The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-29
HELLER, MAGICIAN, DEAD.
PEA CEFULLY BREATHING mrs LAST IN
THE ARMS or MS SISTER.
His Prediction In New York OF sudden
Death, and its Fniniment In Philadelphia
Large Bequcst TO his WIFE md Chiidren.


Large Bequest TO his WIFE nnd Chiidren. |
Robert Heller, the magician, died In Phlla.
dcphia yesterday He visited Now York last |
week for little rest. He know that he was not |
in fit condition to appear before the public. |
and ho intended after filing this week 8 engage
mcnts In Philadelphia TO take long rest. lie |
had n warning only short time ago in the |
shape Of the temporary dlsabemcnt Of his
right arm by paralysis. when l 20. no said
to Mr. Griswold OF the Fifth Avenue Hotel on
Saturday last. 1t will be like that" Swapping
his finger and thumb. Speaking OF Sothcrn's
recent hoad troubles. he related that several
times recently no had had attacks Of vertigo in
the street that had made him staggcr to the
nearest support like drunken man. When on
Friday evening last after his return from tho
Academy Of Music. he was nskcd how he had
enjoyed the opera. ho replied Very we'll
that ia. as well as q dead man could enjoy any
thing"
Tho artists found in the washroom back OF
the San Francisco Mnstrels stage yesterday
afternoon knew Heller WE'LL and expressed re-
Rret ut his sudden death. why. I met him
only Inst Friday on Broadway" Billy Birch
said. and 1t was arranged between US that he
should attend little dinner with me. but for
some reason he never came. And don't you
know. Charley Ito Mr. Backusl. | had il on my
mind so long TO tell him about that fish, aud |
forgot all about it, You see docking up under
n dripping towel at the reportcrl. when We
bought the lease OF what Is now Tony Pastors
Theatre-that was in 1865. wasn't 1t ChareyY"
April %. 1865, and we opened May 1865"
Mr.. Dackus replied. Robert said we couldn't
pay expenses there two weeks. but We did. We
paid him $1,000 for the lease"
well" Mr.. Birch continued. when we took
the theatre from him We found two uquariums
thcrc one on each side OF the stage. They
were filed with gold fish. We kept them
there for about q yoar. Then we took them
home. toos one AMI Sh2r,ey took the other.
Of the gold lshcs lie left il alive yet. All the
rest died one after another as fish vii in the
course OF year or two. but this one lives on:
He has grown white on the TOP ~ his heal-t
call him bald hcadsd-but hos Just n sprighiy
a. ever. | wanted to tell Heller about that be-
cause be uuse he WIS that Kind o. man.. llo
hal a hear, Ike an oX. He would have been
more Interested 10 hear about thai rsh than II
! had told him how 10 make $1,000"
You cunt saw too much for that man" Mr.
Backus SAIL. " Ho w, liberal kind d-hcaEtcd.
Els c6mpany. lie would ,it down At piano at
a so 'ial rntrrtainmont and partly 10y means o.
| his musical genius and partly hy his artng
| hr did so much ~ hi- way of doing 1t that made
persons like him, lie WIS always inuo,cn,
! and fuu-loNirg. H. would NIpeuf T. pick
| rabbit or par-nip out of some wondering Old
! gent mans 90 'krt in a railroad cnr. and then
! began 10 be -p"r.l about Heller is iu tho
car Then he would rcmovr g. anWnrr car.
| Mr. Heller took % seyere COLI ia Wash lngtuu
! ,wp weeks az. ON Monday. ey nin% ,lt-t hr
| gave his orcnlug cntoiiliucni ia lh,inie, phia.
| Il was observed u the first parl OF the perform
| uusc that something was the malt r wlth him.
| Then occurred so long an interval ui watin.
| that those in front q! III stage stamped with
nptcar'd before ihc footligiis. He said ,hai he
| had u sudden ilne~s, but ho would cndcayor
f.. SG .T hr22gsh ssod WIZ bad s nso St2renSd 55rs Hnd
drnly Ill. bui sh" would strive To nssl-i
endei "nidTi " soon aItcrward, .ihe prosramne
! being cousii 'rahls curialed. Nj. u Her. a.
