The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-12-12
Wilkes Booth and Tom Conner.

Somebody is writing a series of the
atriral "reminiscences for the Nev
York Dramatic News. and signine
them "Auld Lang Syne." The is>
number of the News has the followin.
sketch, from the same pen, about
Wilkes Booth and Tom Conner:
Zone Of the brightest lights in hi
day that graced the American stage
was Thomas /. Conner. Of fine ply
sique, resonant voice, graceful car
riage and good education, he seemed
peculiarly fitted for bis vocation, and
was as popular with his profession az
is to-day bis brother, William Conner,
the present successful manager OF
John Mccullough. By faithful and
arduous work he had risen, at the
time l am wiring of, to be leading
man at Ben DeBarIs Theater in st.
Louis. and was recognized generally
as the coming tragedlan.
During the season of 1928 the
company of DeBar's consisted Of Char
lotte Wyatt, leading lady; the Mad
dern sisters. Tom Davy as prompUer,
Stuart Robson, George Griffiths, with
that fne musician, Waldauer, as
leader of the orchestra, and tom" ss
leading man. Among the stars Of The
season was yeuug man who was just
then coming forward, of acknowledged
Inherited genius but exec edinglv ei at
ic temperament, by the sc o
Wilkes Booth.
He was advertised TO star Pich-
ard, Duke Of Gioster, and notices had
appeared liz the ditfereat lewspape.
giving graphic accounts of the T
Torrance Of the elder Booth as Rlco-
ard. and how. upon occasion, he had
C ased Richmond off the stage and
run him FOR two blocks at the pc Mt o.
bis sword, and darkly limited at the
Inherited genius of Wilkes, and some
wonderful stories in regard to his
workmanship.
During the day appointed for the
opening Wilkes had been taken i'm tow
bv a number of friends and coached
around the town. Among the chief
resoris of the st. Louis actors at that
time were a Fontaine's and Jake
Esner's, on Pine street, and on Toms
taking his afternoon stroll he casually
DIR. pped in at both places, where he
Was made the subject of much friendly
badinage by the different loungers as
to his fighting qualities, they averrirg
that Wilkes Booth had been Boosting
as to what he intended to do that night
with Richmond. To all this Tom lis
tened with apparent apathy, and
neither BY word nor sign BETRAYED
that he was at all put out. Tom was
fully the equal Of Wilkes Booth as a
swordsmsu and far superior in . phys
ical sense.
The articles in the papers, and the
talk in the bar-rooms had mad the de-
sired effect, and when night came the
theater was over-crowded with an au-
dience eager to witness what promised
to be q memorable performance. The
supporting company was sufficiently
good to keep the audience interested,
and the fitful flashes Of genius display
ed by Wilkes Booth in the portrayal
OF Richard, in the earlier scenes, car-
ried his auditors and led them 10
await the eliminating point with an al
most agonizing suspense.
By the time the last scene Of the
play had arrived, the hush in the the
atre was painful in its solemnity. As
Wilkes Booth rushed on, sword 10
hand, shudder ran through the au.
dience, and when be Kissed out his de-
iapce to Richmond, he look | the in
carnation Of hatred, and would have
made many a Richmond decline the
pioffered combat.
As Tom Conner came on the stage,
the horror of Booths appearance WIS
fora moment forgotten in his manly |
presence, he received hearty vel
come, for indeed veritable Richard |
scemed he, aud worthy foil for the
almost demon like Richard.
A combat now ensued that defes
dc 7cr;ption. As if to prove the truth
of the rumers, Booth lunged and struck
at Conner With the fury of mailman
up and down, and all over the stage,
the swords clashed, with audience all
a-tiptoe and Orc .thless with excite
ment. This scene lasted for about ff.
teen minu.es,
During all this time Conner had
b IN watering T 10th with a hot, angry
lcok, as though he feared treachery,
but he showed no traces of weakness
or dismay. He was evidently waiting
for his opportunity. At last the efforts
Of Booth began to flag, and Conner,
parrying a well-intentioned thrust, ran
D. L , A