Daily globe., 1879-04-27
EDMUND KEAN.
A Short Sketch Of a Noted Actor.

EDMUND KEAN.
A Short Sketch of Noted Actor.
Albany Press
The next great event was the engage
ment of Edmund Kean, who opened
Monday, December 5, as "Richard I'LL"
This marvellous actor was now about forty
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
p.ace are still questions uponwhich there
is dispute. He was never certain even who
his mother was; but she was one of two
actresses. Abandoned in infancy, he was
at three years of age Cupid in the ballet
at the London opera-louse, and at five
an imp in the witch's scene in Macbeth.
He was weak and sickly, and his legs
we're only saved from deformity by the
use of irons. he led most wretched
life. He grew up on the stage; was
harlequin, a contortionist, a tight-rope
dancer and played anything and every
thing. He was always Of diminutive
stature. Once when he was playing
Alexander the Great he was taunted
by officers in stage box, who
called him alexander the Little"
eyes," was his noted reply, given with
look that fairly appalled, them, "but with
a great soulW At last, after most pitiful
life as strolling player, on the s6th of
January, 1914, he appeared at Drury
Lane as Shylock, and with one bound
leaped 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
ing-room and 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 declamations of the Kimble
school iuto oblivion. Yet it is mistake
to suppose that these efforts were not the
result of preparation. It 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 1890, play
ing in New York and Boston with i'm
particular, the Kean fever ragged violent
ly. 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, he refused to
appear and left the theater. This was
construed as a 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
remains he disinterred, and marked the
place of their later deposit with mem
orial stone still to be seen in St. Paul's
churchyard in New York. This toe bone
he made all his visitors kiss, as a relic OF
Of the greatest actor that ever lived, till
Mrs. Kean, disgusted, threw it away,
whereupon her husband wept and be-
moaned as if ne had lost fortune.
Soon after occurred his most shameful
and disgraceful liaism with the wife OF
Alderman Cox, followed by the suit of the
injured husband, who recovered verdict
of $500 damages. The publicity of the
trial and its mass of public correspond
ence ruined 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 s
measure he reinstated himself, but soor
after made his second visit to America
and three weeks previous to nis appear
ance in Albany played Richard (Novem
Der 14( at the Park theatre in New York
| The insult to the Boston audience foul
years previous was taken up by party
from that city and disgrace!ul riot en-
sued. The play went forward only il
dumb show. Obscene missiles were
thrown upon the stage. Kean was tu
multuously Kissed all the time and tht
widest discords prevailed, and yet it il
said of the 2,0O0 persons in the house
three fourths we're in favor of the actor
His second night there was less opposi
ton, and the remainder Of his engage
ment was but repetition of mis- earlier
triumphs. At Boston, however, wher,
he tried to plav December 81, going ther,
direct from this city, he was driver
from the stage and the theater, a mol
filed the building and although the riot
act was read twice, the theater wa'
damaged to the extent of about $500
Kean never dared show his head there
again. He wrote several most abjec
apologies, but he was Droken-dowl
man Before describing his Albany en-
sagement (Which must be deferred til
our next article)it may be said brief,
that he appeared for the last time il
America December 5, 1926, at the Park
in New York On returning to ENGLAND
he found his popularity had vanished
In 1888, after a heightened retirement
he appeared in Othello, with his sol
Charles as Iago. There had been
quarrel between them, and this was tn
} reconciliation. There was great excite
) ment; the house was crammed. Kea
r went through his part "dying as he went
until he came to the Farewell" and th
strangely appropriate words "Othello'
occupations gone" when he gasped fc
f breath and fell into his sons arms moan
e ing 81 am dying speak to them fc