The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-16
BETTER EVER AFTER
The Influence Of May Durfee Over
Her Husband.
HOW SHE DIED IN MISsOULA
1t Is Pathetic Story of Woman's
Devotion wo Broken Hearts
She Was Member of Nat
oodwln's Company. t8-

Missoula, April 15.-William r. Con-
nor, manager of the James ONeill OPP
era company, spent yesterday in the
city. In conversation with a Standard
reporter he told a little story that will
be of interest to Missoula people. He
said: Il never come to this part of the
country thatI do not think of poor May
Durfee. You remember the sad circum-
stance of her death in this city when
she was a member of Nat Goodwin's
company. 1t was one of the saddest
Incidents that has ever come under my
observation / knew her we'll, as she
had been a member of our company for
year before she Joined the Goodwin
company.
when she Joined us we had a come.
dian who was a very queer fellow. He
was as dissipated as a man can be and
live. He had been close to the grave
on more than one occasion, and all ef-
forts to redeem him had failed. There
seemed to be no way to reach him, and
we had given him up. He was not an
agreeable man to meet. He did not
want to please those with whom he
came In contact and he was good fell
low, and we kept him, as his work was
so good. He was the last man in the
world to be sized up as one who would
be attracted by a woman. No one who
knew him would ever have thought
that a girl would make a man of him,
but as soon as May Durfee Joined us
he became a changed man, and his own
friends did not know what to make of
him. He stopped drinking and became
as fastidious as he had been slouchy
before. There was nothing too good for.
him, and he was a regular swell.
1T was a case of love at first sight
and, to our surprise, his affection SEEM
ed to be reciprocated. Miss Durfee
seemed to think as much of him as he
4 - l. q s.-~u~
BILE companions. Mr. O'Neill is a pecu-f
liar man about some things, and one of [
his rules is that there shall be no acts
on the part of any of his company that !
can in any way give rise to scandal. 4
The association of these two soon att
tracted his attention, and as a result
had to tell the young lady that she
must take her two weeks notice. The
next day the comedian went to Mr..
ONeill and told him that he had
right to associate with the girl. We are
married. said he. That was sufficient.
and the notice to the girl was with
drawn. All that season the two were
with us, and they seemed to be as hap
by as possible.
1.-The girl was ambitious, and we
could not offer her what she wanted
for the next season, so she Joined the
Goodwin company, and her husband
went with another star. He was
wrapped up IN MS wire anu SndTeQ HeI
ambition. Anything that could advance
her prospects he did and did willingly.
He sent her all the money that he could
spare and often denied himself that he
might do the more for her. All went
well to all appearances. and the news
that he received from her was always
encouraging. He was happy. nft
Nothing could have been more
shocking than the news of her death |
under such terrible circumstances.
Alone in a strange place, scorned and
deserted by the man who had wrought
her ruin, her lot was a sad one. And
then came the news that the man who
had done all this had looked up from a
faro game when they told him that the
girl was dead and laughed. 1t nearly |
drove the poor fellow crazy. We all |
thought that he would go to drinking |
again. but he did not. His grief was |
too deep. He did what he could with |
the remains of his dear one and then |
went to her mothers home in Coving- |
ton, KY, and in a few months was |
dead. If ever a man died of a broken |
heart he did. He died there with his |
young wife's mother, who shared his |
grief. Miss Durfees name was Mary |
Duffy, but she changed 1t when she |
started on the stage life. The mans |
name? Well, perhaps, IL would be as |
well not to print that. always thought |
that he was the injured one She sac
rifced everything to her ambition, and |
he paid as dearly for II as she did. But |
the whole thing always comes back to |
me when come this way"