The record-union., 1896-06-09
Suddenly Dies on the Train While En-
Route From Denver to Omaha.
Paralysis of the Heart the Cause Of His
Sudden Taking Oh.
Began His Life in California as "a
NewsbOy-Made Himself Famous
Throughout the Country as Melo-
dramatic Actor in the Texas Drama
of "Davy Crockett

of "Davy Crockett
OMAHA, June S.-Frank Mayo, the
actor, died to-day ON the
train while en- route from Denver 10
this city. Frank Mayo missed his last
engagement. Yesterday he was looking
to an evening of recreation and
rest in Omaha. Rest came all too soon
for his friends. With his head reclin-
ing gently on his arm, while his COM
panions sat all unwittingly near him,
quietly and peacefully his long sleep
began. An hour, two hours, may be
three, passed by, when his companions
called him. No answer came, and they
told each other sadly that ''Puddin'-
head Wilson, was dead.
The company was en- route from Dem
Yer to Omaha, as was also Roland
Reeds company. Mr.. Mayo was to fin
ish his season with a four nights en-
gagement in this city. Sunday even
ing he was bright and even more brill
liant than usual. During the night he
a little of dyspepsia, and
slept the greater part Of the time in his
chair. In the forenoon he was sitting
with Julian Reed and Mr.. Campeau,
chatting and mapping. About O'Clock
he went to sleep. At l o'clock, while
the train was west of Grand Island,
Manager Block went to wake
nm up, and found him dead. His face
had been visible to his companions all
the hours, and they had walked on tip
tope so as not to awaken him The
Shn
and nearly Frustrated Mrs. Edwin
Mayo, who was on the train. He died
from paralysis of the heart.
II is feared that the news will prove
too much for his wife, who has been re-
ceiving medical treatment at Philadel-
phia for some time. Mr.. Mayo worried
about her condition the
past few days.
Fifty-eight members of the Elks'
ledge met the remains at the train.
and tenderly the body was
borne on a stretcher by the pall-bear-
ers, w. F. Gurley, "Spud" Parrish,
Charles Howard, John Tetard, Lloyd
Jcnes and Walt Misener, to the Elks'
He leaves a widow, who is critically
ill at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
Eiverson, in Philadelphia. The chill
dren are Mrs. Elverson, Miss Derondo
Mayo, Edwin Mayo, all of whom are in
Philadelphia. Mrs. Elverson is the wife
of a prominent newspaper man, and
Edwin Mayo has just finished his the
atrical season in New York City.
No arrangements have yet been made
for the funeral.
HIS LAST PERFORMANCE.
DENVER, June S.-Frank Mayo
played "Puddin' head Wilson" for the
last time Saturday night at the Broad
way Theater. 1t was the 367th per-
formance, closing a season of forty
eight consecutive weeks. The business
of the company in Denver was the light
est of the entire season.
For some time Mayo had complained
of severe pains about the heart, which
he believed to arise from dyspepsia
and from the effect of his hard work
writing out the play from the story as
written by Mark Twain. He declined
to call on physicians, though repeatedly
urged to do so, and for two nights he
cid not undresS, as the pain was so Sc
we're. He alternately felt that death
was near and that he would soon be
well again. He longed for rest, and was
glad he had but few days more. Al
though he kept up during the latter end
of the week by the liberal use of stim-
ulants, he left Denver last evening ap-
parently in good spirits.
All his company had signed for an
ether year, and their signatures were
attested by thumb marks.
Frank Mayo was born in Boston. April
-, 1899. At an early age he crossed the
plains to seek his fortune in the gold
diggings of this State, and it is said
by some of the old-timers that his first
beginning in California life was as a
newsboy, selling the Golden Era" a
notable literary weekly of those times.
BE that as it may, he made his theatri-
cal debut in 1856 in San Francisco at
the American Theater, corner of San
some and Halleck streets, as a waiter in
the comedy of Raising the Wind. "
and afterwards with Charles R.Thorne.
Jr, was stock star at Maguire's Op-
era House, on Washington street. where
he remained till the close of the Civil
War, and then went to New York.
In the fall of 1863 he played a long
engagement in his native CITY. with
great success. He then began star
ring tour, which took him throughout
the country west of the Mississippi
River. In 1869, when 1.-The Tempest
was produced in grand style in New
York, Mr.. Mayo was engaged to play
Ferdinand. This was his first appear
arce in the metropolis of New York
State From that time forward he COM
pletely identified himself with the Tex
an drama OF 'Davy Crockett" and
starred in that part for many consecu-
tive seasons, making no end of money
and a good deal of "ame as a melo-
dramatic actor. A favorte part of
Mr.. Mayo's was also Badger in Bou-
cicault's famous drama, THE Streets
of New York In fact he so closely
identified himself with those two char
acters that the public would not accept
him in any other.
In 1879 Mr.. Mayo played a long en-
gagement at the old Olympic Theater
on Broadway, San Francisco, appearing
Is Bob Briefly in the 'Ticket-of- Leave
Man." During the season of 1880 and
1881 he abandoned melodrama for a
time and began an engagement in Phil
adelphia, opening in Hamlet" but he
was not successful, and was thrown
back on his old money maker and best
friend, "Davy Crockett" until chance
threw Mark Twain in his way, and the