The Irish standard., 1896-05-02
Once the Pride Of the Public and
Now Dying IN 4 LInatic
Asylum. h.
He nade a Fortune in His Palmy
Days and Then Dropped Out
Of Sight. .7S ....... i :.
An Interesting Sketch Of His Wife
and Her Continued De-
votion.

Poor Billy scanlan, the sweet singer,
whose mind gave way four years ago, is
growing weaker every day, his melancholia
increases, and the attendants at the Bloom
ingdale asylum, at White Plains, state that
death may come to his release at any mo-
ment. Again, he may linger for a month;
but he is failing very fast, and the end can
not long be delayed. And in contrast to
this pitiful situation, at :, the Fourteenth
Street Theater another man IS singing Scan
lan's songs, essaying the roles that he loved,
receiving the plaudits that once made life
joyous for him. -. ..y.,
The only person that he recognizes Is his
wife who visits him twice a week, and that,
recognition is more that of instinct than OF
any human intelligence. When she enters
the room in which he sits for hours staring
at vacancy, he manifests contented appre-
citation of her presence, just as a dog does
the approach of some one who has been
kind to it.. -
Scanlan cannot be aroused to any SEM
blance Of interest in his surroundings by
the attendants, or visitors, and does not ap-
pear to hear them. He no longer. cares to
turn pages of picture books and illustrated
papers, and although he was, In the early
years of his mental degeneratiin, very fond
Of music vocal or instrumental, and keen
ly delighted auditor at the weekly enter
ta;nments, he no longer appears conscious
Of any attempts to amuse him in this man
ner The musical instinct is dead, just as
is his memory, and a sort OF conscious rec
ogn;tion of the existence Of his wife when
she is at his side alone binds him to the
past. The years when he was the idol of the
public when the pu1pe of Fortunatus SEEM
| ed to be his, when the sweet melodies, many
Of which will never die, were being sung by
the people of two continents, are blank
He is worse than in a second childhood.
And while, with staring eyes, and vacant
mind, the poor actor is mOping away the
days in darkness, Chauncey Olcott, at the
Fourteenth Street Theater; view York, l, SIS is
singing Scanlan songs, and prod dNe.ngy ;aalF.
the familiar Scanlan plays, atrdlences
such as few men have ever drawn m Amer
lea. Olcott is on the top wave OF popular
ity and financial success, and partially be-
cause the name of Scanlan is still one with
which to conjure. Scanlan's song book ls
sold in the lobby of the theater. r.
An East Twenty second street music pub
Usher keeps all of the Scanlan songs in
stock, and reports that they are the best
sellers Of any one mans productions in the
market. This IS partially owing to Olcott's
success, but then Olcott owes his success
mainly to the happy circumstance that made,
him heir them s&The Minstrel of Claife;''
which Olcott is now playing to ever-crowded
houses is ~Scanlan,s~ old Irish Minstrel" :"
.sMayourneen'' is another Of -Scanlan,s, suc=
casses in the Olcott Iepertory From the.
sale of the songs, and a share Of the royal
ties on the plays sufficient revenue is de-
rived to supply the simple wants Of the
mad minstrel and to keep his wife in COM
fort. 5.s - \. ~ y. J,
Mrs. Seaman is a woman with: history.
AS Maggie Jordan she was accused OF con-
niving at and aiding the escape OF William.
F. Sharkey. The latter was man of cr..In=
.nal associations and violent tempe er.a@0n
Sept. 1, 1872, he shot and killed Robert
Dunn in a, Hudson street saloon, known aa
"The Place. The men had that 4 day
walked together in funeral procession.
They met later in the saloon. Sharkeytre-
preached Dunn for non-payment OF small
amount of borrowed money due him: Dunn
politely urged that he was not prepared to
pay. s!larkey then in cold blood shot Dunn
through the heart. The murderer had a
strong political pull. and it was not until
two years later that he was sentenced to
hang on August 13, 1874. stf5 H.
# During all this trouble the. woman, Mag
gle Jordan, was devoted to him. A week
before the date set for his execution she was
allowed to visit him in his cell. A half hour
later Sharkey left the cell dressed in the
wonar,'s clothes. He hid in New York for
three weeks and then escaped to Cuba on a
schooner. Maggie Jordan was tried for ner
.offense, but setting up a claim that sne mad
been drugged and deprived OF her clotalng,
she was not convicted. In the meanwhile
Sharkey was Ewing in Havana, his identity
being known to many people. But no effort
was made to secure his return to New YORK:
The woman Joined him, in his exile, but he
treated her with great cruelty aad, fearing
for her life, she fled aad returned to this
city. 4. It s y
"A year later news was received OF Shar:-
keys death in Jamaica. At about this time
Scan!an was in the zenith OF his fame and
fortune. Maggie Jordan was introduced to-
him by May Fiske. Il They were married,
and the woman began new Efe.-' For a.
few years she enjoyed the good fortune of
her husband. Then his trouble came upon
him. AS ne sank into the shadow she was
only the more attached to him, and today
IS at. his side as often as the asylum rules
will permit. y sI g Z, H.
n .s scanlan was born ats Springfield, Mass.
Fer. IA, 1856, and at Is years Of ages.he.
had developed remarkable vocal talents,
and was known all over New England as the.
Boy Temperance Singer. He Travelled with
eminent lecturers for seven years
Y i. Wilen he grew up he met William Cronin,
q asremarkable imperspnator Of female Irish,
character and the vaudeville team Of Scan,
Ian and .Cron.n was for years n the front
ranks. Next Scanlan Joined Minnie Palm