The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-11
IRVING IS IN POVERTY
Sad Plight of the Once Great
Tragedian.
HEALTH BROKEN DOW
Friends OF the Actor Are Endeavorine
to False Funds With Which to
Support Him in HIS
Old Age.

! New York, Jan. 10.-There have beer
so many mysterious rumors as to the
| true inWardne-s' of Sir Henry Irving
| endeavor TO lease his London theater
and the real facts in the case have beer
so misstated and distorted, that it i:
| truth of the affair.
Sir Henry Irvins's condition for some
time has caused his friends serious
concern. Both physically and financial.
| ly he is in much distress. He is broker
| in health--nGt beyond the mending, per-
| haps-and seriously crippled in his
business affairs by the disastrous fail
ure of several most elaborate and eX-
pensive productions at the Lyceum.
Overwork and public failure, which
have been an intense strain upon a
man of peculiarly sensitive organism
and the added demands upon his
strength, due to his social hospitality
after an evenings work upon the stage
have wrecked his health and ruined his
once large fortune. He is now at
Bournemouth seeking the recovery of
his strength and his most intimate
friends are endeavoring to raise a sub
stantial fund which shall provide for
his needs during the remainder of his
life
His physicians have imperatively
warned him that he must forego the
excessive cares of management at the
Lyceum. Reading between the lines,
one readily recognizes what this
means-a gentle method of telling the
sick man that he must call halt in
his public career as an actor, as well
as manager, if indeed, he can ever take
an active part in theatrical life again.
He has acquiesced in the main part of
this suggestion, and has agreed to re-
linquish the management of the the
alter which has been his for over 20
years, from the boards of which he
has risen to the height of fame and
reputation and for a score of years
has fairly dominated the London
stage.
When you consider that the Lyceum
has been the very essence of his life,
how necessary to, an actors happiness
is his public success, you can realize
how broken he is in health when he
consents to let pass from his direction
the theater that has been coupled with
his name since 1878, and where he
brought about the renaissance of the
earlier glories of the English stage.
But not only was his health the i'm
polling cause. He took into his con-,
iluellce SolHef l1lle kSlnce Il. nunlDeF OF
his friends and told them candidly Of
the straits to which he had been re-
duced by recent losses, and asked their
assistance and advice. These We're men
who not only We're admirers of the
actor and who had abundant means at
their command. but men of good prac-
teal business experience as well.
They We're very fond of Irving, as is
all London. and they would have done
anything in their power, financially
to aid him Were it a mere question of
pounds, shillings and pence But. re-
garding the actor physically as we'll
as the situation financially, they saw
that the future was decidedly doubtful
if not hopeless, and that if they acted
the part of real friendship they would
counsel him to retire from the stage
at all events from the ownership and
direction of the Lyceum-and seek the
recovery of his health.
He is not so very old-hs Goth birth
day occurs next month-and. relieved
of the carping cares of management.
he may yet recoup his lost strength
and fortune-but what is in store for
the sick man now at Bournemouth is
hidden in the shadowy future.