davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-31

filled with guests. Their merry laughte
I rang.
Presently there came the music of a pi
ano. A prelude was being played. TIL
| guests turned. At the landing stood a
slight young man. his handsome face
coldly white. his well-formed head thrown
slightly back, his hands clasped lightly be-
hind him.
The young mans lips parted. and sweet
tones rose as the piano notes fell to a soft
undertone.
What pleasures could ever move mel
What pangs could I ever fear?
What real joy could life then offer
II thou vert no longer near?
The only sound save the singers voice
and the soft accompaniment was the faint
rustic of silken robes as their fair wear
ers pressed further toward the front and
dainty slippered feet trod lightly-perhaps
Observation-Disclosures the stairway.
How could I now live alone. love.
II from me thou e'er should'st GOT
Is It my life or thine own, love,
That I live? I do not know.
The melody of 1t! The high notes. rising
in strength. rang clear as vesper bells. And
maidens. entranced, bent forward eagerly,
grouped In ~colorful picture along the stairs.
while they drank In with rapture the golden
song!
Life to me Is almost wasted
II thou would'st not share i.s Joys:
Without thy kiss and thy caresses,
Or for my tears thy dear eyes,!
The song foated away like a zephyr dy-
ing. The %.accompanist struck the last faint
chord. There was silence.
The singer moved, and the brilliant group
at the foot of the stairway was stirred to
animation. Gloved hands met in enthusiast
tic recall. Soft voices cried out. in delight,
and fair faces flushed with excited joy.
Rarely since that evening had Charley
Humphrey been permitted to retire from a
concert stage without singing Sans Toi."
The song became a rage: every girl was
singing it; every man was vainly whistling
1t. Sans Tof" grew to be a nickname of
the singer.
Sans Tor thou warblest: it's thy favorite ditty.
And without thee this were a dismal city.
Our favorite tenor gone? oh. Ia:
Don't ever. ever leave US. Charles "San Toi"!
Wrote Mr.. Ripley D. Saunders on one oc-
casion. And this song. the first to make
him famous here. was his last from a con-
cert stage.
NJ. Humphrey took himself and his art
most seriously. There are some who believe
that in this fact is found one stimulus to
the growth Of that malady which brought
his end. He was ever striving, and there
was about him an indication of extreme
sensitiveness which might easily be under
stood as denoting a heart-tearing fear that
he might be forced to stop short Of the
heights TOWARD which he pressed. That he
had operate aspirations, for a time at
least. Is known to but few. He learned the
part OF Faust, among others; but 1t was
brought to his realization tina neither in
voice nor physique was he fitted for the
operatic stage. And that ambition turned
to dead ashes.
Mr.: Humphrey was not, perhaps, q Chris
tan Scientist In the strict meaning Of the
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-31

Louis. Mr.. Henry M. Blossom. ST., hearo
him and was won.
In the Auditorium. one evening ten years
ago, he made what is generally regarded as
his st, Louis debut. He came upon the
small stage diffidently. One hand held q
tightly rolled score; the other waved awk-
wardly. He sang a simple ba!lad-one So
simple that none remember its name. But
all remember hia voice-light. soft, Clear
that found the pretty tones and held them
until they had reached the ears and hearts
of his auditors. AND they remember that
they called again and again, and tfat lie
sang again. But It was the same sons
over. for 1t was the only one he knew.
On the Sunday afternoon before he took
his life he came before another audience
this time at the Odeon. There was no
score in his hand: there was no
ness in his gestures. Polish. study ana
style were evident in each movement and
in the utterance of each note. The voice.
tones were still clear and sweet; the enun-
citation was perfect; and the golden music
penetrated to every heart. 1t was a ballad
that he sang-more difficult than the other.
but none the less sweet. And again ne
was encored. But he did not ave to repeat
tho one song. He gave another-and an
other-and still another to the number Of
eight, before the audience would let him
stop.
The first Of the songs was "onaway.
Awake: the last two were, "Oh, That we
Two Were Maying' and Sans Tof'-simple
ballads that he had made famous. and for
which the public loved him best.
Between the two songs there had been
years OF. study and practice. Herein Paris
lin F1orence-in London-he had studied.
Mrs. Broaddus-M. Buouy-Signor Vanini-
Professor Shakespeare-had been his teach
ers. And each had left an improving mark.
It Is claimed that no singer in the West has
the style. the perfect meditation. the i'm
pressive grace that Humphrey had. 1t
was not q gift of nature; all came through
study and practice. His summer vacations
were spent with opera singers who taught
him how to give finish to his work. To ac-
quire the peculiar mobility of countenance
which was a notable feature of his choir
singing, he spent hours before the mirror.
teaching his face how to retain its repose.
There Is. perhaps. more romance connect
ed with his singing Of Sans TOT than in
all else Of the public career Of Charles
Humphrey. He. brought the song and his
singing Of 1t from Paris three years ago.
The song was new then. Humphrey had
learned It in Paris under tho tutelage Of
the composer. Guy d'Hardelot. The first time
he sang it publicly was at a reception given
BY Mrs. Zach Tinker, and his rendition
was most dramatic.
Tho Grand staircase Of the Tinker home
val banked with 6owers-roses carnations
and pa1ms-ths rich beauty Of the decora-
tons reaching its climax at the frst
landing. Reception hail and parlors were
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-31

