Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-25
WORRIED TO DEATH.
Sudden Demise of Alice Townsend,
the Burlesque Star Actress.
GRIEF OVER THE LOSS OF HER CAR.
She Appeared on the Academy Stage on
Wednesday Evening.
CURIOUS STOPPAGE OF HER CLOCK

Upon q bed IN room Al of the American
House last evening lay the inanimate form
of Alice Townsend, a member of Lily
Clay's company, which played at the Acad-
envy of Music last week. Pacing the room
and ever and anon wiping the tears from his
ewes was her husband, Sam Jack, manager
of the company. At the foot of the bed
stood several theatrical people who had
played with the dead woman. The body
was covered with a sheet, but the husband
removed it every few moments to take a
look at the dead woman's face.
Mrs. Jack died yesterday afternoon at
the hotel, of nervous prostration. She had
been suffering for the past ten days under
q severe mental strain, caused by the
trouble on her car at Youngstown. Her
husband cancelled date there and the car,
which was the property of Mrs. Jack, was
attached. The matter was not settled for
week, and Mrs. Jack worried considerably
about it. She played with the company at
the Academy until "Wednesday night, when
she had to retire to her room. On Thurs
day she was too iii to appear, and was confined
to her bed. She grew weaker day by day. un-
I'll yesterday afternoon. when she expired
HISTORY OF HER HOME.
The car which caused the trouble and which
her husband SAYS was the cause of her death,
was purchased for her by her husband. About
a year ago. while playing at the Academy, her
husband said he would buy her little home in
Allegheny. He visited a real estate agent and
the couple went to look at the house. The lat
ter was up on hilly street in the lower part OF
Allegheny City and they did not like the house.
After trying other places Mr.. Jack gave the
house up and decided to purchase car, which
SnyiFa oil bpr
While in Chicago he purchased Pullman
sleeping and parlor car for Sll goo, and his wite
made her home in 1t. 1t was fitted up with all
the cOnvenIences for comfort. AT one end was
a kitchen, where the meals of the couple were
prepared. The remainder of the car was
divided off into dining and sleeping apart
mentS. The interior was handsomely furnished
and decorated by the little actress and was
made as attractive as anv home In this city.
When her home was seized by the Sheriff she
worried herself until she became sick.
Mrs Jack was born in Cynthiana, KY, Au-
gust Il, 1860. She was raised and educated in
Louisville and made her first appearance upon
the stage in Canada with Max Strakosch. when
she was Is years of age. Since then she has
been singing in comic opera and buresque.
She was married to Sam T. Jack, January %,
1850, while the latter was manager of the house
at which she was playing in Boston.
COULDN'T STOP THE SHOW.
An attempt was made by Mr.. Jack to stop the
performance of the show at McKeesport last
night The company is playing at the Opera
House at that place, but the messenger sent to
stop the show got there a few minutes too late.
A telegram was sent but as usual with
short distance kilograms. 1t was not de-
hvered until after the messenger sent after it
had appeared. Not hearing from Mckeesport,
Mr.. Jack sent the clerk at the American House,
Mr.. Ford, to stop the performance. The clerk
got there al 10 minutes past S, just as the cur
tain had gone up. The news Of the death of
Mrs. Jack caused great sorrow among the men,
bers of the company.
A curious circumstance in connection with her
death was the stoppage of clock, which she
had purchased but the day before. She sent
out for the clock TO have it where she could
look at 1t and tell when to take her medicine,
1t was noticed by her husband and the people
about the hotel that the clock stopped about
the same minute she expired.
The dead woman had a national reputation
and was known all over the country by her
stage name-Alice Townsend. She was half
sister OF Alice Stokes, and a sister of Lee
". Townsend. the advance agent of Stuart
Robson.