Telegram-herald., 1890-09-22
CHARLOTTE CHAMPION.
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TffsT etFfED ACTRESS
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aaAieyea fznle sna fortune as fzsea-
nzEsag story teller. foand hiElss-E strand
e. op the lard har - poverty, snd took
refuge IN tAs cll homestead zt A&ck-o-
eAee. tie had tired acting and fzilsd,
soldering IA Mexico. and came our rec
oguizsd - ths bravcst of the brave, with
: decoration IN ths shape q an ugly
No1nd giyea him ~ the foe al Ch22ai-
tepsc. bat vita al empty pocket; then
be w-oss PLAYS ard poetry. % mad ire
one unread and TIE other damned he
had. however. sn Irish-nan's buoyancy
of splrit. and hope smiled eternal through
his hons Of gloom.
tie hzi oae play, "Lou's Sacrifice,
that had failed 70 win popularity al
though the character OF the hero Was
rendered by himself. and he was gTieved
az is failure. Il was beautiful pro
ductioa. full of poetic expression. but
backed tho dramatic quality 50 necessary
10 success The characters were shaa-
owy and stilted. and the action without
that pivotal tarn which excites and
gratiiies interest, and from necessity d.
yiGes play into three or FIVE acts. he
was reading it 70 ms when / said:
Reid. you don't understand this
thing. Your play lacks action. Ia a
comedy man in shoes must kick fel-
low IN top boots al over the stage. La
tragedy Almira. the oppressed maiden,
must stab the count, deep dyed vii
lain. after she has been pulled through a
c2nebrake Of direful distress. Here, let
Us set up a tragedy"
About that time a poor, half crazed
woman. deserted by her husband ard
robbed Of her children. had murdered
the mistress Of her liege lord, and popu-
lar sympathy ran so high at Cincinnati
that the fair assassin was acquitted
amid roars Of appreciation, and the nus
band narrowly escaped lynching at the
hands OF mob.
There continued. ''is lovely sub
ject. Let Us Try it on"
Reid entered into the spirit Of the
thing, and in ashort time we had melo-
drama OF the bloodieSt sort that we
meant in fact TO be burlesque One
Of the stage directions. for example.
read, dip Lovsttin barrel of red paint
and pitch him, with a rope about his
neck. upon the stage" When the work
was done we called it "Retribution" and
mailed it to Charley BarTass, subse-
quently tho author OF the Black Crook.
then ut Cincinnati. Charley turned the
drama over to n little Hebrew then man
aging Woods theatre. and the guileless
child of Israel put it solemnly upon the
stage. Reid and | were amazed TO learn
from the press that our burlesque was a
great success as a serious piece of work.
We slipped down 10 Cincinnati TO find
out if possible what was the matter with
our parody on such plays. We thought
TO have it greeted with roars of laughter
instead of tears. Hid in box we had
revelation.
The leading character. that Of the
murderous wife, was done by sn actress
then billed as Charlotte Wilkinson, and
who was alterward called Charlotte
Champion. She was n little creature Of
about %, OF exquisite form and mar
vel Of beautiful head. The clear cut
features came out from a perfect oval Of
a face that had not only delicacy but
strength. Her large lustrous eyes seemed
to illumine the stage, while her voice, of
rare sweetness, had a compass as wide as
it was thrilling She was crude. it is
true, and had the sing-song intonation so
common 70 uncultured actors. But
Il .Irf 80 .f Z.
fall conception Of her part and the
strange power she exhibited in her rem
dition.
Mayne Reid told me years after, when
we last parted at New York, that the
one thing tnat clung TO him as vivid
fash Of memory was the murder scene
in that aboninable play of "Retribu-
ton" Il Is 80 with me- feel in It's
memory as IL were recalling an actual
assassination. The little genius had
worked the interest up through her
scenes Of tearfL pleadings with her
beas.iy husband for her children, he
helding these children 70 force the mother
10 give up their little patrnony Then
she sought the mistress TO appeal to her
The scene was Of a goEgeously furnished
apartment, for JOvett was q gay villain
OF course. and opened with the two sin
ners at breakfast Afser a short dia-
logue, IN which the hard nature % these
characters was shown. Lovett left. and
the wife entered she began in low,
clear voice. that hal in it al appeal to
tears the house could not resist The
woman, unmoyed, responded IA sneeTs
and ridic1le.
As the mother proceeded she smoke of
her little ones. who were hungcring for
her love. and fxed her eves upon a door
AZ if believing it slant them from her.
She looked 80 visifally a. that door. and
started tvico as IF 60 force It oren. And
then, with a fixed stare of one insaDe.
she rszed ss r she saw thea. and tho
look foll0wei along tbe wall, around
the room. unal it ere -untered tho ruis-
trees. then with q wilj shrek she rushed
Ike p ti~rsss at t8e wretch. SEEING ths
woman by tee throat SIZE buried her
down. tbea dragged her 90 the table.
no'fiaE % tie throat with tha left hand
whils gazing hT1alr down upon keF We
tira. she fslt over the tsble for q weapon.
Se-urrz the carving knifs at lsst shs
plunged it egsi1 srd srsa imto ths
breast & the s-zusg eg crsat1ra
Inst fee ing over tha iahls vas ire
most hoTribis riecs of baslaess ever 3ore