There he stood, puzzled. He glanced
through the telephone directory. turning
aimlessly from one page ana from one letter
to another.
Never mind" he said at last. I forget.
I do not want to telephone. The message
neutrality-suspicious. And I don't
remember whom 1 was to telephone tor
Throughout tho night he did not disrobe.
Shortly after daylight he asked his sister
to send for Doctor Boyd. She departed
to execute the mission.
Never mind" he called to her. Il viii
80 to see him myself. I will take break
fast downtown. It will be . busy day for
me-"
Two hours later his dead body was found
on the floor of his studio In the Conserva-
forum Just west of Grand avenue on Olive
street. A bullet hole was through his
heart.
Three letters were on q table. They told
n~othing-two single goodbys, and one re-
quest, unsigned. that they be delivered.
Where there Is no sanity there can b.
no responsibility: and where there 10 no
responsibility there can be no guilt" was
the plea Of Doctor Boyd before the throne
Of Divinity for the dead singers forgive
ness.
But why should insanity have come? why
should It have clouded q mind that gave
its energies to music and worship to the
exclusion Of vicious things? Why should
CORY tragedy stalk where there was no
crime? Why should shadows sathaf dsrkly
and part only for the brief moment that
was necessary to show to the dsssd vision
a view Of Death. CARRIED as Q bride. in
whose embrace alone was to b found peace
and content7
The field Of speculation opens wide.
Charles Humphrey was young. He val
prosperous. He was popular. Adulations
were his. Women looked upon him with
eyes Of admiration; men with signs which
read: "Ah. had nature been % GENEROUS
with her gifts to mel"
Nature had given him . voice that was
peculiarly sympathetic-a high. clear lyric
tenor in quality, not robust, not big. not
operate. but ineffably sweet. Thousands
had heard his gospel songs; thousands had
heard his ballads: thousands had heard his
oratorios. And all had admired. Some had
criticised. as 1t is the way Of the world to
do: but all had been Observation-Disclosures all
had wept under the spell of the wonderful
tones. 1t was a voice that softly thrilled
one hat touched the chords Of sentiment
and emotion and set them to vibrating in
a responsive song Of pure delight.
He had been singing all his life-irst out
in a Missouri town. West Plains. where he
gained local fame as a chorister; then as an,
evangelistic singer. Then he came to St.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-31

(Mr. q. Charles humphrey
Through infinite space, by human death-wail riven,
A spirit found it's way from Earth to Heaven,
With ~faltering tone of thrilling music sweet, re-,
Knelt pleading at the guardian angels feet.
Moved by the tender notes, the angel turned
To hear what Earthly voice could so entrance,
And there beheld a face wherein was burned
A story Of most cruel circumstance.
Alas!-there are so many singers there
And we had but this one who knew the strain!
Were there no hands stretched out in fervent prayer
No loving hands to draw you back again.
All Poet-singer, could you not forbear?-
For them-for us-endure the bitter pain?
EVA LYNN.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
WHY WAGNER DIDN'T COME.
Threatened to Visit the q. s. but His
Bluff Was Called.

