Morning journal and courier., 1888-05-21
FREDERIoK mARsDEr A SUICIDE.
The Wel.known Playwright Closes
 Up His Room and Turns On The

The Weil.KnOwn Playwright Closes Up His Room and Turns On The Gas.
 NEW YORK, May 20.-Frederick Marsden, the well-known playwright, who wrote "Zip" and ''Otto" and many other plays, and was at work on play for Corinne, committed suicide in his home, SIS West 126th street, on Friday night by inhaling gas. It was his custom upon retiring to leave memorandum
 of the time when he wanted to be called in
 the morning on 8 card on his study table.
 Yesterday morning his valet, William, did
 not find any card, and delayed calling him
 until late. The door of his room was broken
 open and on the table was found letter di-
 reeted to his wife, in which he announced
 his resolution to end his life and referred to
 domestic trouble as the cause Mr. Mars
 den lay upon the outside of the bed dead
 The room was filed with gas and the burner
 was still open, but not trace of gas was in
 the air of the study. The crevices about the
 door and window, and even the keyhole had
 been stuffed solidly and carefully with strips of sheet Mir. Marsden had taken off his outer clothing, but kept his collar, cuffs and necktie on. The trouble the letter refers to is the scandal raised about him and his daughter Blanche, twenty three years old. It was published last month, and 8 version that gave chiefly the daughters side of it caused him much worry. On the evening of April 19, while Mrs. Marsden was away at the funeral of MT. Marsden's mother, people in the houses across the street saw MT. Marsden struggling with his daughter in one of the upper rooms, and heard cries for help. handful of hair was torn from MT. Mareden's beard. He wanted policeman to arrest his daughter and accused her of immoral con- duct with an actor and others. He had dis covered, he said, number of letters in her desk while she was out shopping which proved that she had been leading wild life She made counter accusations against him, to which he refers in his letter. She took refuge for the night with the family of Leon- ard Nichols across the way, at No. 135. It is not known where she is now.
 MT. Marsden, whose real name was Will liam A. Silver, Was born in Baltimore April 10, 1843. He graduated from Dickson col was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia in 1865. He wrote his first play for Miss Eldridge. It was an adaptation from one Of Ouida's books and was called stAlma" It was put on the stage first in St. Johns, N in 1871. In 1879 "Jaquette," tsNemesis'' and ':Trumps," written for Yankee Locke, were acted. He wrote Zip" for Lotta in 1873 and afterward "Musette." In 1876 'sKer- ry Cow" appeared from his pen, and in 1877 he wrote s'Otto" for George Knight, ''Shaun Rhue" for Murphy and "Yule'' for J. 0. Williamson, appeared in 1878. In 1881 he wrote "Bot" for Lotta and "Cheek" and 'sHumbug" for Roland Reed, t'Zara" for An nie Pixley, and ''The Chimes'' for the Sails bury Troubadors appeared in 1882. His in- come from his pen was said to have been $15, ,000 yearly, and he leaves fortune of $75, ,000 or $s0,000. He had 8 country place at Sehroom Lake. A short time ago he con- tracted for two plays. One was for Corinne and the other for Scanlan, each of whom has paid $1 900 in advance. The play for Cor inne was the work which he had in hand at the time of his death, but his troubles had prevented his getting further along with it than the preparation of an outline sketch