The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-29
FANNIE AWARDS DEATH.
Due tn Criminal Operation, and
Doctor and Nurse Arrested.

NEW 1Oth, -c.--DI. w llllstIil IL
Hanford, of So Lee avenue, Brooklyn. and
Mrs. Estelle Banks, nurse, were arrested
to-day and held in $4,000 and 81 900 bail,
spectively. on the charge of being impicat-
ed in the death of Fannie Award, young
actress of the Star Gazer' company,
which occurred on Thursday.
The autopsy showed that Miss Award
did not die of heart failure, due to
SUMPTION the certificate indicated, but
was due to hemorrhage, following Grim
inal operation Miss Award was engaged
to be married to Lindley Hall. an actor.
Halls mother objected TO the body being
shipped to the home Of Miss Awards
CATION followed.
The death of Miss Fannie Award in
Brooklyn day ago under mysterious cir
cumstances brings to mind the pathos and
tragedy that invests much of this ambition
of young American girls TO become success
full on the stage. Along Broadway in New
York-a bar which many a wreck is cast
high and dry-this story Of the girl from
the West, hopeful, buoyant and energetic
seeking the narrow pathway to fame
among a thousand roads that lead to OBJ
livion, and even worse, is an old, old story.
The seek-tiled manager, who smokes his
fine cigar and promenades up and down that
wonderful thoroughfare. entirely unmindful
Of the wistful glances which the poor and
unsuccessful actors and actresses cast at
him, would chuckle hoarsely Were any one
TO tell him this story. He Knows IL of old.
He has seen il inpanorama, he has seen 1t
in living pictures. he has no doubt played
his part in 1t himself.
Thousands of girls go to New York every
year and study by day and by night and
undergo all sorts of rebuffS and insults TO
get merely the opportunity 10 start in a ca
Teer on the stage. If they have fine natural
talents and know how 10 display them they
often succeed; il they are very pretty they
sometimes sneceedLf6or rd rttie b, WhlLe th, IL
Broadway Will not.
Miss Award was pretty girl with blue
eyes and an abundance of light golden hair.
She he'd exquisite taste in dressing, sang
| SWeetly and in company would be marked
as girl of prepossessing appearance Her
| When scarcely tWenty-one she married a
| young man, and within year they both
| found they had made mistake. She calm
| ly Informed him that she intended to leave
him and make her own way in the world.
Not breath OF scandal attached to her
name. She went to New York to go on
| the stage. She had abundant confidence i'm
| her own abilities and expected an immedi-
ate engagement. But she found there We're
| hundreds OF other girls just as confident
and with many talents herself.
| There was no demand for so many Man
ager after manager she visited. Now there
was a promise which tomorrow would be
forgotten. Some of the managers told her
they were too busy TO talk to her. Some
OI tneul StdTtu dl fer pldilkiy ana
away. Others made diligent inquiry TO lind
first whether she had any money, whether
her father was wealthy prospective an
gel'-and, finding little prospect of either,
they abruptly turned her aside. Finally
she secured place in the chorus OF De
Wolf Hopper opera company. The season
went by and she could secure no promo
| ton, though she worked very hard. There
were a dozen or more girls i'm the chorus
as well equipped as she 1t takes unusual
merit TO rise out of the chorus. A manager
pays little attention to one chorus girl who
| Is merely as good as another.
Then Miss Award tried the drama and
| was given small part in an Irish drama
| combination. season with this improved
| Gus Williamss S company. Williams was
| once a bright star in his line. but the
| whirligig of time has put him far in the
| rear. AS the leading lady in this company
| she found the road meant priyation ana
one continual struggle 10 get her salary
| were a number of weeks I'm which she ut
terly failed. and when the company came
near New York she left IL and arrived
/ again in the metropolis with little in her
| purse beside street-car fare. She found
! Broadway the same old street. with its
| hopeless Thespians parading up and down.
| telling OF the fine engagements they
| had refused and borrowing from
/ each other to tide over the week
/ or buy Just one meal. She still hope
4 ful and always ambitious. Her ambition
! was beyond her. talents She was willing
/ TO dance as temporary employment. Sue
| cess on the legitimate stage was ever I'm
/ one and as the press dispatches have it.
/ she became i'll and died alone. away from
friends and away from the happy home she
had left. She was merely one Cf the thou