New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-20
DRAMATIC TO THE END.
HENRY AvELING SIGNS \ CONTRACT WITH
DEATH.
-IIE WANTS no FLUMMERIES' AT
EISEpAI

HIS FUNERAL
| Information that Henry Avcling welknown actor,
had committed suicide I'm the Sturtevant House. at
| Broadway and Twenty eighth st., was conveyed to
| Coroner Messemer on Wednesday evening. Avelngs
death had been discovered by the hotel people III the
afternoon but 1t not known how long he had been
dead. Care was taken conceal the facts from the
police and from the public until yesterday morning,
| when the actors body was removed to Undertaken
Kipp's shop in First ave. An investigation 10y the po
lice yesterday led them to believe that Avelne took
poison on The evening OF 81. PatrckS Day. He reg
stccd at the hotel that day. and Room No. 3O1, on
the fifth floor. assigned to him. In the evening
he met Archibald Cooper, another actor. in front OF
Inrkcrs, at. Broadway and Thirty four;hst and in.
vited him in to have drink. In front of the bar
Avcling said :" going 10 kill myself tonight lou
are having your last drink with me-
Cooper thought Avcng joking and said
| Aveling took from his pocket package marked
cyanide of potassium "Fve signed for this no
said; now. how much OF It will kill IA man - Cooper
said he didn't know. lie walked with Avcling to the
| drug store OF bartlett & Pummcr in broadway and
there Avellng looked In copy Of the pharmacopOca
and read II takes five grains to destroy lfc' Then
turning to clerk AvelinG asked. Would that kill me
| II | took the whole OF il ~ The clerk said. Yes,
| there is enough there for twenty men, As Avclna
had been drinking freely the did not think his re-
marks were 10 be- taken seriously. In front Of the
drug store Aycling gave Fl to bcggar, saying I've
no further for the money He parted from Cooper
with the remark. "Gooiby shall not you again.
sec that there, Little church Around the Corner bus
| mess fiummcry me, YOU know
Before he met Cooper he had been at the Actors
| Fund Rooms in Twenty erhth,t. and had paid 81 In
| duo, to secretary Gurncy. He also had paid some
commissions To Mrs Fernando on account Of his re
cent engagement with the Paul kauvar' company.
| His engagement had terminated in Philadcphia on
saturday night.
At the Siurtcyant House IL said yesterday that
Avclng about the hotel in the forenoon oi
Wednesday and had asked for letter. lie went 10 his
| room some time after noon, IL was said. At p. m
chambcrmad tried To get into the room and found the
door Locked the inside. There was no response 10 ri
| knocking She informed clerk. who broke into the
found AvcIine dead on the bed. iicsdc the
body was small vial Of cyanide Of potassium. and ii
was plain that the actor had killed himself with the
poison. on table In the room wcrc two undated
notes one OF them was m an envelope addrcN>cd t.
GcoGrcy stein, No. 467 II st., Washington. 1t read a.
follows
To the Carcasc who may find my shell, Greeting.
First. l wish william Sheldon. o' the Jim the
Pcnman" Co.. to do a. he likes with my remains
and hereby constitute him sol, owner of every cent
die possessed ot. matter IN what shape u'' any
property bc.
And | ask william aforesaid to be good enough to
prevent Miss Mlt'cns wnett from appearing IN any
In ob'equlc,. ANELlN'''
The other was in an envelope marked " Miss Clara
| Thompson and Rad:
Clara Dear We could not live ~ We wished and so
ro-into the great futurlty Find me there darling II
you can. hENN1'
In a pocket Of AvclinGs coat letter. worn
| and soilcd by being carried abont long time. 1t
wa written I'm 10,d hand on paper which bore one
| corner the stamped heading brunswick House
Restaurant 30 Baronnc-st. " o., La; W. J. Brode.
Prop With some difficulty the letter was read as
| follows:
January "A.
| Mr.. Ayellng: I wish 10 understand am aware
| q everything. Believe me- mean business. and an
quite pretard b. 20 each and ind ont the relationship
between us, but VIII readily waive all claim 10 your val
u6bc s,f Tor a small consideration think ~ y"u have
engagement - per cen; Il what Won earn + faf
II You prefer r VIII come to Nc".Yor1 and Howe
& Iiuumd Will decide FOR but without wishing To
condonc a crime promise and you have s"4' Know"
edge II my chlract % that VII observe t'' Su't"'t
quiet II you VIII make some provision by which can
live. | would no. make that request but for the sian
der you have midr against about opinH'otinS aud
such things that have helt me ont of respectable theatres"
50 YOU SEQ am no. afraid Of anything you do or
say. a. you have done all the injury that could be-
done. 4 =. O. o. tn Marguerite Eeni>on. General ro,'
office or through IAyauthal. Jey'lcr Canalst VIII DC
o. X MARGUERITE HENSON.
| Ayellng had made mention Of Tie bla'hiniihS
bttcr apparently. Whether Wa' written Ia 'ah'''y
last or more than year ago. could not be determined
Among tlc actor, eject, were datr book. half hlled
with addresses, a pawutckct for svG watch and
10 - IN cash
Miss Nitcns Willctt mentioned in ono OF his notes,
Wa, his wife She lives with her mother at No. -
East Foutcenth-st and il an acrc-' IN Cara Morris
! COMPANY. she had separated from Avclnt months
ago on account Of his Incorporate habits, and Is sald To
have planned T. get a divorce They were married IN
l--4.
Miss Clara Thompson, to whom AVclinS wrote MS
last ucs,ngc (, an actre,s, living at No J1} west
Twenty ->econdst They played together In the tray
cng Paul kauvar7 company, and came 10 TINS 'IE
from philadclphia on Monday with other members ot
the company SI. said yesterday that she h1d NOT
been partlclafly intimate with Avclng. ana hd pt
sc.n Iim since Monday lie Wa, man of cheerful
disposition she said and lad not said any thlnS 70 III
dicate that he intended 10 commit suicide.
Nnrglertc BENSON said 10 be- an Enfll'h a'tPN'
who came TO this city with ANcllug. ana was hIo"h
for three year, ~ Mrs. AVcus.' OF tls STAG
Henry AVcling was an fheh-hinah 10y DIT "t'
VA, Of good family. his father being "A cerSNlhdi'
Ecfpr-. hc came this country he had ac'i b'tn ,n
London and In the province lt had 49, U, Un, i'
the British army. aud had travelled h Ihdli h'na,
Africa and Australia. lie appeared IN thlc o'Y l1r W
first fine in september 1-1D. supporting Dauci hHhu,
man m Narci,,cr at IN" standard Theatre. ne % %n1N
PLAYED In various companies since then ne suppoleu
Frederick Waric for a time. playing me ,rH ptu'
and was DISCHARGED by him on account Oh MS In'lH'
uerate habits ard c-cngaZcd two or tcf uin',
lie was member ~ the Madison Hluar' road conpa!
which ui,ynd Jim the Pcnman." snd his lat "nEaSc
ment vxs I'm Paul Kauvar." in which he played inc
title part. succeeding Joseph liaWortn. .ia,,
IL /, said that AVcng had often ldlhed Oh ou'"r
and had even tried tD illl himself ~ one umt'
Willie travelling on the road he was assigned 10 d
room with two ether actors. Whe thcY VIZ ,,' a.rvP
he filled mn all the crcyices Of the doors aud windows
and turned ON the gas lie forgot, however u cIH'
the fireplace. aud the draft sent the gas UP "c
chimney.