The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-10
JOHN NOR ON, STORY.
Tragic Tale of His wife's and Friends
Faithlessness.

Soss'"
Tragic Tale of His wife's and Friends
FaifhI.ssness.
From the Chicago Times.
When the rails spread at Coatesville,
Ind, and smashed the coach in which
John w. Norton was riding, man was
done to death who had a curious history,
as romantic as many of the parts he had
from time to time played upon the stage.
John Norton, as everybody called him,
was a tall, spare man, perhaps 80 years
old. He had gone on the stage in 1864 In
minor parts, and, having the gift OF ac-
ouisitiveness. he made money from the
beginning. As they say down east, he
was always forehanded. He never was a
great actor, but he was always success
financially, aud long before 1870 he was
prepared to do his full part in bringing
others upon the stage and launching
actors and actresses who needed n kindly
and we'll filled hand for the beginning OF
their career. Nobody would ever have
heard of Mary Anderson had 1t not been
for the broken and mutilated corpse IN
Indiana, neither would Margaret Mather
ever have come upon the boards OF the
American stage had not John Norton de-
tected the latent talent and brought 1t
out where the folks could see it.
the one man in America TO whom Nellie
Grubb owed her start in life at the old
Thrig's Cave in St. Louis was John Nor
ton, and certainly May Yohe would never
have been heard of had not Norton in
sisted upon placing her upon the boards
of the Chicago Opera house. He was the
close. warm friend of John Mccullough,
of Edwin Booth and of Frederick Warde,
| and there Is probably no theatrical celeb
rity, from Henry Irving to DeWof Hop
per, who will not feel pang of keen re-
pret to learn that John Norton is dead.
The tragedy of his life was entirely off
tho boards. About the end of the '70s he
married Emma Stockman, who was then
| with the Anderson company. an actress OF
some little ability, but woman OF pecu-
liar charm. She was a small, pretty girl,
| with a curious taste in dress and an ability
to construct salads that was unique in st.
Louis, They had an ideal honeymoon,
and they lived an ideal life. Mrs. Norton
| on horseback was one of the show figures
of the St. Louis bouevards. People used
to 60 out upon the drives simply to see
the beautiful, pretty wife of the handsome
manager She was always gowned and
ployed to perfection, and her sweet. baby
| face shone out with dark eyes and an
| aureole of blonde hair underneath hats
that we're the despair of contemporary St.
Louis society. Everybody knew her, and
she knew everybody, including Henry w.
NJ GORE, the managing editor of the Post
Dispatch and Norton's closest friend.
| Norton fell sick almost unto death and
Moore and Mrs. Norton sat up with him
night after night. Nothing could he more
devoted than Moore's conduct, no nursing
more tender. Norton lowered at deaths
door for weeks, and when he was we'll
| enough to get about again 1t was on
| Moore's arm that he took his constitu-
tional of block and back. or course,
Norton could not be SO selfish as 20 KEEP
his young wife in the house every night
and Moore was always ready to squire heI
to the theater or to any other place of on
tertainment that she wished to visit. Thi.
sort of thing implied spending a good dea
of money, and so Moore had no hesitation
in borrowing from Norton such sums as
he found himself needing.
Norton was an inv aid for n year Of
more, hardly able to totter for more than
n SQUARE or two from his house. anC
Moore became more and more his locuu
tenens in his family arrangements, and
more and more indebted to him finan
I cially.
At last one day John Norton received {
letter from a lady asking him to watch a
house on Beaumont street. He watched
IL and saw his wife and Henry Moore en-
ter it. When Moore came out Norton trieC
TO shoot him, bat his pistol missed fire
There was a scene on the street. and tina
| night Mrs. Norton and Henry Moore fleC
| together. 1t was one OF the most seusa
tional Opponents known in the history o
ST. Louis. Moore left wife and child
Mrs. Moore is now editing a socict
weekly in that city. Mrs. Norton went Iii
rectly from the Beaumont-street fat 4
the safe deposit company's vaults an
drew out some 5000 tina; she had there
aud the two got on a Missouri Pacifi
train and left for the West.
John Norton came down town nearl
crazy. He was n physical wreck at hes
even at that times Moore was a brothe
Elk aud Norton loved his wife dearly. II
was betrayed, beguiled and forsaken. II
took very few people into his coufdenc,
but he made all his arrangements to XII
Henry Moore that night, not know n
that Moore had already left 81. Lou
never to return TO il. Up and down "a
front OF Moore's house he patrollcd in th
shadows all of that midnight and morl
ing. and he only quit his vigil when ia
broke aud II was manifest that Moore va
not coming home. Mrs. Moore very II
nocently told Mr.. Norton about e o'cloc
ok that morning that Henry must have bee
detained out by business, and she So.
to rather hurt that her husbands chi
its friend would no; stay Co breakfast.
Irf Moore and Mrs. Norton were urs. neal
m from in Kansas. whore both were arrcstt