The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-06-18
4 feasoEEH ftyoKlTE.
An Ex-ousen Of the Stage in Retire
mont in Washington

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Living il ebscurity and anost povert,
in one of South Washington's numerou
alleys is q woman who was once a su
preme favorite before the footlights o
the leading theaters in this country. He
name is Mary MuI&t, and her residapc,
and hunble frame tenement in'ths liitl'
alley on Maine avenue. near Third stree
southwest, She still retains traces of bel
former beauty, and delights to talk o
the days when she was the idol of thu
bald head rows.
( Mary left the stage soon after the wal
and never returned to it. She is now
about 81 years Of age. although still act
tive and vivacious. Her humble home, q
somewhat dilapidated two story frame, il
decorated with pictures of noted actors
and actresses, showing that her thopgbts
still drift backward to her palmiest days
Mary derives her support from . son, who
has daily work and nobly supports bis
mother in her declining years.
She is talented woman and has trav-
eled in nearly every part of the globe.
She showed the Post reporter scar on
Der head caused by cocoanut thrown at
her from tree by monkey, while she
was travelling on the Island Of Madagas-
car with party of English tourists in
1868. After she had recovered conscious
ness, Mary asked young English aristo-
Graf, who bad become deeply enamored
of her, to catch one of the monkeys, as
she desired to make pet Of it and teach
it better manners. In describing the
efforts of the young man to accomplish
this purpose, she laughd heartily.
"Why," she said, s.the mischevious an
finals would wait until he got within q
few feet of them, when away they would
go heller skelter. And oh, my, how the
little rascals did lombard my English
friend with cocoanuts, until he was finally
forced to retreat and give up the chase. +"
Mary Murat enjoyed an intimate &C
auaintance with J. Wilkes Booth, the
assassin of President Lincoln She still
speaks of him endearingly and calls HIM
AWilky." She maintains with earnestness
that Booth is still alive, and that the man
who was shot by Boston Corbett was some
other man.
"Wilky was in my room only few
minutes before he shot the president"
she said. "He came in hurriedly and was
much excited. ! asked him what the
trouble was and be replied, 'Oh, nothing;
l am not feeling WE'LL He then asked
me if had any liquor. replied yes
and produced a bottle of cognac. / no
ticed that he was shaking like an aspen.as
he poured out goblet brlming full of the
liquor. said: why, Wilky, you must
be trying to get drunk 'Oh, no. said
he, this won't hurt me- We had few
moments conversation, when he arose
and went out. It was not long after he
left that ! heard people on the street
shouting The presidents shot, I did
not dream for an instant that he had
committed the act, and did not learn the
truth till the following morning"
At the time of the assassination Mary
Murat had rooms on F street, between
Ninth and Tenth streets, and they could
be easily reached from the alley in the
rear of the old Ford theater. Her apart-
ments were then the resort of many lead
ing actors and actresses. She was &C.
quainted with the elder Booth, and re-
ferred to him as "Pap Booth"
Mary is now nearing the horizon of her
life, and in the dim twilight she can, no
doubt, see the forms and faces of many
of those who shared her former CLONES,
but who have gone before.