The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-07
EDWIN BOOTH.
William Stuart Talks Interestingly of the
Great Actors Career.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
New YORK Nov. 6.-In Broadway met Edwin
Booth saliow, gray and somewhat STOPPING, but
nevertheless a strikingly handsome man, at whom
people would look twice he not the greatest of
American actors. Justnow he is making more money
than he ever did before in New York per night, and
probably more than any other actor on the face
of the earth. Within half an hour came across
old contrastngly unfortunate and the differ
ence was remarkable because he was William Stuart
who managed Booths first 1t is usual under
such circumstances for the of business to believe
that he is the maker of the of art and Mr. Stuart
is exception. Preiudiced and bitter though they
are the views of Mr.. Stuart interesting, and Mr.
Booth, in his prosperity easily stand their publ
cation.
1.-THE famous Winter Garden engagement was
Booths first prominence" said Stuart ''but he had
which have been forgotten previously played
in New York with me- when was manager of Wal
lacks Theater night Iago to the Othello of E.
L. Davenport for the benefit of Mr.. Jarrett, after
wards of Jarret s. Palmer and had also played for a
few nights in Burton's Theater, afterwards con.
sructed into the Winter Garden, engagement inter
rupted by inebrety On these occasions he produced
great impression. Shortly after he married to
Miss Mary Devlin charming young girl of Celtic
parents, anu pOSSeSSeu III Iuo inquest ScnSc VI Gio
qualities of the race most exquisite sensibility,
wondrous power of feeling and expression, the pas
sion of love in its softer and phases and the
most tender and subduing pathos. Mr.. Booth imme
dately on their marriage removed her from the stage
Had she remained I have little doubt she would
have grown into a remarkable actress. Char
lotte Cushman shared my admiration with
even more enthusiasm and. after seeing
and playing Romeo to many Juliets she said she
sidered her far away the best. Her whole soul was
conferred in her husband. and this marriage had The
best possible effect on him. both intellectually and
physically and laid the foundation of his future. be
wrote from Baltimore to Mr.. jackson. old New
York manager. whom had taken in as partner and
financial manager, proposing an engagement Mr..
Jackson handed the letter to me- accepted the pro-
posal and from that date relations very
close and constant down to the burning of the Winter
Garden. His first engagement was an intellectual
but not a monetary success The audiences were
finer in quality than quantity and so with the next
trial The management lost little-not much-but
that was amply compensated by the prospect for the
future that they brought bosh ne ana
dissonant note went strongly for him. Under the
influence of this eaton, he started off for England-a
very foolish freak. He made pronounced failure"
How did you come to separated"
Immediately after the fire that destroyed the Win
ter Garden, he wrote to say that he desired every
thing for himself alone, and did not desire that any
other should share anything either directly or
indirectly-you the letter if you choose-and
that he had resolved to build theater for himself
and manage it himself. From that hour have not
spoken to him."
Did he fall in love with Mary Mcvicker while
| playing Romeo to her Juliet, the story goesP
II am sure do not know. I remember that Mr..
Charles A. Dana in whose judgment of women as of
other things place infinite faith, told me- on coming
back from Chicago, that he had seen young Amer
lean girl there-had met her skating-of most won
drous magnetism and he mentioned Miss McVicker's
Ihs was Long before b b met met hsE o was
Whit he suppose calls his affections. Shortly after
his first loving wifes death he became engaged to
young Philadelphia lady of beauty and large fortune
who broke her engagement and forsook him in the
hour of misfortune-though, in professional sense,
good fortune-at the time his brother assassnated
Lincoln. He shortly after turned to Miss McVcker"
What were the profits of his early successes as
compared with his recent income?"
"Oh, his recent income must be infinitely beyond
anything he made with me- which was very moderate.
The first twentyone of the hundred nights of Ham
let the receipts very large They then suddenly
dropped off. Booth became uneasy and wished to
withdraw the play but coaxed him on, and in the
last three weeks the receipts were immense. 1t paid.
on the whole very fairly, though have seen the op
viva was great success in every sense and yielded
a large profit. Shylock failure but the repro
months of his engagement yielded sufficient profit to
any deficit. He never drew large profits until
his brothers assassination of Lincoln"
There were some memorable performances, were
there not. during these engagementsl
| Eyes. The three brothers Boosh appeared to-
geher for the benefit of the fund for the Shakspeaan
role of Cassius, Edwin played Brutus, and John
Wilkes played Mark Antony. John physically
the handsomest and received the largest measure of
applause, he had strong following in the house
but Edwin was head and shoulders an actor above
the other two. Johns early education had been
tirey neglected and he really had conception of
the character but sailed in for strong points He
had indeed the two brothers had considerable jeal-
ousy and suspicion. both, it seemed to me, unwar-
| ranted, of Edwin. When asked Junius and John
| (whom found fencingl to play, John immediately
said: Is this trick of Edwin's9 Give me the part;
Iofx hall
after looking it for ten minutes, he said:
will play that fellow "
'Of course Edwin had suspicion of Johns de-
| signs the life of Lincon!"
| mot the remotest The idea would have been alb
horrent to his nature. There warrant, however
issued for his arrest- necessity of such hour-but
took him at night to Washington. and through
! the kind intervention of Mr.. Dana. who was the
Under Secretary of War, it withdrawn. His
brother, Junius however, and his brother inaw Mr.
| Clarke, were confined in the Washington prison for
| some time OMAR JAMES.
/