The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-11
m,cULLoUGH.s LAST ACTING.
The Scene at McVicker's Tneater on the DC
casion of the Tragedian's Failure.

The Scene at Mcvicker's Theater on the Oc-
casion of the Tragedian's Failure.
Cleveland Leader.
Joe Haworth, the well-known young Cleveland
actor, who as the leading man in the Moral
Crime Combination, has just closed an engage
ment here, tells an interesting story of McCul-
longh's last performance in public, story which
is douby interesting in view of the recent death
of the great actor. For long time signs of the
breaking down were noticeable, and on the night
in question. when playing in Chicago, it
seen by the members of the company that the
Governor" as he was Familiarity called by them,
could not hold out much longer. The play that
night was the Gladiator" with Mccullough as
Spartacus and Haworth Pharsarius.
when we met in the arena scene" said Mr..
Haworth, in telling the story The seemed to
forget his lines and become confused. 1t panied
everybody to see him. Placing both hands upon
my shoulders. his whole frame seemed to tremble
with excitement he asked, What's nextP
gave him the cue and he finished. The audience
applauded, notwithstanding the fact that they
must have noticed that something was wrong
with him. We went out at once In response to
the call of the audience and they called Us the
second time
They are receiving US splenddly tonight,
aren't they? come on, my boy. they are calling
us again. he said as he reached out his hand to
take NINE and go out with me- Mind you,
this was only the second call, and we usually re-
celved five or six at the close of that scene; but
ne seemed TO tnlnk Chab the audience was more
appreclatlve than usual. The next time he
seemed to forget himself was in the scene where
| as Pharsarius described the crucifxion of our
men While was in the midst of my lines he
gave way and suddenly exclaimed, Those are
not your lines | held him up with one arm and
went on with the speech as though nothing had
happened. The applause was deafening. 1t
was evident that the audience realized that
something was wrong with him, for they showed
all the evening their sympathy with him, and
aYylla 6pH haa how oh uroc nj oil
| could to help him in making the performance a
success. The last act came, and l cannot forget
how real the words of the boy attending him
sounded when he said:
General. you had best go to your tent; you
are unit for battle"
He had been unfit for long time but night
after night he persisted in playing and thus
tried to shake off the mental troubles that
weighed him down. When the curtain went
down the audience remained seated and loudly
called for the Governor He went before the
curtain and said:
Z" Ladies and gentlemen, if you had suffered
as have tonight you would not have done this.
Goodnight
before public audience. None of the company
had gone to their dressing rooms They stood
round to witness the closing scenes. and in every
eye tear glstened.
1.-THE next morning we were all paid and the
company Clsbanded. but we received word that
the Governor wanted a rehearsal Knowing
his condition, and just to humor him in the hope
that it would do him good we all responded.
We frsewent through with the Gladiator
1--WE didn't do very well last night, my boy
he said to me, but we'll knock 'em out to night
He wasn't very choice in his diction at times,
as you may imagine, but those were the words
he used. What a rehearsal that was AS per-
fectly he did in his life he rendered every
line. For time we all had hone that his diff
Guilty was but temporary. We thought that
after short rest he would be himself again and
the company be reunited. Into every word he
seemed to put a meaning that we had never
realized before. When he said to me in com
uniting to my charge his wife and child, 'Phar-
sarius. l give thee more than my life; guard
them well, it with genuine sorrow that
Mrs. Foster, who took the part of wife to
Spartacus, replied, Husband husband, do not
send me away; if | leave you now it will be for
ever She could hardly finish the line because of
| her feelings. | could not avoid experiencing the
same sorrow, and as / turned to look another
way saw that the prompter. as we'll as Harry
Langcon and others in the company were brush
ing tears from their eyes. AID the little boy we
had with us for child parts broke out in genu-
inc cry. Mccullough did not seem to realize it
all. he acted as though he thought it part of
the emotion to be shown in the play.
when the scene came where Spartacus diesit
was the most realistic performance l ever saw.
His eye lighted up as he said. we shall see
Thrace again. and then as he said There are
green valleys in Thrace,' it was in such tone of
sadness that it set the minds of all who heard
him wandering from the scene before them
Then his head dropped upon his breast, and it
seemed as if he had passed away from us in re-
ality.
she was so pleased with the rehearsal that he
wanted to take up 'Richelieu.' Well, we went
through that play in the same perfect manner
that we exhibited in the Gladiator There
wasn't break anywhere. He delivered the
curse magnifcently, and while some of the com
pany could not keep back the tears of sympathy
they felt for the Governor others were ap-
plauding him. The applause seemed to revive
him, and he acted even better than he had been
doing We could see CLEAN of his old SELF a
flash of the genius he possessed. Barradas re-
cited:
His mind and life are breaking fast
1.-THE Governor turned to denounce him, and
as he did SO seemed to realize the full import of
the words He broke completely down, and
was then taken to the hotel in carriage. That
was the last we saw of him. It was the saddest
day l ever passed, for there was no one in the
company who did not feel the burden that op-
pressed us. There was never an actor more
thoroughly loved by his company than was
John Mccullough