The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-15
OCTOBER Is, 1888.
BEREFT OF THEIR REASON
James p. Voorhees, Becomes Violently
Insane at New York.
Some of His Freaks While Resident of In-
dianapolis-An Actress Really Goes
Mad While Feigning Insanity.


P. voorhees,, the son of Senator Daniel W. Voor-
bees, has become deranged. For several weeks
he has occupied, with his wife and child Ia little
girD, apartments in the house of physician on
East Twentieth street, and frequently, the dis
patch says, remarked to the people in the house
that it was his ambition to become dramatic
writer. 1t will be remembered that several
months ago it was given out that he had written
play, and later 1t was said he was painting and
showed some talent as an artist. On Wednesday
of last week Mr.. Voorhees, manifested intense
nervous excitement. The preceding night he
had paced the floor of his paror without cessa-
ton. In the afternoon he summoned the colored
boy who answers the Doctors bell, and, pointing
arevolver at the head OF the frightened urchin,
said 81 will kill everybody who
opposes the production of my plays" The re-
volver was not loaded. Shortly after Mr.. Voor-
hees apologized for his violent conduct, ana
explained that financial worry was the cause of
it. On Thursday afternoon Mr.. voorhees, was
removed to the New York Hospital, where he is
under the care of DIR. W. A. Hammond.
Mr.. Voorhees, is well known in this city, where,
on at least two different occasions, the last over
five years ago, he appeared as Hamlet, in which
his conception and rendition OF the character
were SO extravagant and ridiculous as to fairly
convulse his audiences with laughter. He also
appeared here in "Othello," in the
role of Iago, in which, as in
Hamlet, he reached with utter unconsciousness
OF the TACT, the snolimity of buresque and lit.
orally appeared before delighted audiences"
As Hamlet he fairly distanced the late Count Jo-
names, shutting him out a long way behind the
the ghost OF the murdered Dane
where Hamlet says go on, I'll
follow thee" he did not, as in the usual bust
ness, follow the shade off the stage with arm ex-
tended and drawn sword, but, throwing himself
nat upon the stage ha-na'd wildly and struck his
dagger into the boards, an innovation that made
the Oldest theater-goers as well as the youngest
land they We're all there) clap their hands to
sE %r Voorhees, keep said o tEs
performance that it accorded with his concep-
tloe OF the character, and that he had adopted
lt after long and carful study. Previous to his
Shakspearian efforts he had been an actor in
fairly we'll.
For some time until the Legislature of 1879
cut OIL the appropriation, he was clerk in the
Governors office, during the time of Gov. James
ID. Williams. While there he was noted for his
punotuality in his duties and for his quiet and
gentlemanly department. All the reporters who
came in contact with him conceded that he was
always the polite, affable and courteous gentle
man.
The writer remembers calling at the Gov
ernors Office one day and fading Mr.. voorhees,
much elated, He called the reporter aside, and
drawing from his pocket copy of the Saturday
Herald read poem that he had written for that
paper that had been published that day. The
date was Oct. %, 1878. This is the poem:
FAME-PEACE
From what height is my aspiring soul contend
ing:
1t fain would climb the azure depths of fame,
And streak with sunlight, while ascending,
Its pathway to name.
The pomp of place-the heraldry of glory
The sternness of the scholars solitary life;
Shall all consist and tell their wondreus story,
And amalgamate the quiet with the earth's
bold sJrife
The thought-the idea OF an individual future
Should be content the first of all;
Next shall come the thought of peaceful home;
The idea virtuous does it's own console.
The lines, acclaimed by Mr.. Voorhees,, were
sufficiently resonant but seemed to lack spissi-
tude. In the last stanza Pegasus appeared to
have baked badly, and left the poet not only
without reason but without rhyme. At that
time Mr.. Voorhees, was studying hard under
histrio1ic teacher. He was determined not to
give up the stage, and while keenly sensitive to
The ridicule he had evoked. said that one day he
hoped to triumph over adverse critics and con-
quer In the very characters that they had decided
ne had failed in before.
Leaving the Governors office, he was for some
time clerk of one of the committees in Wash
lngton, place secured him by his father.
MAD ACTRESS
Miss Lillian Spencer played "the Creole" bet
ter known as ARTICLE A." in Atlanta, Ca, last
week. On Saturday afternoon, at the matinee.
she was playing the role of "Cora" to large
audience When the end of the third ACT was
reached in the mad scene, when "Duhamel"
threatens to put her in the mad-house, Miss
Spencer was evidently worked up to the full fer
vOr of the scene. George" she said while the au-
dence was at the full heat of excitement, "you
have dlsfgured my face; you have blghted my
life; you have ruined mel" Here she grasped
him frantically. "You have Knocked at my suf-
ferings. BY right of suffering you belong to
me, for You have made me what [ am"
She stood trembling with emotion,
while the audience sat spell-bound She
reeed and fell behind the third entrance, and as
she fell she was caught in the arms of Mr. Frank
Irving, stage-manager, who tried TO soothe her.
but she threw Kim violently aside, exclaimng
"He has ruined me; he has made me what ann
Between the play and the reality the audience
was at a loss to judge, but the manner in which
she fought on the stage showed that she
WAS suffering from mental alteration. She was
finally rakAn a her h0tel and nh cnun