The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-16
Miss Walsh Read Shakes
pcarc When a Girl.
HAS DRAMATIC AMBITION.
AFatty~ Walsh Revealed III: Secret
in FIJI Of P.Que.
TO WEAR DAvENPORT's MANTLE

NEW YORK. Aug. 16.-[Special. l-If 1t
be true that Blanche Walsh is next year to
appear with Melbourne MacDowell in
repertory OF Fanny Davenports plays, then
she who as a little girl knew the old city
prison called the Tombs as her home and
its corridors and tho rough pavement OF
Center street as her chief playgroundsis Is
about to take q forward step of great I'M
portance In the dramatic world.
Blanche Walsh Is a New York product
pure and simple, and one of which the
town need never bo ashamed. Her ia
mi1iarity with the Tombs in childhood's
days arose from the fact taat her father
was for many years the warden in charge
Of that gloomy pile Of SO called Egyptian
architecture and the prisoners confirsed
within it's walls He was Tammany
politician of the typical sort, and, Ike
many another Of his grade, was known to
all his friends by nickname derived from
a personal popularity. 1t Is Of record that
this nickname, more ungraceful than
most OF those current among east side
denizcns of this town, was great triaisto
his daughter, even In her teens. To her 1t
scomed bad enough to live in jail, but
shc could put up with that since on Vho
whole the Office of prison keeper was hon
orablc rather than otherwise, but to be
known as Fatty Walshs daughter was
sometimes more than the sensitive girl
could easily bear.
sshe Chews Scenes"
Blanche Walsh determined to get away
not only from the prison, but from east
side life altogether long before she was 10,
aud shc set about the task in a manner all
her own through the medium OF study
md thoughtful reading. Among the books
she was fondcst of was Shakespeare, and
her friends say IL was tho beauty Of the
plays by Avon . bard and not girlish en-
thdsiasm for the ''t'eayter' that deter
mined her to make n career for herself on
the stage. At all events. she was con-
etantly reading Shakespeare, though her
dramatic ambitions were long carefully
kept socrct by tho family.
One evening when there was "com-
panyv In the prison keepers parlor
chum OF his. not unknown TO fame as
Dry Dollar" Sullivan, essayed TO interest
tho wardcns daughter In local politics.
She listened to him as politely as sho
could, but her eyes were constantly re-
turning 20 tho pages Of tho volume In her
hand, and her thoughts were clearly not
set on DRY Dollar's' talk, ns her indif-
fcrent answers plainly showed. After
awhile Sullivan turned to the father.
FATTY" asked the east sido statesman,
''whnt arc you going to make of this
daughter OF yoursf She doesn't seem to
be much interested in home affairs"
"Aw,u y replied the warden, ''shc has a
carosr of her own all mapped out. She's
a-goin to be a schoolma am by and by"
"yell," said Sullivan, turning again to
tho girl. you'll have to give up chewing
~. vxo cIavs
HI'vo never chewed gum In my life,"
rctorted the indignant miss.
"Naw," declared Fatty" now In his
turn, indignant at his daughter s disdain
Of the company, she doesn't chew
gum; she chews scenes
That was his inartistio way OF revealing
tho secret that his daughter meant TO be-
Some tragedy queen II she could, and
Sullivan hastcned to spread the news "all
over tho ward
Reciting On = Prison Roof
While Fatty Walsh was not at all in
sympathy with his daughters aspirations,
her mother believed In them and fostered
then all she could. Being woman Of
some culture her counsel and sympathy
Wer6 Of great benefit to the embryo actress
At that time Il was the custom Of Mrs.
Walah and her daughter to pass good
many hours each pleasant summer day on
the dat roof Of the prison proper, where
,thoy OUu1d neither be seen nor heard by
any ono and from whioh the sights and
most Of the sounds Of the teeming east
side werc shut on a. completely as II they
had been many miles away. When the
two went to the roof, Mrs. Walsh always
cook along her knitting or some other
light work, and the girl her books, which
she would study while the mother wrought.
"A part Of each day, however, was given
up to rocitations BY the girl and some
times she would act the leading part In q
scene as well as she could, the older woin-
an taking the triple part of prompter. au-
dience and drnmatio critic.
After awhile the father, reluctantly be-
coming convinced that the girls ambitions
were not 10 be ridiculed awny, occasional
1y Joined In the roof rehearsals, even going
70 far sometimes a. to read q part and
thus help his daughters studies along OF
course she attended school regularly and
If course she Joined an amateur dramatic
club. though her appearances were few.
Her drut experience on the boards as an
amateur was In Twelfth Night, and her
Grst public appearance Of importance In
her own eyes Was In . benefit performance
at the Bowsry theatsr.
Leaving the Bourth ward.
Blauche wsIsh's first leading part was
played In leo2 In Bronson Howard's ''Ar.
istocracy,v - In which she made n success
from heopening night, though she played
minor part all through the previous sea-
son with Marie wainwright In Amy Rob-
art"