Omaha daily bee., 1883-05-01
sAD FATE.
Deathrof Emma Verne, the Formo
=. wife OF Charles L. Davie, ALVIN
Joslip," in a Leadville
Almshouse,

Emma Verne, the divorced wife ci
Charles l.. Davis, the actor, died ia
Leadville last Friday morning In the
most abject poverty. Her life Of Re
cent years has been Q %succession Cf
strange viclssitudes. Not very long
ago, under the stage name OF Cora
Cushmsn, she was one Of the greateOt
favorites on the variety boards. She
vas young, pretty In face and figure,
and possessed Just enough vocal
ability to make her stage appearance a
success. She appeared at most OF the
leading eastern vaudeville theatres,
and waited for engagements, as mana.
gers thrust them upon her. While
enjoying this heydey Of professional
popularity she metand immediately fell
In love with Charles L. Davis, then
. second or third rate variety perform
er, but now known to the profession
as Diamond CHARLIE" the man who
made Alvin Joslin and his own for
tune. Shortly after her first
meeting with Davis, Miss Cushman
married him, and they travelled the
circuits together as Mr.. and Mrs. @.
l. Davis. About this time q new star
burst upon the theatrical armament,
and a new character was placed before
the American theater going public.
Dsnman Thompson created Uncle
Joshua Whitcomb, and the people
went wild over the eccentricities of
the New England farmer. The usual
army of imitstorssprang up, sndamong
them Charles l. Davis, He possessed
In a certain degree the qualifications
necessasy to . Interpretation OF
Thompson's creation, and he manu-
featured u play entitled Alvin Joslin,
In which he acted the title role, a toll
cradle counterpart Of Uncle Josh. He
procured q cheap company, started on
the road, and In q short time became
wealthy. As his worldly store In
creased, however, his domestic happi-
ness decreased, until at length he and
his wife separated by mutual oon-
sent. He claimed that she
had fallen into disuolute habits and
iujured him both financially and
socially; and she claimed that he cruel.
iy ~ill-treated her. About three year
ago he %procuerd a divorce and she
drifted westward. She appeared in
Leadville Of q serio. comic vocalist
about two years ago, under the pro-
feasional name Of Emma Verne, and
at the expiration of her engagement
returned to Denver. Last fall she re.
Waited Lsadvilie and appeared at the
Globe theater, but was discharged for
drunkenness, md then drifted to a
dance hall, whore she acted % barten-
der. Two months ago her paramour,
proprietor of the dancing house, sent
her to the Sisters hospital, where she
Was treated for ipf1ammatory rheuma.
tism aud alcoholism. Under the kind
care of the Sisters the poor unfortu-
nate rapidly recovered health and
stree 9Th, and three weeks age che was
discharged from the hospital, with an
sdmonition from the physician to ab.
stain from dissipation Of any kind If
she wished to save her life. Instead
Of obeying the injunction, however,
wiz ioi ahtu hoi oio bhDiJd duu Whb
cast off by the man who had sent her
TO the hospital. She became an object
of charity to her friends, but they
supplied her with everything she de-
sired- including liquors. they had q
p%remonition that her tenure of life WA
limited. On Thursday night she
visited police headquarters and stated
her intention Of going to tho poor
hUuse, $40 asked for a carriage, but
was told enc could ride to the aims
house In a wagou belonging to that
institution. She refused to do this, as
she thought it was the smallpox wagon
referred to. At last she took some
jewelry and asked for the loan of some
money on 1t. Receiving this she pro.
cured a carriage ana drove to the aims
house, where she went to bed and q
few hours after passed away to that
bourne from whence no traveller re.
turns. Passed away, alone and friend.
less In q strange land, while the man
she Cncs called husband Is left behind
In worldly %afluence, respected and
esteemed among the men and women
Of his profession. He has already
been informed of the terrible end Of
her whom he once promised to cher.
ish, but 1t Is the opinion Of those who
know the man that the information
will not grieve him.