The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-01
MRS. JOHN DREW DEAD
AMERICAS VETERAN ACTRESS PASS
Es AWAY AT LARCHMONT.
Story of Her Active Stage Career, Ex-
tending over Seventy Years as
Player and Manager.

Bevan House in the Larchmont, where she
has been spending the summer with her son
John Drew. She was taken i'll only few
days ago and sank rapidly. She had been
suffering for several years. but not seriously
until May or June last. During the last
few days it was apparent the end was not
far off. Yesterday however, Mrs. Drew
seemed much better than for several days
previous This morning she seemed in good
spirits and chatted with those about her.
Mrs Drew soon afterwards became uncon-
scious. She lay in that condition for three
hours until about seven minutes before
o'clock, when she was taken with convul-
sions which lasted until the end came She
was in excellent health recently when her
granddaughter, Miss Ethel Barrymore. paid
her a visit from London, where she re-
turned to accept an engagement with Hen
ry Irving. Mrs. Drew s last public appear
ance was during a brief engagement in
THE Sporting Duchess" in this city year
ago.
Mrs. Drew will go down to fame as the
greatest Mrs. Malaprop of the American
stage. This is the character in THE Ri
walls with which she had so long been iden-
titled and in which she made her last APP
pearance in this city in the great Rivals
cast that played here at English's at the
close of the 1856 season. She had played
in Indianapolis countless times, almost
and was cherished no more highly here
than in every prominent city in the United
States, where the theater-going public
knew her so well. That famous tour of
1.-THE Rivals" with it's cast of famous
stars, including Mrs. Drew, Jefferson,
Goodwin, Crane, the two Hollands Francis
Wilson, the Marlowe Tabers and Fannie
Rice, was Mrs. Drew's last public venture
with the exception, perhaps, of benefit
performance in New York the following
summer, that gave her stage career in
America of siXty-nine years. Mrs. John
Drew's history is almost the history of the
American stage. Her forte was high comedy
parts Some idea of the extent of her ex-
perience on the stage may be obtained
when it is said that she was leading lady
to Edwin Forrest as Julie De Mortimer to
Forests Richelieu in the first American
production of BulWers famous play at the
Walnut-street Theater, Philadelphia, on
Sept. "A, 1899. 1t was six years before this
that she played in Washington in the COM
pany, where Joseph Jefferson made his first
appearance there at the age of four. JEFF
ferson had really made baby appearance
the year before in Philadelphia. Mrs Drew
made her first American appearance at the
Walnut-street Theater in 1921 as child
actress. She was then seven years old and
her name was Louise Lane.
She was born in London, England Jan
10, 1890, her father being English actor
of no particular fame and her mother
DANCER and singer. Her mother brought her
to this country in 1921 Although Mrs. Drew
had been taken on the stage at twelve
months old in England. she always dated
her hrst stage appearance seventy years
ago the 24th of this month. when she APP
peared in Philadelphia in Junius Brutus
Booths Company She made a great hit
child actress DURING
Travelled all over the country. In 1885 she
went to New Orleans and played Lady
Teazle in School for Scandal" She had
previously made a trip to Jamaica and
other West India islands and at the age of
fourteen had played Julia in THE Hunch-
three times married. At sixteen she mar
ried Henry Hunt, veteran English opera
singer. In 1913 after separating from Hunt,
she married George Mossup. a young Irish
comedian who died the next year. In 1850
she married the great Irish comedian John
trv ew M au 5ogetnea 1ney toured the founo
never went to school, being brought UP on
the stage and picking up her education
wrote a story of her career as follows:
HER OWN STORY.
1T was on Saturday. Sept g. 1927, at the
WalnVt-street Theater. in Philadelphia, as
the Little Duke of York in Shakspeares
play of Richard ILL., and with Junius
Brutus Booth, the great elder Booth
father of the late Edwin Booth, as the
crook-back tyrant, that l began my stage
career and, as l have been continuously
before the footlights ever since, [ may just
ly say that l have had longer stage career
than any of my contemporaries. l had APP
peared in Liverpool, in 1926, and also as a
baby, but like TO date my stage life from
the date of my first appearance in this
country. Mrs. Vernon, at the time of her
death, some twenty-four years ago, was
the veteran OF the American stage, but she
mad seen only hfty-two years of service
Mrs. e. n. Thayer, who for two genera
lions, was the delight OF the theatergoers
died after ffty-three. years of stage ME
These two women had longer stage ca
reer than any actress known 10 the amer
lcan stage except myself.
My mother took me to New York early
In 1873, and L made my first appearance in
this city at the old Bowery Theater on
spoiit Chid Fhesre was , quite eleAi Tspa foT
child actresses at that time, and on Jan. 5,
IS2S, began an engagement at the Walnut
ten expressly for me and called Twelve
Precisely; or, Night at Dover in which
performed five characters, ranging from a
little fodder of two years to the Marchen-
ess de Grenville, a fine lady of thirty-one.
Il became member OF the stock COM
ppa anyy at the the ola ia Bowery Theater, New
great stars of those days in a. constant
round of legitimate pieces. In June 1885, /
the Walnut-street Theater, Philadelphia
under the management of the late Francis
&. Weym1SS, and IT. was at that house, on
Sept. a. 1889, that l created the part of
Julie de Mortimer in this country the willy
Cardinal Richelieu being impersonated by
Edwin Forrest. That first American pro-
duction of Bulwer's successful play was a
memorable one. The instantaneous sue
cess achieved by the play and by Forrest
in its principal character marked the be-
ginning of new era in dramatic history
in this country, as we'll as in the career Of
the great tragedian.
1T was at the old Chestnut-street Thea
ter Philadelphia, in the season of 1S41-42
under the management of Lewis T. Pratt.
that / played in the same company with
Peter Richings, the father of the late Caro-
line RichingS, who for many years was the
idol Of the American public as a prima dom
ma in English opera, but who died several
years ago in poverty and obscurity entire
ly forgotten by those whose favorite artistic
she had once been. The PLAYS presented
were standard tragedies. dramas. comedies
and farces. The performance began at half
past Z o'clock sharp and lasted until II,
Between the pieces-for there were al
ways al least two, of which the latter was
farce-there would be a song or dance. so
ment for the spectators from the beginning
to the end of the performance. and people
who afterward achieved fame as great ac-
tors and actresses began by thus filling in
waiting. Among such was the late e. l..
Davenport, who when a young man. had a
very good voice and often sang between
the acts.
JOHN DREW'S GREAT HIT.
after an absence of several years re-
turned to Philadelphia with my husband,
the late John Drew in the season of 1852