New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-01
vps JOHN DREW DEAD.
,crD ACTRESS PASSES AWAY AT
,.RCHMONT-HER STAGE CAREER
OF SEVENTY ONE YEARS.

wears, but not seriously until last May OF
's"s Then she began TO complain of increase in
% ,,oublcs With the coming Of hot weather
pe h.gan to fail and for time sank rapidly.
70 ,roubles were checked for time, but recently
hacarne apparent that she could not long sur
',,e In the last few days the hope was that she
,.,un live until her son, John Drew. could reacn
her bedside
n, Monday Mrs. Drew seemed much better
han for several days preceding. and hopes were
,srtained by her friends that the rally would
,,rnue for some days, although il was known 10
.u that il but temporary; that before long
hs must begin TO sink and that when the end APP
coached il would come rapidly. Yesterday morn
ns she seemed in good spirits and chatted
18th those about her. She had a long ana pleas
,t talk with her grandson, Jack Barrymore.
When he left her bedside he said that his grand
mother appeared much better. DR.. {. w. Jack
"a, did not take this view of the case, and an
nounced that II was only question of hours when
,bs end would come. The last person to talk with
Mrs Drew was Mrs. John Bevan, the wife of the
nroprietor of the hotel. They chatted for few
,,inues and Mrs. Drew spoke of the beauty OF
,be scene In the clubhouse short time ago. on the
occasion OF n visit Mrs Drew made to it TO witness
a cot!llon. She reverted to this experience many
times in the of her sickness and it was
cha last thing that she spoke of. Her last words
uere about II TO Mrs. Bevan. Then she fell into
what Il was al first hoped was natural sleep
mr. Jackson saw her again. however, and de-
c,ared that IT unlikely that she would again
revive She lay unconscious until about 2d3. when
she was taken with CONFUSION, and this lasted
until the end came at o'clock.
Ar the bedside at the time of Mrs. Drews death
were John Barrymore, her grandson; Mrs. c. J.
steuald and her two daughters. Mrs. Bevan and
Dr. Jackson. Dispatches were sent at once to all
the friends of the dead woman and to her son,
Jobn Drew who was to close his engagement at
Salt Lake City last evening and hurry TO his moth
chaax
Drew who is In Europe experimenting the edu-
cation of her daughter, and TO Miss Ethel Barry
more who sailed not long since to join Sir Henry
Irvings company Mrs John Drew is expected 10
sail on the first steamer for home John Drew Is
said to have left Salt Lake City last night.
The death Of Mrs. Drew cast gloom over tho
hotel During her sickness Mrs. Drew had been
the friend of all the guests and oil inquired daily
as to her health. Every seemed TO take great
interest in her. and her death was felt by all. AT
dinner last night the sole topic Of conversation
that could be sustained for any length of time
the life and death of Mrs. Drew.
The body embalmed and removed from the
hotel to the vestry-room Of ST. Johns Methodist
Episcopal Church. where ii will rest until the ar
rival Of John Drew.
MRS. DREwS LONG STAGE LIFE.
Mrs. John Drew's maiden name Louisa Lane.
her parents Thomas and Eliza Lane Both
were actors. and her mother was singer as well
Louisa was born in London, on January TO- 1870
She appeared on the stage as a baby, as most
actors babies used TO do in those days, and her
actual playing of parts dates from her appearance
as Acib In "Tmour the Tartar in Liverpool
when she was Elk years old year later she was
brought 10 America by her mother. her father
having died. Her mother had an engagement as a
member Of the stock company at the Walnut Street
Theatre in Philadelphia. and there Louisa mace
her first American appearance. as the DUKE OF
York in king Richard ILL.," Junus Brutus BOOM
playing Richard
1t was only little later. on March rs ls2S that
she was seen for the first time in New-York at
the Bowery Theatre as Little Pickle. The fashion
of child actors. which comes up now and then was
in full force just at that time and Louisa soon |
played engagements at the fremont Theatre In |
Boston. and at the Baltimore Theatre. in Balti- |
more. At the latter place she appeared Albert |
in William Tell" with Edwin Forrest as Tell |
Forrest much pleased with her that he |
gave her a medal. which she kept and was proud
of as long she lived Somebody asked her few
years ago how she found time TO go to school, and
she replied that she went TO school. but got
all her education by reading and by associating
with clever people.
She went back TO the Walnut Street Theatre,
and on January ., 1899 appeared in a play called
Twelve Precisely; or, a Night at Dover which
had been written for her. In this she played five
parts the supposed ages of the characters ranging
from two to thrty-one years. In 1888 she Joined
the company Of the Bowery Theatre. 1t was
al about this time that her mother was married 10
John kimball a stage manager. With her mother |
and her step-father she went to Jamaica, where |
Mr.. Kinbal died from yellow fever. Mrs. Kimbal |
and her daughter then came back TO New-York, !
just In time to encounter epidemic of cholera.
But this also they escaped.
Not long after her return from Jamaica she /
married 20 Henry b. Hunt. an English singer /
from whom she afterward separated Not /
long after the separation from her first husband |
she was married to George Mossop, an Irish |
comedian who diea In 1888
MANY PARTS IN MANY PLAYS
She returned to the Walnut Street Theatre and |
played leading Juvenile parts for a time. There |
she supported Edwin Forrest In several plays. act
Ing for instance. julio de Mortimer in "Richelieu';
0phelia Desdemona and Pauline In The Lady OF |
Lyons" Here. also she supported Joseph Jefferson.
John l.. Owen and many OF the other stars OF that |
day and played fairly well through the whole |
range Of the drama. as the necessity for actors
In stock companies In the course OF the next |
Few years she played Lady Macbeth. Lady Teaze.
Rosna in THE Barber Of Seville: Lucille in The
Story OF a Hunt; Susanna in The Ladder OF
Love" and many other parts which might be men
TONED In further illustration OF versatility natural
or enforced. She supported the elder Booth FREE
Quently. and later Macready and Edwin Booth.
In the OF ls4-'42 she was at the Chestnut
Street Theatre In Philadelphia, IN the company
with Peter Richngs whom she regarded as one OF
the best actors OF his day
In 1872 she again In NeW-fork. playing al
the Park Theatre, her first appearance there beng |
IN Blanche Heriot. or the Chertsey Curiew.' 1t |
was in 1870 that she met John Drew They were
both at that time members OF a stock company !
In Albany. OF which Charles w. Couldock was the /
leading man. They were married, ana soon
anerward went TO Philadelphia. whore they en- !
gagged for the stock company the Chestnut street
Iheatre. There they both appeared on August ~
No. In Ccey Cibber's she Would and She Would |
MOI John Drew an extremely clever actor |
ana soon became exceedingly popular.
Inc next year Mr. Drew became ambitious 10 |
manage theatre. and he and William Wheatey, |
sno'her young actor formed partnership and got |
. iease OF the Arch Street Theatre. They opened |
y on August % lN.2 with RnlMer,s .Monoy." Ms: |