The Topeka state journal., 1898-11-28
DEATH OF
COULDOCK.
Veteran Actor Passes Away at
the Age of 50.
Had Been Sixty-tWO Years on
the Stage.
AS DUNSTAN KIRKE
In Which He Made His Most
Notable Success
DUNSTAN KIRKE
In 1880, He Also Made His Last
Appearance.

New York, Nov. sc. W. Cou1dock,
the actor, died last night at the home of
his son, S. Y. Couldock, in this city.
Indigestion, complicated by dropsy of
the heart, was the cause of his demise.
Charles Walter CouIdock was born in
Long Acre, London, on April &C. 1915,
and was educated in that city. Having
at the age of 16 seen Macready as Wer-
ner, he determined to become an actor,
but was unable on account of family
opposition to fulfill that desire until he
was q. BY investing SO in tickets he
secured the Sadler's Wells theater, and
appeared as Othello for the benefit of
Mr.. Burton, an actor in hard luck. He
was billed as Mr.. Fortescue. His first
appearance in London" After an inter-
val of three months he secured an en-
gagement with StrOlling provincial
company at an ostensible salary of Is
shillings a week, the larger part of
which, however, was never paid. After
a few months of this he left the stage
and obtained a position in London
commercial establishment, forSaking
business before long to return to the
stage.
At the age of 26 Mr.. Couldock became
a member of a stock company at
GraVesend, and soon after went to Bath,
to support John Vanderhoff. About this
time he was married in Bristol tOLouisa
Smith, who died in 1877. From Bath
ne went 10 COuLndLuIllOHs ana InGAlS6 "
Edinburgh, for two seasons, the bill be-
ing changed so frequently that the
young actors life was full of inceSSant
work. At Birmingham, on December
26, 1S45, he opened as Sir Giles Over
reach, and for four years played alter
nately in that city and Liverpool under
the same management. During that
period he acted with Macready, John
VanderhOff, Charles Kean, Madame
Vestris, J. B. Blackstone, Webster, Char
lotte Cushman, Ellen Tree. Fanny KEN
BILE, Charles Mathews and others.
Mr.. COuldock came to America in 1849
to support Charlotte Cushman, opening
at the Broadway theater on October 8,
1849, in the title role of 1.-The Stranger"
to the Mrs. Haller of Miss Cushman.
After playing a month in New York he
visited Philadelphia, Boston, New Or
leans, and other cities, but, deciding to
remain in this country, did not accom-
pany her when she returned to Europe.
The four seasons beginning in the fall
of 1850 were spent as leading man at
the Walnut Street theater in Philadel-
ph1a, the second season there being
memorable for his first appearance as
Luke Fielding in Madame Celeste's pro-
ductiOn of THE Willow Copse."
In 1854 he began to star in "Othello,"
Hamlet" Richard H. 'RicheIieu,''
and THE Willow Copse,'' but the sea-
son of 1857 found him in Laura Keane's
company in New York. He acted Abel
Murcott in the original production of
our American Cousin Subsequently
he acted with his own company and in
support OF stars at leading theaterS
throughout the country, until in Feb
ruary 1880, at the Madison Square the
ater in New York, he made the success
as Dunstan Kirke in Hazel Kirke'' He
played Dunstan Kirke 275 consecutive
time in New York, and afterWard for
five years on the road.
few years ago he Joined A. NJ. Pal
mer's company for a while, playing
Colonel Preston in Alabama" at the
Madison Square theater for three weeks
while J. H. StOddart was filing an en-
gagement in Washington At the be-
ginning of the season of 1894-5, he ap-
peared for six weeks in Mr.. PaImer's
production of Augustus Thomas New
Blood in Chicago" and after that filed
a six weeks engagement in "Humani-
ty," which opened in Boston at the
Bowdoin Square theater on December
"a. 1894 When Wilton Lackaye produced
Doctor Belgraff," Mr.. COuldock was a
member of his company in the early
part of the season. The famous perform
ance of 1.-THE Rivals given by an all
star cast, with Joseph Jefferson and
Mrs. John Drew at it's head, at the
Broadway theater, New York, on Nav
z, 1885, was testimonial to Mr. Coul-
dock, and led to the subsequent tour of
that organization. Mr.. Couldoclx prac-
tically retired from the stage two years
ago. but was induced to play Dunstan
Kirl1e when Hazel Kirlxe'' was revived
for week at the Star theater, New
York city, last September.