The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-12-05
A Member Of tho Katie Putnam
Company Dies on the
Way from the Depot
to tho Hotel.
The Mimic Stage and the Tragedy
Of Death Strangely
Blended,

young comedian BoOthby. Some
months since he became a member of
the Katie Putnam combination, with
which he has been very successful as
a witty and sparkling comedian.
While playing at Leadville five
weeks ago MI. Boothby had a severe
attack accompanied by fainting
spells, since which time, he has been
far from we'll, though he has been
able to play, and made his last ap-
pearance at Boise City only last
Thursday night. On the trip from
Boise to this city he became quite i'll,
though his cheerful manner and gen.
eral good spirits prevented his friends
from realizing the seriousness of his
illness, and no alarm was felt until
Sunday evening, when he at times
seemed quite delirious, and when n
Of the company came near bis berth,
with a very serious manner he said:
Bill, I saw my mother last night, "and
another member approaching at that
moment, he gazed steadily into his
face and exclaimed, "Al, AL, what
is this ?" Upon ARRIVING at the Butte
depot a carriage was secured to con-
vey the invalid to his hotel, but as
he did not rest comfortably in the
carriage he was placed in a reclining
position in the bottom of an express
wagon, and with Messrs. Ferris and
Gilmore walking behind to look out
for his comfort the ride which was
to prove his last, was commenced.
Just as he was being assist
ed from the car the irresistible
disposition to make a comedy of the
most serious side of life was evinced
by the sick man breaking out in q
droll stage song well known to the
profession and when about to be
lifted into the wagon he said, "Why
I can jump in there. What's the use
of all this worry" After he had
been made comfortable in the wagon.
with an air of mock seriousness he
said, II an going to q funeral ," but
he Immediately added in tone of So
iiloquy as if addressed to himself,
"Look here, old man, you had bet
ter not joke too much; it may be
Serious" and those were his last
words. Scarcely more than ten
minutes later. as the wagon crossed
the culvert on Arizona street, a Pc
culiar twitching of the muscles was
observed, and stopping the wagon, it
was found that his soul had In that
brief space passed from the mimic
stage of life into the great reality of
eternity. The remains were taken
to the establishment of J. M.
Bowes, where they were encased
in a coffin and afterward removed to
a private parlor in the Centennial
hotel. The deceased was a resident
of San Francisco where he was a
member of the order of Knights OF
Pythias. His lodge has been COM
municated with and also his mother,
who is at present sojourning in Osh-
kosh, Wis. Should the replies from
both be favorable to such a course
the remains will probably be buried
here under the auspiceso of the Knights
of Pythias. The deceased was 29years
of age. He was exceedingly popular
With the company, the members of
which unite in extoling his many
dne qualities of head and heart. The
immediate cause Of his death has not
been decided, though it is believed to
have been the result of a compiler
ton of diseases involving the action
of the heart, and was probably pre-
cipitated by his coming into our high
altitude.