The actor tor was picked up AMI carried 70 h,s home
even be summoned ho expired.
,I Needy, the actor was :, performing Clqudio In
gan to answer. aKhi but tt to de and 20 owe We know
not where" he suddenly tainted, and died before
he could be carried from the stage.
I'm iii, Samuel Foote was seized with paraly-
sis while acting in his comedy, "Iho Devil Upon
Two Sticks He rallied, however, spent the
dcred BY hts p6ysicIcSs " to D France. While at
Dover, enroute, no was seZed with shiverlng
A.. He brcathed his last on tho afternoon of the
2lst OF October ol the same year.
The great Edmund Kesn, too, may be said to
have died in aImor; His last appearance was in
the character Of ohs'lo, and in the p,ss.ge b.;
ginning "Oh! now forever farewell the tranquil
mind, ," his voice and articulation died away and
he whispered to hisson, "speak to them, Charles,
Harley did not actually die on the stage, but
he was conveyed from the theatre in state of
insensibility anerplaying Lduncclof Gob6o, when
OF sleep come over me-" and from the time of this
utterance he was speechless to the end.
Mrs. Glover was speechlcss on tho occasion of
She died on the 10Th.
CLARA Webster was fatally burned on the stage
OF Drury Lane Theatre during the ballet
gSttsehalk, the grea. pi anist, fell dead while
| Morte."
At Bath, in September, 1874, Miss Maria Lin.
hp icy expired , While singing II Know that my Re-
Cummings, the actor, foil dead on the stage,
June ., 1871, while performing the part of
he had uttered the closing words Of the piece:
snsG mInSSi maTsy an ,ST S ys yr,SSon SS% ts
Accords TO thee. aud bcgs TO heaven to show thee,
May sucf bcfall nc at my latest hour"
James Bland, the clever artist well known for
his pleasing assumptions of the monarchs, In
Planche's extravaganzas, expired at the stage
| door OF the Strand Theatre, i'm mediately after
entering for the purpose Of discharsng his pro.
Mr.. Barrette q talented actor Of old men's arts
died In cab that was conveying him home alter
he had played in farce and aiterward dressed for
| james Rodgers may be said to have died on the
| stage in 1868. Ater absolutely exhausted, he
powers. On the evening before his death he had
struggled through the part Of "Efhe Deans in
lrayesty in the 81. James theatre, and on his re-
| turn he was so utterly used up that he was un
able to make the effort to undrcss himself
and rested in his armchair TIL morning
| thinking he had in q measure recovered, he took
his violin and played over q song he was going
he so Mes and breathed
such difficulty that he felt compelled to send q
message to the theatre that he should be unable
a iriehd, he said, with a feeble effort to cheer
them with a smile and in his characteristic man.
ward expired.
In the Holiday Street Theatre, Baltimore, on
the evening OF October 10, 1874, Mr.. John Ferris
| was playing the part OF George Talboys in
Lady Audiey's Secret" At the close Of tho
frst act he said as he went of the stage, ~ an
| feeling very badly; Just feel my arm. l fear II
| is paralyzed," and when the time arrived for
| Ferris to make his temperance on the stage he
was told to go on and he would feel better. He
| went on, but began to stagger around the stage
SO much that the audience, thinking he was In.
toxcated, laughed and shouted Miss Stella
Mortimer, who was playing Lady Audiey, rushed
toward him to push him into the we'll as required
| by the play; but he said, leave mo Alone" She
| then saw that he was in q semi. conscious state,
| and that he was frothlng at the mouth. He was
carried off the stage by several the other actors
| and the curtain fell upon scene of great excite.
ment. He died in his residence in less than four
| hours.