The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-09
OBITUARY.
Sudden and Unexpected Demise of John Nc
Cullough, the Actor.

Cullough, the Actor.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. S.-John Mccullough,
the actor, died at his residence in this city at
l:05 this afternoon. Mr.. McCullough's death,
although not entirely unexpected. occurred quite
suddenly, and was due. as DR. Hugo Engle his
physician, says, to IAN affection of the brain,
caused by blood poisoning"
Dr. Engle asserts that Mccullough was not
insane, and that it was a mistake to
have placed him in the Blooming
a number of weeks. He was brought to this
city Sunday night, Oct %, just two weeks ago,
and taken to the residence of his family, where
he died. AT that time he recognized no one, not
even his wife, or his two sons, and had no con-
troll of his muscles. except little over those of
his right arm. He regained the use of his limbs
slowly. He continued in about this same condi-
ton until to-day.
John Mccullough was born in Ireland. in 1887,
in the neiehborhood of Londonderry. His father,
after life of improvidence, died while he was
yet boy, leaving him to the care of an uncle.
AT the age of sixteen, his uncle rid himself of
the responsibility of his support by shipping him
to America with steerage passage prepaid, and
his portable property swinging in a bundle from
a stick He was landed in New York, but soon
drifted to Philadelphia. His early life in Amer
few bright features He began in Phila
delphia with wheeling coal at the gas
works, from which employment he took to
chair making. He had no education, but his
intelligence was quick and his perceptions pow
erful. The cup-inspired rantings Of an old
stage-struck chair-maker first made him ac-
qualrted with dramatic literature, and he began
to read Shakespeare his own account He
joined an amateur dramatic association, and in
1857 had achieved such position in that body
as to be permitted to play 'Othello' with their
support at the Callowhill- street Museum. Will
lam t. Fredericks, one of the most
capable stage managers Of the country,
witnessed this performance and noticed
that Mccullough had his part perfectly
committed to memory, that he had strong.
melodious voice, and spoke so as to be heard in
all parts of the house, on the strength of these
gifts he offered him position in the Arch-street
Theater to play the very smallest parts, at 81
week. Mccullough first made his appe arance as
Thomas the servant, in 1.-THE Bellies Strata
GEM" Through e. L. Davenport. whose &C.
quaintance he soon after made, he obtained an en-
gagement the following season at the Howard
Athenaum, Boston. A year later he returned
nut Theater, where he attracted the at
tention Of Edwin Forrest, who was then in the
height of his fame. The great tragedan at once
conceived for him one of those peculiar likes for
which he was famous, and engaged him as one
of his principal supports. From that time
forward he remained attached to Forrest.
playing with him in the East until 1866, when
the tragedian carried him to California, where
he supported his patron in the juvenile roles
At the conclusion of Forests California engage
amt MoT ,,rhw ,vaAt hat %ofn nxD,l
began that independent career which developed
him into one of the most successful stars in the
country. He played an engagement in support
of Edwin Adams and when Lawrence Barrett
arrived and established his popularity on the
Pacific coast, Joined forces with him. Sin com
pany they visited and played in the mining re-
gions and then came East. subsequently. they
returned to San Francisco and opened the Califor
MIA Theater with the banker. Ralston. as hacker.
On the death of Raston. IN 1873. the California
Theater became losing investment. McCul-
Tough threw up the management and entered
upon his career a star
In the spring of 1881 he visited London and
gave a series of performances at Drury Lane
Theater. which were much applauded. Though
not particularly profitable in pecuniary sense,
his English season was an undoubted success in
popular way.
Mccullough had sister TO whom he was
always tenderly attached. When John. as she
called him, went upon the stage, it was
a hard shock to her feelings. These stage peo
ple," as they are called in the north of Ireland,
have uncanny regulations. and John and his sis
ter drifted apart for years In the meantime
his sister married and collected family around
her In a small home in the country. But mis-
fortune came, the home sold and his sister
came to the city. These facts came to the ears
of John, the player man." He went to the
country, sought out the old homestead purchased
it, came back, visited his sister, took her to the
country and settled her at the old place 1t would
be bold person who would call actors ''uncan.
nv" in that house now
His failing mental powers were first noticed in
the early part of January 1884, and in April of
that year he made lamentable failure in
"Othello," in Washington In the summer of
1884 he spent some time in Carlsbad, Germany,
and returning to this country in August he
played five nights engagement in Milwaukee;
thence ne went to Chicago where he appeared
the stage for the last time, on Sept. 20, 1884,
in the character of ''Spartacus" in the Gladia.
tor. His condition on that night was so bad that
the curtain was wrung down at the
end of the second act. The exhibition
ton of the truth of the reports that his mental
powers were a wreck. The engagement closed
and his company was disbanded, 1t being only
too apparent that the great actor had broken
down in the prime of his power. For months he
was permitted to wander aimlessy about the
country, under the hallucination that he was
continuing in the line of his profession. Finally
his condition became such that this could no
longer be allowed with safety to himself or those
with whom he came in contact. and he
was committed to Bloomingdae Asylum, where
he steadily declined in physical as we'll as men
tai power, and his death was looked for at any
time. Recently, however. an improvement in
his condition was noticed and hopes even
entertained that he might be restored to health.
He was removed from the asylum to the home
of his wife in Philadelphia. the physicians agree
ing that the conditions warranted the change.
But the improvement was only ilusory, and the
crisis, from which it was hoped he would come
forth a restored man, resulted in death.
When a conservator of his estate was ap-
pointed the discovery was made that instead of
800, 900, which it was supposed he had. he was
possessed of less than a quarter of that sum.
What became of the balance is mystery yet
unsolved.
Judge Albert Cardozo
NEW YORK. Nov Sex Judge Albert Cardozo