Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-07-12
MY PRETTY RED ROSE
The AUTHOR OF THAT AND MANY
OTHER POPULAR SONGS DEAD.
Joe skeIIy Passes Away In q Charity
Hospital In Utter Poverty--A Pathetic
story Of Genius Marred by Drink.

Hospital In Utter Poverty--A Pathetic
story Of Genius Marrcd by Drink.
Joseph p. Skelly, the well known COM
poser and song writer, died few days ago
in room attached to the charity ward of
St. Francis hospital, New York. When Ii
was known, there was only one mourner,
Skelly's sister.
Joseph p. Skelly began writing songs
when he was 10 years old, and before he
had reached his twenty first year his songs
were sung In almost every quarter OF the
land. One of his early successes was "Only
Been Down to tho Club, published 20
years ago. The music was catchy, and
the minstrels made the song popular.
Skelly sold the song for Sl5 and the pub
Usher made q fortune out of IL. The author
never regretted the transaction, however,
for the publisher advertised the song ex-
tensively, and this seyed to introduce
Skelly to the other publishers. Frederick
Blume, now dead, had place then on the
Bowery, and he sent note to Skelly ask
ing him to submit manuscript. Skelly
replied that he would rather write senti-
mental song. Blume told him to go ahead,
and the result was Skelly's most popular
song, my Pretty Red Rose, and the one
that made Dave Wambold, the minstrel,
famous. Blume sold half a million copies
of the words and music Of the song and
cleared over $50, 600. All that Skelly got
out of it was 5000.
After writing half hundred songs
that met with little success Skelly pro-
duced what he called hts masterpiece, "The
Old Rustic Bridge blythe Mill, +" published
In 1881. His next venture was tho music
al score for n comic OPERA but this proved
a failure. Up to this time Skelly had been
getting along fairly well. The death Of his
mother now caused change in him. He
would sit for hours In the back room OF
saloon lamenting his mothers death and
drowning his sorrow In strong drink. 1t
was after he had taken TO drink that he
wrote the music of "Sweet Dreams of
Mother and Home Finally Henry j.
Wehman entered into an agreement with
Skelly by which he was to publish exclu
sively all Of his compositions. But Skelly
failed to keep the agreement, and he was
continually looking for ready cash. When
he got it, he never stopped drinking until
1t was gone.
One day he came into Wehman's place,
saying that he needed money very badly.
"I'll sit down here at that piano." said
he, land I'll compose new song. feel
1t coming. Quick, get me some paper. 1t
will be the most sentimental song / ever
wrote, and know it will be hit"
Then he commenced lingering the piano
keys nervously, all the time humming
words In an undertone. Rising, he walked
up to the desk and wrote "The Dying
Girls Message" He wrote out the notes
on piece of wrapping paper and then
placed the words beneath them. The
beauty of the song, its catchiness and tho
offhand manner in which It was written
completely captivated the publisher, who
exclaimed as he handed Skelly a check:
Are you sure this is originalr.
Skelly answered, "If 1t isn't, I'll eat
that check, but as it is I'll drink it," Then
he went away TO get his check cashed in o
Bowery barroom.
Skelly wrote 'The Face Upon the Bar
room Floor" IN saloon with q bottle Of
whisky on table beside him. After writ
ing this song he staggered down Park
row and sold the song to Publisher Web
man. With the money he received he went
on a spree that landed him in the charity
hospital on Blackwell's island He next
turned up in the alcoholic ward at Belle
~ue. When he left there, he was broken
In health and decided to stop drink
.ow- disappeared and was not heard Of |
ng. ne :" baunts, the Bowery lodg-
'rouho MS oi., some one reported that !
,e had returned to the ptu ~ tr.o on hiaoA'
Wells island. This prove W. 40
Skelly was born in New 70 ~ years
.go. He never married. In his p. ''poious
lays he lived at the best hotels, but to Sne
ast two years he frequented the BoweI.e
lodging houses. es.-New York Sun.