The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-08-20
JOHN WCULLouGHS utLiDY.
The Gladiator SLOWLY Dying OF
~aftcniug az the Brain.

we ttudint0r SLOWLY Dying OF
Noucning al the Brain.
number OF thp theatrical friends of
| Iuhu Mccullough called upon him the
other lay 90 the Bloomingdalc Asylum
ilg received them iu his room in the
second tor, one oi the plcasnnlc.i In
.hD H.1 'um. FROM the view of the park
1rl Grounds afforded at thr window
n Hm uut Ht liberty to state whlt
W. Mccullough sprocnt condition is.
H.l Or Brown. "and my reason for
Withholding Information from the pub.
Oh. Is chat Nr Mccullough g.. to crr.
'aiu ,NipDt In hi. own house. aud en-.
ui'Di tH 900 thc protection We give
u,fN private patient ! ,nn under.
staud very readily that the public wish
to know vhlt Mr NcCullough's con.
diii,u a. ani to % certain extent. are
entitled t0 know hut anything diyulgcl
r.rHrHiue DIS habits. rrrguiriritics. aud
actions. which would ho liable tp bring
TaIu iO hi- wife. family. and friends.
must lr withhold
d. Brown invited the reporter into
ihg ward directly underneath the one oc.
,uUiDd hN fhr once famous tragcdinu.
Henry T. DiNCy. the actor aud other
former companions were making their
weekly visit Said "a well known play.
wright fu thc reporter. "Nrs. ! am
wIIiIngto give all the facts In my pos.
session. fur do not fc what possible
harm can result from it or course.
'ci ii lc understood that do not want
amy uuturicty, for don wish to wound
The feeling of sensitive friends. 1
called Un Mr. Mccullough to-day. as
has been my custom ever since hc was
first struck down. The conversation
was ON light and chccry topics John. !
Hs | have always called him. rises "A lit !
tlc loiurc 70. m. and breakfasts at = !
O'Clock. Ills appetite b. excellent. and |
in many cases where the symptoms |
have been moro aggravated thi, has |
been regarded as hopeful sirn. but |
NOT -u IN his lie is absolutely beyond |
hope of even temporary recovery. and |
the fact is conceded by all physicians. |
To the laiman who Is not a specialist, |
and has not been Informed of Mr. Nc |
Iulluugh's disease, casual glance |
would reveal little or nothing of the
incurnblc mnlady from which he Is suf.
icring. II Is softening Of the brain.
pure and simple lie rides In the park
whenever his attendant feels that this
recreation would bc pleasant 10 him.
lie seems 10 bc much attached TO his
servant and likes the institution"
Does his recollection ever go back
TO his acting pcriody' asked the re.
porter.
NO, that is a blank page 10 him.
Occasionally hc will quote something.
and seems 10 De- fond of the oprninr
soliloquy in act lst of Damon and
Pyihias' which runs;
is president ut last.
Ana biuuNsius has u'Cr swaypl him
Wei Us what ! expected
There t. now no public yirtuelc In syracuse.
Sometimes he will repeat the whole
and at other times hc will
stop at the first line and glance so nit.
cously into space that heart of ada
mant would melt at the sight. Then,
again, he imagincs hc is in Philadelphia,
Chicago and once in while In this city.
He is very tractnblc, easily persuaded
and never violent. He Is allowed to |
carry a cane. Many imagine this Is for
protection, but such is not the case
This man Of once magnificent physique
Is u tottcring, helpless, unfortunate i'm
5ccilc, without ever, up to this stage,
becoming idiotic. lie sits on the lawn.
tides often, and sees his friends. who
have all been very kind TO him. lie
may live six months, and possibly three
Years, am informed by competent
medical authority; but the John McCul.
ough of old is dead to the world for.
,vcr."
As the reporter passed down the
avn he looked back and saw the once
popular artist standing in the window
md leaning on his walking.stick aud
with his left hand. At
hat distance he looked much as in the
)osc when he trod the boards rs IIr-
TAtUS and brought the house down
With tremendous applause.