/ though iu anil suffering. strained every nerve
| to fulnl tho expectations of his nr-t-uisht uu-
| dicnca AMI h. WAS literally appau led. lie
| aud his sister were Immediately tlkrn 10 thr
ing H. sent Tor DR.. I. II. Oct hol who found his
| patient suffering win slight congestion of the
| lung. he advised him moi To- giy' nm enier-
| iainmeni that evening" hthough ~ hl1 70,
| think his cHsn very dangerous. Mr.. Heller
would not consent TO that ~ the time but IN the
! Hiieruoon he let 7n, mu'h worse that he con
| scnted TO allow the physician 20 write cerlil-
ate for publication. To the enrct tlni he w's i9o
! expected 10 he well again the neNt day. ON
| Mcdn -day. although stil in bed 10y th" ply
-ician's order. he WAS dcternlincd to play ia the
! evening. IN the ait"ruoon hc got vsibly weaker.
! At : O. lock Dr. Getchcl became Alarmed. lis
| patient began To- vomit violently. After ihe ilt
| hal pissed he sank rapidly. Dr.. Da Costa was
| called n y consulting physician. Il was de,
cided that pr. Getchol. the patient sister. and
night. Fits ol vomiting rapidly succeeded
each other. He suffered greatly; As mid
! night APPROACHED he felt clsicr. and u WIS re-
| ported from the sick room that the crisis Il tho
! Disease had probably been passed. At l2:u5 4.
| NJ Yesterday be- b gan 10 Nomit again. When
he had ceased he remarked TO his sister. who
was supporting him in her arms that It hnd
! caused MIN great pain AunrthAi hc lay very
| INST midnight. when lie died without apparent
! pain. His sister was distrn ted with grici. II
was thought thnt death had resulted from
! anHurism 81 the II art.
4 kilograms wer. Immediately sent to Mr.
Stophon Fiskc of this city and other intimate
! Robert Heller was only his stage nnmc. rms
his friends dony He was born in London
some say Canterbury. England. in 1888 and
was edu 'atel IN music at Tie Royal Academy
IN which he won royal scholarshiD ior
Levi undertook to give an exhibition
I'VE had such success" Heller anerward sud
! " that we had 10 wall; home, forty miles They
had a taste for seight-ot hand tricks. having
Anderson. tile Ward OF the North " Heller
then resumed his study Of music and
! winning prize for musical compost on.
/ The piece which gave him that success Is cnti-
tied Storm aud Sunshinc,' II has often been
| lY OF age he visited Now York and under the
name and style VI Prof. Heller gave sleiGhi;oi-
| hand performances in what vas known as chi
| ncse Hall, in Broadway. That was about TWEEN;
ty-nve years ago. At that time he pretended
English well. cleyerly assuming the accent and
| manners OF n foreigner Anewnrd he per
| formed in Albany and other iniAnd
towns. subsequently he wentt 70 Washington,
where he found moro profitable employment
for time a. a music teacher While here ne
married one Of his pupils. daughter OF n
banker named K,eckhoefer 1t is said by his
friends that although her parents wore very. an
cry yet they were afterward reconctled. Mr6.
Heller has been living In Paris with her four
children two boys and two girls. Tho husband
and father visited them last summer and when
he returned gave vivid descriptions OF delight
ful times he had had In their company, Anor
quilting Washington he returned 10 England
and did not reappear in this country until
some time subsequent to 1863 lie then
gave an entertainment, consisting OF music,
second sight and sleight-Oi-hand tricks, all
enlivened with n running fire OF small lOkes,
substantially the same In character MS that
which afterward lifted him into fame. Those
performances were given in what Is now known
as Tony Pastors Theatre. After fair success
here he gave up his lease to tho san Francisco
Minstreis and went back to London whero he
gave a similar class OF entertainments in
what is now known as tho Folly
Theatre, In Charing Cross. In that visit
no discovered that his halt-sister, Rose
Palmer, had grown TO be a worry Intelligent and
attractive young lady. and he determined to
make use Of her talents as his coadlutor in SEQ
ond sight performances, Their first venture in
| H.. lta bnr tbpv kunra