Omaha daily bee., 1893-06-07
EDWIN BOOTH PASSES AWAY
Death Ends the Suffering of Americas
Greatest Tragodian.
HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS WHEN THE END CAME
Surrounded by tho Immediate Members Of
His Family, tho Wen Beloved Actor
Breathcd His Inst When tho
Summons Came.

New York, June 6-Edwin Booth died at
l;l1 o'clock this morning. At the time of
his death he was uncons ,ious, in which con-
dition he has remained since Sunday last.
When the end came Mrs. Edwin A. Gross
man, the tragcdians daughter, had her
hand claspcd in that of her father. Around
the bed stood Mr.. Booths brothcr,in-law,
Superintendent MacGoniglo of the Players
club Mr. Grossman, William Bispham and
Charles Il. Carryl The only other persons
present in the chamber were Dr. ST. Clair
Smith and the nurse.
The small group who watched the last
moments of the famous actor had been
silent witnesses of MIR. Booths last struggle
for life since 10 o'clock, when they wero
summoned to the bedside by the nurse.
Death at that time was momentarily ex,
pected, but 1T was some hours lates
before white handkerchief was seen ia
fiuttcr from the middle window of tho
room in which Mr.. Booth had lain since
April 10. This was the sign that DR.. ST.
Clair Smith had agreed to furnish the small
crowd of reporters who stood oXpectant on
the opposite side of the street. The wava
great tragedian had died. Another
intimaton of the death was the rails
ing of the flag, which floats over the Players
club at half mast. Although the flag could
could not be seen from the street when it
was lowered on its haiyards this morning. it
still beng dark, when the early dawn broke
the stars and stripes might be discerned,
clinging listlessly to the flagstaff, under
which lay the mortal remains of Americas
greo test Hamlet.
Something OF His Iifr.
Edwin Booth was born on his fathers farm
IN Maryland, ffty-scven years ago, on Novem-
Der 13, 1888, and his hstrionic record began
IN IN the class room. John sleeper Clarke was
mounting the, platform on recitation days and
delivering "Mary's Littlo Lamb" would, with
nns sxS or oeTq SfS sernas ro
Shn nkespeare When not at school he travelled
with his father Junius Brutus Booth. They
were deeply attached to each other from the
first, and while Edwin was yet very young his
father made companion Of him In profess
sIonal Journeys. II was in the, course of one of
these tours that Edw in made his first regular
%pIIsn'm, nv sSp,G,mbers 70, l84o The play was
Ill, and the youth came forward in the little
part IS IF IT. Tressil: At first The elder Booth op-
matcly rolinuushed his opposition. He con-
tinued to act with his father for more than
museum.
H.! His first appearance on the New York stage
thCater, Chatham street. AZ the same thea =
in 1851, his father being i'll, he suddenly and
and for the first time in his life enacted tho
part of Richard III. In the summer of 1854
he accompanied his father to san Francisco,
I wherc his elder brother, juniuS Brutus Booth,
jr., had already established himself as an
actor and II theatrical manager, and where
visited other Cities and the elder Booth re.
ma ned in California for about three months.
dressed for Jattlcr in Venice Preserved" thu
elder Booth said to him: ''You look like
Hamlet; why don't you play III"
The suggestion was acted upon, and with
what result the thcatcr-going world Of three
continents we'll knows. Just as the name OF
Rrn IA. insnr r.,t,l tai
Booth is identided with the melancholy prince.
last time. The California period of Edwin
Booths professional career, lasted until tho
traiia In 1856 he took leave Of California,
being ehGerea on ms way syy BY several l7rewell
made rapid tour of all the large cities of the
south being everywhere well received. In
as sir Giles Overreach in "A New Way to Pay
Old Debts" On May IA, 1857, he came for
thcater as Richard Ill, and in the following
August he was again seen in round of great
characters, in all of which he displayed his
On July 7, Ist6c, he married Miss Mary Devlin
Of t Troy ~ odra an actress whom he v had met
| whom he shortly aftcrWard made n visit to
England. Their only, child II daughter, Ed
| After their return to AmerIcn Mrs. Booth
| sinking under sudden illness. died at Dor
| became manager Of the Winter Garden theatre
| New York. Hero Booth appeared on December
M isT MIR @ha by S s " wI"n I' # ho w was
| by fire. A detailed record of his brilliant sue
| ccsses at this theatre would make volume.
Booths brother-in-law, the celebrated CONES
| dian, John 5. Clarke was his partner in tho
management of the Winter Garden theatre
| Clarke and Booth were also associated in the
management of the Walnut Street theatre,
| philadclphin, Pa, from the summer Of 1868
| till March, 1870, when the interest of the lat
| WAS Durc luScQ by the former,
The tragedy OF April, 1868, compelled him
| to leave the stage, and IL was then his wish
and purpose never to return to IL; but bus-
| ness obligations constrained him, and he ap-
| pearcd at the Winter garden on January 3,
acclamntons by n great audience. "Riche.
lieu" was revived that year with much splen-
| vval was made January, 1867, of "'rhe Mer-
| chant OF Venice" In March the theaters%as
e aSS sohs sto wnS laid % q"
thenter, at the south east corner of Twenty
third street and sixth avenue, and(on Feb
ayGa BY Rno,s Rimfsf and Juet M by Nss Mary
leaving no children. liooth''s theatcr had a
adorned With some of the grandest pageants
and graced by the presence or some OF tho
this ds century, Its story however, ended In
May, 1882, when 1t was finally closedits careeI
ended with q, performance of Juliet by Nine,
cluded Lawrence Barrett, Edwin L. Davenport,
j. W. Wnllacll, ir, Mark Smith, Edwin Adams
| A. w. Fcnno, ID, q. Anderson, ID. w. Waller,
Bella Pateman and others-ono OF the ablest
dramatic organizations ever formed in Amer
ca. Among the stars who acted ut his theater
were Joseph Jefferson, Kate Bateman, James
IL, Hackett, Charlotte Cushman, John s.
Clarke, John Il. Owens and James II McVickcr.
Booths theatcr was almost invariably pros
porous house, but IL was not economically
managed, and for this reason, and this alone, II
| eventually carried its owner into bankruptcy.
| lie then began his career over again,
and in course of time paid his debts
and made another fortune. In 1876 lac
made tour of tho south, which was tri-
umphal progress, Thousands OF spectators
| iiocled TO SEQ him In every city that lac yis-
tied. In SAN Francisco, where he acted for
eight weeks, no drew upward Of S06O 900, a
total Of receipts Til then unprecedented on
1882, ho visited Great Britain, and he acted
| with brilliant ssucccss in London and other
| cities. lie went 10 Germany in tho autumn OF
| 1882, aud was there received with cNtraordl-
| nary enthusiasm. In 1888 he returned hople
.s. H.. - A