The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-01-10
ACTOR OF THE OLDEN TINE
Theodore Hamilton Tells of His Effort
10 Sit Down on Barry Sullivan.
cal Family-Fathera Mother We're Both
First Class ActOrs-NOt in the Late War;,

Theodore Hamilton, who plays the role
of the Governor of Arizona in Men and
Women" is q most genial and entertaining
talker. a raconteur of days gone by. HeI
a Marylander by birth. and during the war
was In the South, the most popular actor in
the Confederacy. Mr.. Hamilton, however.
now that the cruel war is over. is no longer
sectional. One of his hobbies is his intense
Americanism. A Journal reporter met him
during his recent engagement in this city,
and the conversation turned upon an oc-
currence that took place in 1876. and was
much commented on at the time by the
newspapers.
EYES," said Mr. Hamilton, rejecting.
that was in the centennial year. had
taken the Grand Opera-house. New York
city. and we had been playing Around the
World in Eighty Days Barry Sullivan,
the Irish actor. had come to this country,
and was to play in New York. There was
a great stir in that city over the coming of
that distinguished actor, and our Irish fell
low-cltiZens began to paint everything
green. The idea came TO me to secure T.. l..
Davenport, whom / consider the greatest
American tragedian since Forrest; and
against him. 1t was very patriotic idea,
as it then seemed to me. However,
l am somewhat older now. We had the
theater decorated with American flags aud
the colOrs of our country were riding the
air from every window. Sullivan appeared
at Booths Theater, corner of Twenty-third
street and Sixth avenue. under the man.
agement of Jarrett x Palmer. Old Ireland
held sway there. The Irish colors were all
over the house. and the green flag of Erin
was over all. The Irish regiment escorted
Sullivan to the theater. The New York
Seventh offered detail to escort Mr.. Dav-
EXPORT. who replied with some spirit that
he was an American. and required no es-
cort to walk through the streets OF city
of his country.
Where was great excitement over this
contest between the two theaters. and
some feared a riot such as occurred many
Forrest and Mscready. But everything
passed by without trouble. The New York
Herald made q savage attack on Us, and
this had an effect on the better class of
citizens. who thought we were inhospitable
to q stranger"
II understand" said the reporter. "that
you were we'll acquainted with Speaker
Crisp's ia Their; is that truep
Certainly, was We were partners in
theatrical venture in Mobile during the
war. / was associated with HIM for moro
than three years. William II. Crisp. father
of Speaker Charles +. Crisp, was an excel
lent actor, as was also his wife. AS stage
manager he was one OF the best ever saw.
He came from England. His family con-
sisted of two sons and two daughters. am
pleased to give you this none of the news
paper accounts concerning Speaker Crisp's
family that l have seen are entirely cor
rect. One sou and one daughter are dead.
The surviving daughter is now living IN
Chicago. Her husband is q scene painter,
and she mas retired from the stage Cecilia
and Harry are the names of the dead. Chas.
I. Crisp would never 20 upon the stage to
which. even as a child. he had q repug-
nance. In 1868 his father started him in q
drv-goods store, but he soon became dis
gusted with that, sold out and began the
study of law. The father and mother died
In Texas, in 1874 / wish to say of his
father that he was one of the most accom-
plished men have met in forty years ex-
perence, an admIra BILE gent leman both on
and off the stage. The mother was O most
estimahle woman, and had the respect of
everyone.
81 am certain that the newspaper story
that Speaker Crisp served In the Stonewall
brigade is a mistake He was too young.
His brother Harry served with Stonewall.
Virginia. artillery. attached TO the Wash
ington artillery the first year of the war.
After the first year he quit the army and
returned to the stage. After the war he
was the first to open theater in Atlanta.
in the old hall called the Belle Johnson.
see it stated that Speaker Crisp was born
in England. / was under the impression
that he was born In this country, and still
think so. He had no opportunity for edu-
cation. His father and mother were poor;
their struggle for existence. great. He has
made himself entirely. The war left the
Crisps In wretehed poverty, from which
doubt if they ever recovered. / wish to say
If there ever was q specimen of self
made man, one who has risen to an en-
yiable prominence by his own efforts,
through the energy and manliness of his
own character, that man is Charles f.
(,riano