The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-11-06
GIVES HIS STORY
FORMER ACTOR VISITED WICHITA
AND MAKES A PHOTO
John Fisher, the Waterman ut the Police
Station, Is Paid a Nightly Visit by q
Man who was once Noted Actor, and
to-day Is a Crayon Artist of no mean
Ability, but Strong Drink has Reduced
the Talented Man Until to-day he Is
Known as a Common Tramp-How he
Began his Downward Career.

Last night there strolled into the po-
lice station a typical bum" He in
quired of John Fisher. who was on duty,
If he could not furnish him the price f
a drink. The officer informed the man
that il was positively against the orders
Of the commissioners TO give out drinks
and asked him II he did not know that
ne was in Kansas.
] The man claimed he did not, and
with a sad sigh sat down in chair OPP
posite the officer. He let his head fall
in his hands and sat there humming a
tune. He finally noticed a pencil ly-
ing on the table and eagerly began
| drawing the picture of John Fisher.
The pencil fairly flew over the paper
and IN few minutes he laid before the
| astonished officer the best picture he
| had ever seen of himself.
John knew the man was a genius and
had story. He at once grabbed the
telephone bell and called an Eagle re-
| porter who at once responded. John
showed him the picture and the follow
| ing story was secured:
He is not yet so years of age but he
| has had a life that has made an appar-
| emily old man of him. He was an actor
and was for years in the stock COM
| pany of Ben De Bar in St Louis. He
was favorite comedian in those days,
and after the play he was won't 70 go
| to Tony Fausts and the English
Kitchen" where he told funny stories,
sang songs and recited for the benefit
of the ''bloods'' who always followed
theatrical favorites. Wine and beer and
even something stronger was INDUCED
in and l,1Iz Ir-s,-
him. As he says he had too much
prosperity. He could sing, too, could
this man, and on Sundays when there
was no performance he joined the choir
in more than one church and lifted up
his voice in tuneful worship Of the Sa-
vior of men. Then the stock company
was diSbanded and a new system pre-
vailed when every star carried with
him or her a special company. This
was a sorry day for our actor, for like
Othello, his occupation was gone. He
sang in concerts in the gardens Of ST.
Louis and occasionally sang in the
churches. but there was nothing in IL,
and he began engraving, at which he
was an expert. The appetite for liquor
created while ne was a public favorite
chung to him and to crafty it he began
singing in saloons and concert halls,
doing engraving when he could get a
drink no other way. So he drifted
away from ST. Louis and is now m
Wichita, wreck of his former SELF do
ing almost anything to get liquor TO
satisfy his burning thirst. The man
can speak several languages and when
sober is most interesting talker, es-
pecfally on the subject Of plays and
players. He is a most harmless indi-
vidual, but in his cups is much of a null
Sance.
He Is called tramp" by many and
IS laughed at but the man has talent and
had he the strength of will TO break
away from the drinking habit might
make a good living at least and aban-
don the Bohemian life he is now leading
But he will not do it, the habit is too
strong and one of these days the papers
will chronicle his death and the coro-
ner's jury will bring in a verdict
of death from the excessive use Of
alcohol"
When he had finished his story the
policeman handed him a quarter and
told him to go to the restaurant and get
something to eat; but he had no sooner
struck the street till he began to in
quire for some place like Missouri
where he could get a drink