The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-09-10
DEATH OF MRS. CHAPMAN.
HER LONG AND ADMIRABLE CAREER AS
AN ACTRESS.

I Mrs. William H. Chapman, the
we'll known old time actress, died at
the residence of her son in-law, East
Canaan, Connecticut, yesterday
She was we'll advanced in years, be.
ing upwards of seventy. She had
gone out to look at waterfall and
twi tied her leg, and from the injury
resulting she died.
The news Of Mrs. Chapman's
death set all theatrical people talk
ing in the city last night. Reminis-
censes were recalled right and felt.
Everybody had something good to
say about her. The last years Of
Mrs. Chapman's life on the stage
have been identified with the history
of the Walnut street theatre, with
which, for ten or twelve years past,
see had been connected in the capac-
| ity of leading old woman, which part
she played 10 her husbands leading
old man. Last season she was drop.
ped out of the list of the Walnut
street company. How it happened
forms sad feature of Mrs. Chap
mans later life. Her last appear.
ance in that theater, or any theater,
was on the evening ofSaturday, June
9, 1877, when she appeared as the
nurse in "Romeo and Juliet" sup
porting Maud Granger, as Juliet.
Previous to this it had been noticed
that she at times wavered and seem.
ed to forget her lines. There had
been indications that her mind was
becoming affected. This was first
rendered strikingly apparent on a
night about two years and a half
ago, in the midst Of piece and be
fore crowded house. She had got
about half through her part when
she stopped suddenly and pressed
her hand to her forehead. She had
forgot her lines.
"Wait minute" she said, address
sing the audience in the most matter
of fact manner; they'll come back
to me-" ~
"And," said Manager Goodwin, !
who tells the story, "they did come |
back to her, and she went through /
the rest of her piece all right" Pre- !
vious to this no woman on the stage
had been more reliable, more respec-
ted, more pleasant or better liked
than Mrs. Chapman. "She was all
that a woman should be, and all that
an artist should be-" said her former
manager last night. Her manner
was most pleasing. Everybody got
along well with her because of her
warm heart and uniformly gentle dis |
position. But reliable and trust.
worthy and we'll liked as she had al.
ways been, the affection of her mind
increased to such an extent that, as
stated, her acting began to interfere
with rather than help on the plays;
and the manager, when he made up
his new company year ago, had to
leave her out. Previous to this she
and her husband together earned
about $50 week. They had bought
farm in New Jersey, about six
miles from Haddonfield, at a place
known as Snow Hill, and to this
place they retired and have lived
ever since.
After leaving the stage Mrs. Chap
man was seldom seen in the city
But one afternoon about year ago
she dawned suddenly an the vision
of Manager Goodwin as he sat in his
private Office in the second story Of
the Walnut. She addressed him in
an apologize manner, and said she
desired to ask a favor of him.
Would be lend her Eve dollars?
The manager said certainly he
would. Heinvited her to be seated, |
aud wrote ont an order for that sum
on the boz Office. She took the Or
der and went to descend the stairs,
but had hardly got through the door
until she stumbled and fell rigid to
the floor. She had tainted dead
away. Help came, and; she was re-
suscitated and assisted down stairs. !
About one hour afterward she
again appeared at the managers Of
fee.
did l get some money from you
awhile ago, Mr.. Goodwin she
asked. +:
The manager replied that he had
given her an order on the box.office.
Il did not know what / was DOING