Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-10
DUST 10 DUST.



sSAs mecssisssA pssses Awss-ue Exrirs'
ss&sesp.
A Philadelphia telegram Of Sunday
pays: John Mccullough, the actor,
disd At his residence, IN this city. 81
Ave minutes past ! o'clock this attsf-
neon. Mr.. McCulicugh's death, AL
though not entirely unexpected, occur
red quite suddenly, and was due. -
Or, Hugo Engsl, his physician, says "
q an affection Of the brain caused oy
hlood. poisoning DR.. Engel asserts
that Mr.. Mccullough was not insane,
and that Il was mistake to have placed
him IN The Bloomingdale Insane Asylum,
vhere be was confined for number Of
weeks. His failing mental powers were
Sir.t noticed in the early part oil Janu-
srv. 1884. and in April Of that year be
made Ismentable failure Of " othelio !"
n Washington. After that, his ailment
msnifested itself at various times in the
loss Of memory the pompter at times
being obliged to follow him about the
stage. In the summer Of 1884 he spent
some time In Carlsbad, Germany, and
returning to this country In August, ne
PLAYED q fiye-pight's engagement 10
Milwaukee. Thence he went to Chi-
csgo, where be appeared on the stage
for the last time in his NE on
the night Of September ~, 1854
a. En-. character Of Spartacus in the
" Gladiator His condition that night
Was SO bad that the curtain was rung
down Mt the end OF the second act.
rrom that time he has gradually grown
voy,euntil TO. day, occasionally mending
sI;shtly. but all times bis condition was
considered hopeless by his friends. lie
was brought to this city Sunday night
October 25th--just two weeks ago
and taken to the residence OF his family,
where he died. At that time he recog-
nixed no one, not even his wife or his
two sons, and had no control OF his
muscles. lie regained the use Of his
limbs slowly, and in few days was
able to raise himself to q sitting pos
ture. He continued in about this same
condition until to-day.
SKETCH OF HIS CAREER.
John Edward Mccullough was born
in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Ire
land. November 2, 1887. His father
was . small farmer who died in power
ty. At the age Of fifteen John, who
had helped to support himself by labor
ing in the fields, and had received but
little instruction, emigrated to America.
In New York he found no encourage
ment, and with few shillings in his
pocket he made his way to Philadel-
phis. Here he found an uncle who
had emigrated before him. Mr. McCul-
Tough used to tell the story of his dis
covery Of this relative in vivacious
manner:
81 began to travel about the streets,
looking for employment. AS | was
going slowly along on the sidewalk
looking up at the buildings my eyes
fell suddenly upon the name of Nc
CuIlough, painted in big letters over
door. Then looked in at the window,
and there ] saw face resembling my
fathers countenance so strongly that l
felt emboldened to step inside and in
quire il the person referred to didn't
have relatives in Ireland. The subse-
quent conversation revealed the fact
that was talking with the son Of my
Uncle Alec, who had come here before
me. was made welcome ut once, and
in the course of q few days l was en-
gagged as an apprentice in fancy furni-
ture mandatory owned and operated
by my uncle and cousin"
He worked hard at his new trade. A
fellow-apprentice named Burke was
stsge-struck youth, year or two older
than Mccullough. From Burke Nc
Cullough learned scraps Of Shakespeare
and imbibei taste for the theatre,
and, through Burke's influence, joined
the Boothenian Society, composed OF
sssge-struck mechanics, and much OF
his leisure time was passed in studying
Shakespeare and the other English dra-
mstists. Early in 1857, at the old Cal
lowhill.Street Museum, Mccullough
acted Othello with the Bootbenians. In
the audience was William T. Frederieks,
stage manager of the Arch-Street The.
atre, Of which William Wheatley was
then the manager. Fredericks noticed
signs Of q promising future in McOul-
Tough; the ambitious young man had
mastered the text Of Cssnemi,cc, and there
was some crude force in his perform.
snce. Here was McCullough's chance
He applied for an engagement at thu
Arch-Street, and obtained it. His frs
appearance was made at the beginning
OF the rext season, August 10, 1857
and his part was Thomas, in eth
Bellies Stratagem." He was intruste'
with only the most trivial parts durinI
that season, and his salary was only =
n week. In the season Of 1859 Nc
Cullough occupied an humble position
in the company at the Howard Athe
n@um, in Boston, under the manage
ment of Z. l.. Davenport. In the IA
of 1859 he returned to Philadelphia an
secured an engagement at the Walnut
Street Theatre to do general-utilit
parts.
Edwin Forrest, playing an engage
ment at the WAlnut-Street, took a fanc
to Mccullough. The young man occ'
pied q position that Forrest had ont
filled himself. He sympathized wit
the struggling young fellow, and So
that, with his fine physique, stroI
voice, and untiring industry, he mig
come to good future IL he received
friendly lift. He met Mccullough
the house Of Wayne Olwynne, cue
toned him in his gruff manner, a.
offered to take him TO Boston with hlI
Mccullough joyfully accepted the ofi'
and Forrest secured his release from (
wainut-Street. Mccullough was tn
twenty-five years Of age. He rapit
advanced In his profession and 10
public favor, and two years later re
70 the proud position Of second N
to Forrest in all the great ira
dams engagements. He profited
Forests advice, and he modelled
own work upon that Of his superior
Mr.. Mccullough made his first
pearance in New York in Septemf
ls62, at Niblo's Garden, then IN
the control Of his first manager, '