Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1890-09-19

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thi is ma lady
would prove fatal, and Mr. Boucicault
himself recognized tho fact that he was
doomed man. In spite Of his physicians
advice last week he iourneyed TO Daly's
theater, where Sol Smith Russell was per
forming his play A severe attack OF heart
disease ensued, and he was compelled TO
leave the theatre Last Saturday he went
10 the Madison Square theatre to make
preparations for continuing his School of
Acting.
1t was raining in torrents and he caught
a terrible cold. Pneumonia set In and
ended his remarkable career The last per-
son he recognized was his wife, profession
ally known aa Louise ThoFndyke.
MIR. Bouoleault'a Career.
There can bo no doubt that in the death
of Dion Boucfeault the light Of a great and
wonderfully versatile genius has gone out
A most successful dramatist, and an actor
of protean talents, IL is idle to deny to
Boucicault the measure OF his deserving
Mr.. Boucicauit was born In Dublin. Dec
20, 1922 HIS father was refugee from
France and his mother Dublin woman.
He wgas not over . ysAEs % When hc eeeg
gan To attract attention by the spirited
way in which he played Irish roles A
lighter foot, more tuneful voice and a
more catchy humor had not struck the
province In many year.
A Great Hit at Eighteen.
He was still STRIPPING when he aston
ished the world with London Assurance,
the play above all others, unless il be '''The
Shaughraunn with which his name will
be associated in the future. Well might
he speak the familiar verse, You'd scarce
expect one OF my age,p when Charles
Matthews lead him, blushing youth OF
| is, before the curtain. He was greeted
with wild cheers aud scored great tri-
umph. There Is no doubt that Boucicault
was helped in the writing Of London As
surance" by the suggestions of John
Brougham, but that generous fellow gave
honest credit TO Boucicnult as the real au-
thor to whom credit for ii belonged.
Ills Matrimonial Troubles.
The success Of London Assurance
brought Boucicault to London. He was
borne up on a high wave Of success He
was attached to the Princess theatre under
contract with Charleg Heaqe, who gave him
Zoo Year to adapt French plays. Louis
XII was one Of the plays Which he wrote
under this contract. and 1t was played with
great success by Keane and Ellen Tree in
1855, On the death of his first wife he
married Miss Agnes Roberts u, the adopt
ed daughter Of Mrs. Charles Kean. Six
children were the result of this marriage,
yet it ended in disaster. He was accused
Of starving and beating her, and in the pro
ceedings for divorce which she brought
she made terrible charges against him
| charges which he denied with tears
Before his family skeleton WAS aired
| Boucicault was everywhere hailed as
prince among good fellows. He spent his
money like lord. He was witty, sociahle
and attractive, and as a conversationalist
he had few equals. His marital troubles
estranged many Of his friends.
His Plays
Boucicault himself could not name all
the plays which had come from his pen,
but he once gave list OF those which have
survived p and it is as follows;
"London Assurance, Used Up, Irish
Heiress,n "Old Heads and Young Hearts, y
Love and Money! The Willow Copse,
Love in a Maze,n "Corsican Brothers" I"
Faust and Marguerite" Louis XII"
Janet PRIDE Life of an Actress. =
Streets OF New York. Jessie Brown
Dot "Octoroon,n "Jeannie Deans"
colleen Bawn,n ARA ma Pogue," How
She Loved Him, y Hunted Down. Long
Strike, "Formosa," Flying Scud, ~ al
ter Dark" "Elfe,n rip Van Winkle,s
Lost at Sen, +" Foul Play, f" lied Astray,"
Daddy O'Dowd, Y Kerry" "Shaugraun," !"
forbidden Fruit, y "The Jilt" and "The
Tale Of Coat, the last Of which was re-
Gently produced by Sol Smith Russell.
These thirty-tive plays were performed
on an average $50 nights each by their first
run, exclusive Of reyivals and reproduc-
tions, making about 5000 nights. Il has
been calculated that during the last twenty
five years there has not been single night
on which some one Of the immense roper
toire of this dramatist has not been played,
either IN the United States, Great Britain
or Australia. It is estimated that the pub
lie have paid $4,000, 900 to see his plays
acted
An indefatigable student, hard and
quick worker who loved his work better
than any recreation; "A hard hitter and
generous forgiven. man who knew human
nature through and through and who
could catch 1t on his pen and burnish it
in his inimitable acting, powerful con-
troversialist and philosopher, there never
was but one Dion Boueicault and there is
not likely TO be another.