New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-02
JOHN A. MACKAY MISSING.
THE CLEVER COMEDIAN SURPRISES HIS
FRIENDS.
posTPoNING "a NOBLE son" AT oRANGE-vAIN
EFFORTS TO FIND THE ACTOR.

EFFOkTS TO FIND IliE AtIOlS
Two stars were in eclipse yesterday, one on tho
Pacific Coast and the other In New-fork They were
the sun and John A. Mackay, the actor. The former
reappearcd after brief retirement, and shone with
greater brillancy than before. The latter is still
30 obscure that telescopes cannot find him. Mackay
being practical joker OF pronounced proclviiies it
Is impossible to rcgard his disappearance in serious
light, but IT must be recorded In cold type that he
has disappeared. One man who has known him for
years says
Johns all right Don't you frct'
Another old acquaintance declares: John has
committed suicide. He's the very man to do It,"
A third Johns gole, for sure, but he'll turn up
again. He's done II before"
A fourth: All this talk about Johns disappearance
Is CUFF He's Brooklyn at the home Of his mother,
but she amt going let anybody know it."
4 fifth: Macksy's gone to Cincinnati on business.
Left town Monday night Sucide7 Bah!7 Nearly
every other man In had theory, but facts
Mackay was billed to appear at the Orange Academy
OF Music last night in Leonard Growers play A
Noble SOM under the management of So' Berliner.
He did not turn up and his part, the leading role,
was read by Henry f. Walton The rest of the com
rany were on hand and The comedy drama was
played But there was no audience. The proprietor
OF he house afraid to risk performance without
Mackay and insisted keeping the doOrS closed. So
this notice posted at the entrance: Perform
ance postponed account Of the Illness OF Mr.. Mac
lay" The advance sales. which amounted to $3.50,
insured at least a $500 house. People turned
away disappointed. Mr. Bcrliner refunded all money
taken in at the box Office paid every bill that was
presented and had MI Magnus busy all the evening
cancellng dates in other places. 1t was decided to
postpone everything for two weeks. Meanwhile the
company win be kept salary and a new " star viii
be found TO take Mackay's place.
Manager BeIlincr locking all over Ncw-York,
Jersey City and Brooklyn for his starr yesterday
and Monday night. lie and Mackay were good friends
but they had had disagreement on Sunday
night the Bijou Theatre. during the first fudress
rehearsal Of A Noble son'
Mackay was not M in his lines" said Mr. Berliner
last night, d" and plainly expressed my disappoint
mcnt. lie had been studying the part long enough
be perfect in IT, but after going through with the
first act he broke down completely, and had to read
the rest said it was just TO me to be treated In
that way. and insisted his applying himsen dln-
gently to work. in order be ready for the opening
al Orange lie said need not worry. that he would
have his lines perfectly by this evening"
Mackay was seen in the PlclKwick Tavern, near tho
Bjou Theatre at 80 p m. Monday, in the company
of A. p Dunlap a we'll known theatrical press agent.
lie seemed to be somewhat uneasy about some
thing and looked unusually pale" said Mr.. Dunlap
last night We chatted pleaSa8ty over the bari
don't think he drank anythng-and he remarked that
be felt nervous his appearance this evening at
Orange. l think his disappearance is the result Of
bad case of stage fright, and my opinion is that no
VIII turn up al right'
Meckay 10 his boarding house, No 80 West
Twenty -eehthst.. at O'Clock. lie lived there with
jeremiah Fitzpatrick, former bartender at the Pick
wick, and one Of his most intimate friends. They
talked for An hour more, ard as they were about
to separate for the night MacAay wrote this note to
Manager Berlincr:
. 80 o'clock.
Ny Dear Sol. Goodby You have been kind very
kind to who IT, the clazcst you have ever seem
40 natl 4 Eha /
JOHN.
Don't 60 to Orange. Tbs goes and / am Going to a
nc plial.
scaling this I'm a brown envelope, Maclay said
good night to Fitzpatrick and proceeded in the
direction of Broadway. 1t his intention spend
the night at the homo of his mother No. 432
sackett-st Brooklyn, whore his brother and HIS
brothers vito also live At the messenger Office near
the he gave tie note TO boy with instructions
leave 1t the Pickwick Tavern. He then walked
to Third-ave, and took the City Hall train. His
friends have not him since. The messenger boy
wandered into the Plcswck about 10 o'clock
Here's a note fur MIR. Bcrlncr," he said, handing
the envelope to the bartender "Y,ain't gon' TO
sec him no moro, neither
Sec Nj Bcrllncr 70 more? What you mean by
that He's down stairs now"
Nav the other fellow what gimme the note.
Hos gone 10 CINCINNATI for good. That's what he
said"
Whom Mr.. Berlner read the note no was consider
ably alarmed. RuShlng round 10 40. % west
Twenty eightb-st he found Machay's trunk packed
and was told that orders had been given for it 10
be sent tc Orange at O'Clock next morning. But
he could learn nothing Of Mackay. Treasurer John
T. Lauc. of Mr.. IeUliners company, sent to
Brooklyn. lie did not know MIS- Machay's number,
but he rang up all the folks i'm the neighb0rhOod
and succeeded about midnight in finding the right
house. But no Mackay. lie had not been seen for
twenty-four hours, and not expected home.
Scouts secured the city all night in street cars and
carriages but trace Of the eclipsed STAR could
be found. An alarm sent out from Police Head
quarters with like result
This is not tho first of Mackays mysterious disap
pearances. Some two years ago In Brooklyn, when
under the management of Charles FrOhman, he was
billed for prominent part in Engaged" but failed
10 turn up Though not prominent prohbitionist,
Mckay had of late refraned In large degree from
drinking at the BjOu Theatre 1t is said that he intend
al 10 make his part Noble Som the greatest hit of
his life. Tho play IS by Leonard Grover. author of
Treasure Trove," "Our Boarding House," My
Brothers sster,"-Minnie Palmer's new play" Ny
son-in-Law," etc.
Jerry" Fitzpatrick said last night: al know where
John is and know THAI he is all right. But you may
be Of thing: He won't appear in ~ Noble Som
at Orange anywhere else" Mackay has been
brooding domestic troubles for long time. He
has not been himself since he separated from his wife,
who IS now In London with their only child She was
known 20 the stage Lavinia Bennett
A reporter who called at the home Of Mackay's
mother last night informed that she had received
a telegram from the comedian dated Cleveland
Ohio, January l, 1852" lie unable 10 learn its
contents The family not uneasy about the miss
ing man His is generally regarded as one of
Stage fright. His role important one, uphold
ing the entire play. He felt himself unequal 10 the
task Of making It success, and the responsibility OF
possible failure broke him down at the last moment
Manager Berlner had advanced him over $500 In cash.