The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-25
SUICIDES OF ROYAL BLOOD.
FATE OF TWO DEsCENDANTs OF
KING GEORGE III.

One of Them Was Mrs. AlsoD, Who
Poisoned Herself in This city After
Failure on the Stage-The other
Her SON, Once Frequenter of
New York PothOuses.
1t is a not always remembered fact that
one Of George HIS grandchildren died BY
her own act IN an obscure New York lodg-
ing house, and even less familiar is the Gu
rious story of that great-grandchild Of has
who was a deep drinking rounder among
the pothouses and free-and-easies of the
city. They were Ggiumate descendants
OF the stubborn monarch, it is true, but for
all that were blood relations Of his, and the
story Of their fortunes is interesting and
dramatic as well.
When, COR political reasons, William
Duke Of Clarence, separated from the pop
ular Mrs. Jordan in 1911 he left her with
ten children by him, five sons and five
daughters. At that time George III was
insane, and his eldest son had been made
Prince Regent, becoming George ~ nine
years afterwards, when the crazy King
died. This placed the Duke of Clarence
next in succession to his elder brother,
whom he succeeded as monarch in 1890.
His children by The actress took the name
OF Fitzclarenee, and he appears TO have
made life as peasant as possible for them.
One of the daughters finally broke away
from the family and went on the stage
taking the name Arsop, which was that OF
an actor supposed to be her husband. she
had inherited some of her mothers abb
ity, but, from all accounts, none OF her
mothers beauty had fallen 10 her share.
Among the players Price sent over from
London to his partner Simpson, who was
managing with him the old Park theater,
was Mrs Alsop Had that time been the
present much excitement would doubtless
have been created over the New York APP
pearance of a granddaughter Of George
III, but only a few persons were lamlllar
with her history and she did good service
for some months with out any special no.
tice being taken of her, Her homehness
was much against her, though she was
very successful in a play called The Act
ress of An Work." and in several eccentric
comedy parts did well.
Her comparative failure disheartened her
and she turned for comfort it is said, 10
drink and laudanum. There had been
some stories of her excessive fondness
for liquor while in England, and she had
always used opium 60 stimulate her in
her acting, and she seems to have kept
up the practice when she came to New
York One night, when she had been in
this city for a few months, she played 4
new part at the theater. 1t was a part
wholly unsuited to her. being that of a
lovely, graceful young girl, and though
she had protested against its being. as
signed to her she was forced to play it.
Her failure in it was complete, and a por-
ton of the audience was thOughtess
enough to laugh at her. That evening
finished her career on the stage.
From the theater Mrs. Alsop went 10
her home, a boarding house in Greenwich
street, near Dey, since torn down and re-
placed by a business building. Alone in
her room she took a large dose of lauda-
mum and was found unconscious an hour
later by one of the boarders. DR.. Francis,
who had attended so many players, was
summoned and did what he could TO save
the woman. She could not be revived,
however, and she died soon after his ar
rival and was buried through the charity
of few friends. DR.. Francis was known
to relate how he had sent a bill for his
services to her father, when he became
William ", but had never received any
payment
Almost as melancholy was the fate of
Mrs. Alsop's son, who was born in cheap
lodgings on the Strand in London about
a year and a half before his mother came
10 New York The father had disap
peared some time before this and when
the mother left London the boy, who was
called Fitzclanence Alsop. was left with
the lodging house keeper. When the
news of Mrs. Alsops death reached Lon
don the iand.ady appealed valnly to the
Fltzclarences to take charge of the child.
Finally two of the uncles and one aunt
were induced TO pay for his support and
the lad was sent to school and later was
made mdshipman.
AZ sea young Aisop made a bad record.
How he left the service is not known, but
in 1912 he was acting in the country towns
Of England, Scotland and Ireland under
the name of Clarence Castelmaine. In the
early SOS he went to Australia, where
he was actor and manager and made some
money About 1861 he turned up in CalI-
fornia and acted there and in other West
ern states, though he apparently did not
need the money he thus earned. having
saved much of what he made in Aus
tralia. In 1854 he came to New York.
where he remained about a year.
While in this city he lived at the hotel