None of the b~iographers of Wagner
has mentioned the interesting fact that
he came near making a concert tour in
America in 1881. The deficit ESQm his
first Bayreuth festival. in 1876, was SO
great that he was obliged to borrow
$25, 900 of King Ludwig of Bavar In
return for this, he promised to let the
Munich court theater have "Parsifal'
after its first performances in B~ayreuth.
But in October. 1880, when a considera-
BILE part of 'ParsifaT' had been written,
the king got a letter, in which Wagner
declared his Intention of giving a series
of concerts in the United States in tire
following year, in order to make a large
sum of money. He was going to do
this, he added. because it panied him
to think that he must yield up his
.fParsifaI" after its production in Bay
reuth. The king took the hint. He
could not endure the thought that the
aged master, then in his sixty-seventh
year, should be compelled, for the real
ization of his ideals. to make such an
exhausting tour. So he not only gave
orders that, beginning 1882, the Royal
orchestra of Munich was to be placed
annually at Wagner's service, but that
all former agreements in regard to the
performance of stParsifaF' in Munich
should be annulled. He was a friend
worth havingl And, again, the question
arises, what would Wagner have done
without King L~udwig-and List, who
was Wagner's Ludwig before he met the
king? To those two generous souls all
music-lovers owe an i~ncalculable debt
of gratitude.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
FITCH IS ASHAMED OF 1T.
Sorry He Wrote sThe Marriage
Came" Nine Years Ago.

1t is said that Clyde Fitch, out of
loyalty to Miss de Wolfe, declined to
rehearse 1.-The Marriage Game at the
Victoria Theatar, says Jeanette Glider
writing from New York 10 the Chicago
Tribune No doubt this IL true. But I
should like to hin that Mr. Fitch &C.
clined to rehearse the play because he
was thoroughly dlsgusted with it. The
Marriage Game" is an adaptation, as he
is anxious to have the public under
stand, from anglers L Marriage
d'Olympe." To Mr.. Fitch's credit be it
said that he has done ali in. his power
TO keep it out of New York; but this
seems to have been impossible, and
o, sarcasm OF destinyi=it succeeds The
Way of the World" at Hammerstein's
Victoria.
Mr.. Fitch made this adaptation some
nine years ago, when he was glad of a
job, no matter how humple@as he was
is today. He made the play for the
some out-of-town theaters, with hat
success I do rot know. BY some mis-
chance through Miss Tanner heirs it
came into the hands of Louis Neither
sole's lawyer, who saw an opportunity
in it for Nethersole's vile, Miss Sadie
Martinez. Mr.. Fitch ought not to have
permitted it's performance by Miss Mar
tinCt-or anybody else, now in his days
of prosperity; but he. thought that it
would only be played on the road and
never dreamed that it would be pro-
duced in New York. To the credit Of
the road" be II said thai the play was a
failure. Out-of-town audiences would
not accept It's vulgarities and turned
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21

Mary Tudor's ~conhdante in Julia Mar
loves "When Knighthood Was in
Mr.. and Mrs. Sydney Drew will go out
of vaudeville to accept lucrative engage
ments with Frohman's Sweet and
have a comedy role. while his wife win
have a character part.
lanes Il. Sullivan. Irene Perry and
Ellie Fay are reported to have made the
hits of the revival of ''The Belle OF New
York recently in London Madge Less
son with Edna May.
Maude Odell has closed her special star
ring tour and will remain in Chicago until
after the holidays. She will then take up
engagements which have been made for
her with stock companies in San IRAN
cisco, Boston and New York
No play of the season in New York city
received more adverse criticism than "The
Unwelcome Mrs Hatch" produced by
Mrs. Fiske. but the entertainment is said
afternoon performances are being given.
The fire next door to the Bijou theater.
New York. last Tuesday night cost May
Irwin something like S7.500 in ruined cos
TUNES They were stored in the loft of
the theater, and We're flooded with water
to prevent the spread OF the flames.
Mrs. Langtry is soon to appear in Lon
don in the title role of -MademoiselIe
Mars" by Paul Kester. the American
playwright Mr. Kester wrote Sweet
Nell of Old Drury." which failed in this
country, but caught on successfully in
Fay TempIeton rendered a la France
rose luncheon at Delmonico's. New York.
last Sunday to Lillian Russell. Twelve
other guests. prominent on the New York
port the little ".set OUT cost Miss Tenn
pleton a cool $500.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
ANOTHER BELAsco SUCCESS.
Mrs. Leslie Carter Well Received in
Her New Play, Dr. Barry"

