River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-01
EDMUND KEAN.
A Short Sketch of a Noted Actor.


A Short Sketch of a Noted Actor.
Albany Pres1
The next great event was the engage
ment of Edmund Kean, who opene
Monday, December 5, as "Richard III.
This marvellous actor was now ABOUT ior'y
years old, and already past his best estate
but still possessed of powers that were SIM
ply wonderful. Who was his father When
he was born. and where that event TOOK
mace are still questions uponwhlch there
isdispute. He was never certain even who
his mother was; but she was one of two
actresses. Abandoned in infancy, be was
at three years of age a Cupid in the ballet
At the London Opera-t ouse, and at tive
an imp in the witch's scene in Macbeth.
lie was weak and sickly, and his legs
were only saved from deformity by the
use of irons. He led a most wretched
life. He grew up on the stage; was a
harlequin, a contorti )nist, tight-rope
dancer and played anything and every
thing. He was always of diminutlye
stature. Once when he was playing
Alexander the Great he was tainted
by officers in a stage box, who
called him alexander the Little"
Yes" was his ncte1 reply, given with a
look that fairly appalled, them, but with
great soul!" At last, after most pitiful
life as a strolling player, on the Goth OF
January, 1914, he appeared at Drury
Lane as Shvlock, and with one bound
ieaped to the highest pinnacle of success
At the second performance the theatre
overfowed for the first time in months.
He became the lion of the day. Poets,
statesmen and mobiles crowded his dress
iug-room ana invited him to be their guest.
Lord Byron sent him presents and in
vited him to dinners. For several years
he reigned the undisputed monarch Of
the English stage, the fire of genius and
the seemingly unstudied impulses
of nature lending a charm to his
acting that swept the formal attitudes
and stilted declarations of the Kimble
school into oblivion. Yet it is a mistake
to suppose that these efforts were not the
result Of preparation. II is related of
him that when studying Maturin's "Ber-
tram he shut himself up for two days TO
study the one line.
"Betram has kissed thy child
But Kean could not bear prosperity.
Habits of dissipation, early contracted,
wrought out their inevitable ruin. He
seemed to prefer low society and would
quit the company of Lord Byron TO con-
sort with pugilists!
He first visited America in 1920, play
ing in New York and Boston with inn
mense success In the latter city, in
particular, the Kean fever ragged violent
w. When he returned, however, in the
summer of 1921 to play a second en-
gagement, the excitement had died away,
and the weather being warm, his first
house was small and the third appearing
likely to be much smaller, ne refused to
appear and left the theater. This was
construed as fragrant insult, and exas-
perated the Bostoniants, to high pitch
of Indignation. Shortly after the return
TO England, taking with him the toe
bone of George Frederick Cooke, whose
emains he disinterred, and marked the
place of their later deposit with a mem
Orial stone still to be seen IN st. Pauls
churchVard in NeT York. This toe bone
be made all his visitors kiss, as relic OF
az the greatest actor that ever lived, till
Hrs. Ke4u, disguised, threw it away,
whereupon her husband wept and be-
moaned as if he had lost a fortune.
Soon after occurred his most shameful
and disnraceful liaism with the wife of
Alderman Cox, followed bv the suit of the
injured husband, who recovered verdict
of cS00 damages The publicity of the
trial and its mass of public correspond
cree T,sired Kean as a man and an actor.
He dared, however, to brave public cen
sure by attempting TO play, but was igno-
miniously driven from the stage. In q
measure he reinstated himself, but soon
after made his second visit to America,
and three weeks previous to mis- appear
ance in Albany played Richard (Novem-
her IA at the Park thsatre in New York.
The insult to the Boston audience four
years previous was taken up by party
from that city and disgracesul riot en-
SUED. The play went forward only in
dumb show. Obscene missiles were
thrown upon the stage. kean was tu-
muituOusly Kissed all the time and the
widest discords prevailed, and yet it Is
said Of the 1000 persons in the house
taree fourths were in favor of the actor.
His second night there was less Opposi-
ton. and the remainder of his engage
lncnt was but repetition OF MS earlier
triumphs. At Boston, however, where
be tried to play December u, going there
erect from this city, he was driven
from the stage and the theater, a mob
filed the building and although the riot
act was read twice, the theater was
damaged to the extent of about $500.
Kesn never dared show his head there
again. He wrote several most abjeCt
apologies, but he was broken down
man. Before describing his Albany en-
sagement (Which must be deferred till
,tlr next article)it may be said briefly
that he appeared for the last time in
America December !, 1926, at the Park,
m New York. ON returning to England
re found his popularity had vanished.
In 1888 ftcr a heightened retirement,
re appeared in Othello, with his son
Charles as Iago. There had been a
quarrel between them. and this was the
reconciliation There was great excite
ment; 'he house was Crammed. Kean
went through his part ''dying as he went
until hu came to the Farewell and the
strangely appropriate words "Othello's
occupations gone" when he gasped for
breath and fell into his sons arms moan
ing al AN dying-speak to them FOL
me- The curtain went down, he was
carried home and in few weeks wa a
corpse. st the age of forty-six. His
memory SAYS Ireland, stands like q
rjasted monument, to warn "~wary
cf the path in which he fell"