The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-26
OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO.
FLORENCE TELLS TWO STORIES OF
HIS EXPERIENCE.
The Remarkable Comedy Entitled The
Sansuinary BooUaek" - Biiiy's Narrow
F.cape from n Nobbing Down South
During War Days.

The Remarkable Comedy Entitled IN"
sancuinary Boouack" - Biily's Narrow
Escape from sobbine Down South
During War Day.
Il was thinking just now, said Mr. Flor
/ ence 10 a visitor the other day, "of my first
/ appearance i'm Chicago over thirty years ago.
Wbv. there was but one theatre in town.
What did we playl Oh, it was ridiculous
+ mos Of u0uscnse It was called Florence
F Worried by McVicker, and il grew out OF a
plav gotten mp in New York By John
/ Broughani called The sanguinary Bootjack'
and presented by his stock company.
"Brougham wanted to get something that
would startlo the town, and, faith he did it
/ You SIRE tho curtain rose first on a scene rep
reSenting a greea room, and there ST Aif
BrcughaIn reading a new play 10 his COM
pany. Well. the different ones found iault
with their respective parts and all wanted
ihom altered. and this and that, Tor al
the world ne actors and actresses per
form when they have new parts assigned
f them Heavy oh women wanted light roles
AMI vice versa. In tho midst Of this hubhub
a woman is announced She wishes 10 see
/ Ir Brou1ham on particular business -
F suppose another stage struck female sroahs
SIR BrOucham. a.. ind ed, proves 10 L. The
case when tho green room Is cleared ana pr
+ Rrougham and bis visitor are left alone. She
/ tells him she is s,,ro she has the divine IRE
and must 80 on the stage - won't Mr
Drourham kindly give Der an opportunity
What is your namef be asks. Mrs. Buz-
1ard.' she answers 'Duznrd-Buzzard,' be
says that sounds familiar Where have /
heard that namef It's well known name
/ she sinners. firm Of Hawk s. Buzzard. All,
yes. And does your husband approve Of your
intentionF Oh, no, he is much opposed
/ 20 it,
TIE MISGUIDED WIFE
"Woll be advises her not 10 60 against her
husbands wishes. but she insists on trying,
[ and finally Mr. Brougham assigns her q part
/ in The Sanguinary Boo.ack.' In tho next
scene the play procecdtd. II was a lot %
/ rubbish. but tho audience seemed 70 ike it,
and was following 10 closely, when suddenly
dn old man sitting in OF tho front seats
+ rose 20 bis feet and cried wildly, God bless
mo- is TINT my wife-my infatuated-my mis-
/ guided Beiinda' Il is--it is Come homo,
I woman. and rushing down he triel 20 climb
/ over tho orchestra 90 tho stage. This was no
other than Dr0ucham himself An usher
and an officer who hurried down to oject him
we're other members OF the company. Belin-
/ IN Cllrs Broughaml screamed and tainted on
/ the STAGE, while a fireman In a red shirt up
w'h tho gods shouted down 20 leave the
young woman alone and 10 her play her
/ uart OF he'd come down and fix things % suit
himself This was myself, though here 10
f Chicago | played the part Of the husband
f You mag fancy the noise, confusion and up
roar there was in that thcater Well, this
/ piece ran for months and drew immensely
/ people locked 70 SOC Broughams company
/ cutting up pranka in tho audience Imagine
I tho sensation if DAILY 3 or the Madison Square
should introduce such horse play
80 pass from tho CrOtesque 90 the tragic, +
/ eald the actor after a moments pause, shall
F / tell you az time IN my lie when was
really, truly frightened IL was case OF
stage fright. though not OF tho orthodox
7 type. / was playing an engagement Ia
southern city during the late unp.easautncss.
I was an out and out Union man, but bad
I tried 10 10 guarded in my remarks, and was,
7 as you may fancy, surprised and startled to
+ receive one morning o. warning not 90 appear
/ that night under penalty Of rough treatment.
+ In fact. ! was also commanded % leave town.
F didn't know what % do. was, Of course,
+ helpless. If a s0uisorn audience decided 10
+ misuse me, what could dol did not say
anything 10 Mrs. Florence as did not care
90 alarm her, / went out and walked by
myself and tried % think l was terribly
+ depressed and sad over the matter felt ]
+ c.as q stranger and alone and had no one %
advise OF help me- In passing Catholic
/ bookstore l saw a copy OF Thomas a
Kempis' / went in, bought il, and read it,
and In few moments tho burden was all
/ lifted felt happy and cheerful knew /
should play that night-feit suro should
/ have protection The hour came 70 60 70 the
I theatre went, dressed for my part went
f 20 the peep hole and looked out at tho audi
ence. House packed with men-not e woman
| in front
FORREST SAVED HIM
THAT looked ugly / realized they meant
/ 20 keep their word What was | 20 dol As
+ I stood there wondering what course TO plir-
sue, the side door that led 10 the managers
+ box opened aud two gentlemen entered. one
a fine, bic. tall fellow-came toward the
J crying out, Billy, how are your Two come
I thirty-dyo miles 90 SO you play Il was
/ Gen. Forrest General, / said, you've come
| straight down from heaven tonight He
asked me what / meant, and In a few words
/ explained the situation. Don't sou worry
/ one moment, be said; why, these are all my
/ friends in front / own this town You 60
right On with your play. III take care OF
/ YOU
Tho stage was cleared, curtains rolled up
+ and the play began In few moments
/ made nay appearance. An angry mutter
/ swept through the audience and the entire
! house rose % ono man Instantly Gen For
rest leaped from bis box on the stage and held
I up his hand. 'Stopr he Numbered; what
/ does this meant Alr. Florence Is my friend
/ shall protect him Wasn't that o thrilling
situationi
Mai - rose in the audience and stated
/ O number Of offensive remarks which had
/ been circulated as coming from mo; among
others that there was not q gentleman in the
whole south Fancy my making such hope
( iessly insane statement as that When be
had finished bis Indictment / stepped down
70 the footlights and said: Gentlemen, IL
being born under the Stars and Stripes is d
crime, | must plead guilty. OF all these
other charges / am innocent. have never
uttered any Of these remarks imputed % me.
+ When / had finished, the general, who wa.
standing there by me, said, Is that enough,
gcntlemenr and yell Of assent went up; then
three cheers for Gen. Forrest, and then three
/ for Billy Florence, after which the play pro
ceedod, and | must say never had moro
/ sympathetic, appreciatiye and enthusiastic
audience.
"You should have seen the choice collec-
ton Of decayed cabbagcs and rotten eggs
which was gathered up the next morning
when the theatre was swept out o, they
came loaded for mel Years after that night
Ireceived letter from tho man who had
tried 10 injure mo 50 badly. He was near
death, and wrote full confession Of how be
had circulated thess reports, and forwarded
the letter 10 tho major who had led the mob
that night. But shall always believe that
heaven itself sent Gen Forrest that night to
help me out Of that scrape Chicago Ir!-
bune =
4. ". Pierce, Of Care Elizabeth, Ne, owns
ono Of the largest poultry farms in New Eng
land ic has at present. between 1900 and
lffs1.