New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-23
SALMI MORSE'S LIFE ENDED.
FOUND DROWNED IN THE NORTH RIVER.

| GULhR CONDUCT OF Lhlh'
A slight fog hung above the waters Of the North
| River at half-past yesterday morning
Michael Grubey, of BloOmngdale, was wandering
along the shore looking for pieces of drlft-wood.
About opposite the foot of Eighty-eighth- ST., he
what lie fancled to be a piece of timber floating
down the stream. When he caught sight of it it
was between two rocks few yards from shore. On
close inspection it proved to be the body of man
on its back with the feet toward the
shore and the mouth open. Grubey ran along the
| Hudson River Railroad track, which skirts the
shore, and meeting John Nevins a fiagman told
him what he had seen. The two men procured
piece of rope and, wading out fastened one end
around the arm of the dead man and weighted the
other end to the beach with largo stone Ihey
then started for the Thirty-frst Precinct Station,
but met Officer Thomas O'COnnor, who went to the
spot with one of them and sent the other to the
station to give the information to Sergeant Randall,
who telegTaphed for a dead wagon. OCOn-
nor procured boat, into which he
lifted the corpse. After searching the
pockets lie rowed to Ninetieth-st, where the dead
wagon was in waiting.
cursory examination of the letters in the pock-
cts convinced Sergeant Randall that the dead man
was Salmi Morse chiefly known to the public by his
attempts year ago to produce the Passion Pay.
These papers consisted of a letter signed "Gusta"
from woman nNlnP III farls; ConliaSI
between W. j. Fleming and Mary c. Blackburn, by
which Fleming agreed to lease the Cosmopolitan
Theatre thereafter to be called the Broadway
Theatre" to Miss Blackburn and to superin-
tend the production of ION the Yellow
tones" Fleming was to receive $1,000 week
in sem-weekly payments to be paid In any
case. Miss Blackburn to receive the
first 81 500 of tie receipts and the further receipts
were to be divided equally. This contract was
witnessed by Salm Morse. A bill for a suit of
clothes from Vogel Brothers, addressed 10 Salmi
Morse bill from +. +. De Verna for properties
and bill for 5000 80, Of which 81 46 % had been
paid on account from Signor Operti for the orches-
ira letter from Rufus Hatch to Miss Blackburn
stating that he unable to attend the first per-
formance of "On the Yeowstone"; a rattle ticket
and two three requests for seats for the CosmO-
politan Theatre were among the other papers The
dead man wore black overcOat, suit of black
broadcloth, a high collar gaiter shoes and
blue stockings In his shirt-bosOm was
n large stud formed of amcthysts with small
diamond in the centre; on the index finger of the
left hand was q gold signet ring; pair OF gold
rimmed glasses was suspended around the neck,
and in the pockets were forty-one cents in money
ocket-knife aud handkerchief. high silk
hat was subsequently found on the railroad track
about Ninety-third-st,
If was the opinion of Policeman OConuOr that
the body had only beeu in the watcrabout an hour.
There were no marks of violence on it; scratch
on the nose and one on the forehead had evidently
been caused by contact with the rocks. sergeant
Randall and Others familiar with the locality
thought that the dead man had thrown himself into
the water from the rocks at the 1907 or Ninety
thiT1-st., the only point in the nelghborhOod wnere
The water il deep enough to drown man. There is
wharf at Ninety-sixth-st but that is the only ono
for many blocks The stretch OF the river at this
pointi is known as WaldrOn's Bay.
WHAT MIR. MoRsE's RELATIVES SAY.
| Mr. Morse had been living lately at tie boarding
house No. 80 West Twenty ty-frst-st The land
lady went to the Morgue and identified
tho body as that of Salmi Morse His
81 stcr, Mrs. Charlotte Behrend, who lives at No.
1870 East One-hundred-an and-ff hist, was seen later
in the afternoon. She had not heard the report OF
/ her brothers death and was much excited on the
! receipt of the sad news. she SAID:
salm was born in Germany. | have forgotten the
Int al an early 10 this country. lie and my
brother who some yTs @ sSo d wcnt nn i9 toe ne
Morse Brothers sami was always rather erralic, and
after ne cft the business In which ne made fortune
unexpectedy an4 tRen Ren 5dp IN Wcbonrre waq in
business in san Domingo and sudiedaw In san Francisco
Mrs. Behrend's husband is a commercial traveller,
! and is now ont of the city on business. In his
abaence Mrs. Behrcnd Will take charge OF IN"
/ funeral arrangements. and she lett home for that
nrruosp while THE TRIBUNE reporter was there.
Mrs. Franks. OF No. 2l7 West Forty-fourth-st,
| is n cousin OF Salm Morse. She said she had seen
little of him lately, but knew that he was IN pecu-
| uisrv difficulties She added that he cOusid-
cred hghty by his friends, and they used to laugh
at some Of his vagares and anecdotes notably one
70 the effect that he had served in the CrImean
War been wounded and was in the receipt of PEN
sion from the British Government.
THE AUTHOR or "oN THE YfGLoWSToNr.'
Al the Cosmopolitan Theatre an interesting story
was gathered. The play "On the lellowstone,'
in which Miss Blackburn plays the
heroine was the production of Mr.
Morse. though until a week ago lie strenuOusly
denied the authorship Miss Blackburn also denied
! That he was the author until about week ago,
when Mr.. Fleming, the stage-manager, who had
! long chofed at Mr. Morses constant presence on
tbe stage during rebearsas, insisted on his with
droyol He then claimed the authorship, and on
! that account was permitted TO remain Tie was an
iptimate friend of Miss Blackburn, haNlng studied
law IN the office of her father in san Francisco. w.
! Tinorinp said last night to a TRIBUNE reporter:
~ ,nrn on1v known NJ Morse through my connection
WIN VIII T 20 led TO believe that Miss Blackburn had strong
financial backing, but find was nised, and we have
have had to inaston te company being paid and meet
ing to be held PSt"Ge c No & aSts sta C[ Hiss
this morning 10 o'clock when me balance 9f the sal
aries to be d Last say T., 0Se xHS st gCod S st aoGuT
was cong1atulang himself and me on the lact thnt the
piece had begun to draw at S, NE nHS UcTn c %@nKng @ M
IaT IboI,lt he was not quite He bent
Producing another play, which he e,.as fe9d to me ms
and according 10 Mr. Morse far superior to Shake
smeare's Henry V" He has been nearly crazy for the
5is Ivee, ecause we could not get a horse with
and tail to sweep the ground He finally told me that he
had An idea which wOud make a great success OF the
piece We were to have properly ma name ana tan made
and take in the public who would nock In thousands to
| see a horse with name that swept the ground.
WAS THERE 4 MISUNDERSTANDING
was rumorcd around the theatre that Morse
and Manager McGyney had had serious misun-
derstandinq ON Thursday night aud McGlyuey had
struck Morse in the face. This WIS denied by Mr..
McGivney. who said that on the contrary they had
been friend ly and had several drinks together az
neighbor ing saloon. Treasurer Ilall' VINO acts as