The herald., 1893-06-07
Off THE STAGE OF LIFE
toontinusd from First pase.l

lUonunu9d from rlret paee.I
was born In Fulham, England, Decem-
Der o, 1861. Alter their return to Amer
ica, Mrs. Booth, sinking under sudden
illness, died at Dorchester, Mass, Feb
ruary II, 1868.
While in England, Sooth appeared at
the London Haymarket theater. enact
ing Shylock, Sir Gies and Richslieu.
The latter part, with which almost as
much as with Hamlet, his name ie
identified. he had first assumed at Sac
ramento, CAL, in July, 1855. His per-
iormance of 1t was much admired In
London, and also ct Liverpool and Man
chester.
On returning to America. Booth coon
became manager of the Winter Garden
theater, New York. Here Booth ap-
peared December 20, 1862, and with
this house he was associated until
destroyed by FIRE. Here he
effected magnificent productions oil
Hamlet, Othello, The Merchant Of Ven
ice, RicheIieu and other plays, and ac-
complished the remarkable achievement
of running Hamlet for 100 consecutive
nights, an exploit that was commem-
GRATED by the public presentation to
him, January 22, 1867, OF gold medal
suitably inscribed, and offered in behalf
Of leading citizens of New York.
Booths brother-in-law, the celebrated
comedian, John s. Clarke, WAS his part
ner in the management OF the Winter
Garden, and they associated with
themselves an old journalist and
theatrical agent, William Stuart (real
name, Edmund O'Flaherty) former
ly OF Galway, Ireland. Clarke q Booth
were also associated in the management
of the Walnut Street theater, Philadel-
phia, from the summer of 1868 till
March, 1870. when the interest of the
former was purchased by the latter.
In April, 1866, an appalling tragedy
(the assassination of President Lincoln
by j. Wilkes Booth, Edwin's brother)
compelled Edwin Booth to leave the
stage, and it was then his wish and pur-
pose never to return to it; but business
obligations constrained him, and he
again appeared at the Winter Garden,
January B. 1866, as Hamlet, and wsH re-
oeived with acclamation by great au-
dience.
April 8, 1868, the cornerstone was
laid for Bopth's theater, at the south
east corner of Twenty-third street and
Sixth avenue, New York, and February
8, 1859, Booth opened the new house
with Romeo and Juliet, Romeo being
played by himself and Juliet by Miss
Mary MoVicker. This lady was the
daughter OF Mrs. Runnion, who became
the wife of James II. MeVicker OF Chi
cago, prominent actor and manager,
and the child'e name was changed from
Runnion to McVicker. Booth married
her June 7, 1862 and she died in New
York in 1881, leaving no children.
Booths theater had q most successful
career of ID years. Its story, however.
ended in May, 1882, when 1t was finally
closed, the last performance in 1t being
Juliet, by Madame Modjeska. After this
il was torn down and block of stores
built on its cite. Booths theater was
managed by Edwin Booth until the
spring OF 1874, when 1t passed out OF his
possession. His stock company at one
time included Lawrence Barrett, Edwin
L. Davenport. j. w. Wallack, jr., and
many other noted actors.
Booth q theater was almost invariably
prosperous house, but IL was not
economically managed, and for this rea-
son 1t eventually carried it's owner into
Bankruptcy. Booth then began his
4reer over again, and in the course of
time paid his debts and earned another
fortune.
In 1876 he made tour OF the south,
which was in fact triumphal progress.
Thousands OF spectators flocked to see
him in every city he visited. In San
francisco, where he acted for eight
weeks, he drew upwards of 10000. In
1880 and again in 1882 he visited Great
Britain and acted with brilliant
success in London and other cities. He
went to Germany in 1882, and was there
received with extraordinary enthusiasm.
In 1883 he returned home and resumed
his starring tours of America, since
which time his career is fresh enough
in the minds Of the public not to need
rehearsing,