Evening journal., 1891-11-20
ACTOR FLORENCE DEAD
The Curtain Falls on a Great
Comedians Life.
HIS POPULARITY WAS WORLD WIDE

Loved and Admired in America and
Great Britain as a Great Actor, Gull
tured and Noble Hearted Gentleman,
and Prince Of Boa vlvAnts aad Jokers.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 90 - William J.
Florence died at $40 o'clock last night In
his rooms in the Continental hotel The
end was altogether unexpected. The pa
tient had been rallying steadily ever since
Tuesday night, and so strong was the be-
lief that be was on the road TO recovery
that Mr. Florence's brother, Inspector
Conlin, left on the o'clock train Tor New
York. He felt sure then. from the cheer
full demeanor Of the sick man, that he had
passed the critical point The same old
CHEEKY smile was on his face, and be was
able to chat and joke, and assure his
brother that he would be out OF bed in a
day or two.
Two hours after Mr. Florence sank into
a state Of coma, which so alarmed his
valet that he sent for DIR. Donellan.
The End Had Come.
The physician saw instantly chat the
end had come, and twenty minutes later
the actor had breathed his last The only
persons present besides Mrs. Barney
Williams and Mrs, Wyard were the doctor
and the servant. A cable message was
sent 20 Mrs Florence telling her that her
husband was critically ill., The friends
could not tell the blunt truth that took
from most devoted wife one OF the
noblest and most devoted Of husbands
Mr. Florence's death was primarily due
to double pneumonia. The immediate
cause was heart failure.
The body will be kept embalmed until
the arrival Of Mrs. Florence She viii sail
from England Saturday
Mr. Florence's Career.
William j. Florence, whose family name
is Conlin, was born in Albany, July %, 1881.
He was always "Billyn Florence. On the
playbills only was he William J. Florence.
From one end of the country to the other
people will hear the news of his death with
a sense of personal loss. Everybody loved
him. With him dies a score OF people
whom he made-people whom others fash
ioned into human shape, but whom Billy
Florence lighted with that divine spark
which made them live and be And in
years TO come, when tongue or fancy re
| calls the comedian, the minds eye will SEE
the shadowy forms Of the Hon. Bardwel
Slote, Captain Cuttle, Sir Lucius O'Trigger
OF the stage he was an incorrigibls
/ Joker, the prince Of raconteurs, bon viyani
and bibliophile, the sentimentalist anC
! gourmet, and one Of the finest gentlemen
and best actors the stage has ever had
/ For forty-two years "Allyn Florence ha
been making people love life as he loves
it. II WAS in 1s49 that he went upon tn
stage. When he was boy he was a men
ber Of the Murdoch Dramatic association
OF New York city He said Hold off, ii
''Evadne" at the Bowery theater in 1915
but his first real speaking part was a
Peter in "The Stranger" at Richmond, Va
His First Success.
After a season Of hard work and late Il
/ 1851 Florence appeared in Providence, r
l., playing Macduff to the elder Booth
Macbeth He also played Laertes will
Booth. He was with Forrest also, playini
Titus, Richmond and Lucullus 1t was il
I April 1852, that Florence made his frs
pronounced success. 1t was in whimsi
cality fashioned by Brougham and calle'
"A Row at the Lyceum; or, Green Room
Secrets.p II was supposed to represent
rehearsal. The following August Flor
ence appeared hs Iofu 1lhseis IN In
Hunchback." in the Broadway theater
He was very successful Florence wa
married Jan. /, 1853. His wife had beei
Malvina Pray, one Of the Pray sisters
dancers and sketch actresses. Mrs. Flor
ence soon made name for herself as
comedienne. Their characters she as
Yankee girl, he as an Irish boy, mad
them the talk Of the town.
As Practical Joker.
Il was about this time that Florence be
gan to be known as practical joker III
and the elder Sothern were engaged Ia ia
Vulnerable pranks. One day Southeri
had invited Lord Fitzroy, the son of tn
Duke Of Beaufort. 10 breakfast. Will
she host was ont OF the room Florence per