David Belasco's new play, d Barry"
had its initial production at the National
theater, Washington, last week with Mrs.
Leslie Carter in the title role.
1t proved a stronger and more intense
drama than .Zaza" along whose genera
lines as a play dealing with the emotions
and the passions it follows. The play is
in five acts, with the climax in the fourth
act. where Mrs. Garter. in a. tent scene.
speaks a soliloquy that lasts seven min
utes and is absolutely void of gesture
This act was intensely dramatic
Madam Du Barry, the companion of
Louis XIV. in the worst part of the
French empire. Just before the revolution.
In Belaseoss play the heroine in the be
ginning is a good woman in love with an
honest man. =
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21

star and does not divide his time with
the business department.
Melbourne MacDoweil, husband of the
late Fanny Davenport, is to appear at
the Crawford Friday night.
MacDowen is producing the plays
made famous by his wife. Since her
death Blanche Walsh. has played her
characters with success. Mcdowell
was first seen in Topeka at the Grand
in 1892 in a three days engagement with
Fanny Davenport in Cleopatra" the
most magnificent production ever seen
here. and la Tosca-" Three seasons
ago he appeared at the Crawford with
Miss Walsh in Il Tosca'' and "Fe-
dora" and "Gismonda" for three per-
formanees while the McLean-Tyler-
Hanford p We're playing at the
Grand. MacDowell is now playing
Cleopatra" "LaTosca," Fedora and
.Grismonda" and one of these will be
selected for his Topeka engagement.
The week Will open with the musical
farce "A Baggage Check Monday
night and will close with a matinee
and night performance of Sol Smith
Saturday. Topeka's favorite. Mr.. Rus
sell. will not be with the company. His
acting days are over, He is an invalid
and is wheeled about Washington in a
chair. A new star will be seen in the
Gertrude Coghlan has had law suits
and injunctions galore brought against
her to prevent her playing Becky
full for she will play here New Years
day matinee and night in the J. H.
Nevins' dramatization of Thackeray's
Vanity Fair" Mrs. Fiske played
Becky Sharp, at the Crawford last
Miss Coghlan's play is staged mag
nifcently, requiring unusually heavy
emery. The principal characters in
the play are as follows: w
Crawley, the Marquis of Steyne, Sir
Pitt Crawley, William Dobbin, George
Osborne, Joseph Sedley. Becky Sharp,
Amelia Sedley. Miss Crawley, the Mar
chioness of Steyne, Lady Bareacres,
Lady Blanche Thistlewood, her daugh-
ter, Mrs Major O'Dowd, Miss Pinker-
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
THE EARLY DAYS OF FRoHMAN
Was Not Always the Theatrical Mag
nate He Now Is.

The Iatter-day splendor of Charles
Frohman may have caused him to forget
some of the old days when eating was the
most serious problem of his existence and
a dollar looked as big as the Metropolitan
opera house.
But his old friends have not allowed
those days to slip from their memories,
and one of them told of an incident that
illustrates Frohman's c-heerfulness under
circumstances that would discourage any
other man. Frollman has just been to the
Pacific coast with the Wallack stock COM
pany. of which Osmond Tearle was the
leading man. The company's fame was
at a discount the further west it Travelled,
and Frohman had to spend his last cent
to get back to town He did not look
prosperous as. his friend met him in
front of the Union Dime Savings bank,
but he was not disheartened How did
we do?' he answered to his friends query.
We'll, it was SO bad that l cannot de-
scribe it with justice. I'll tell you one
fact. though. which shows just how l felt
about it. We hit a town out in Montana
and we needed money the worst way. The
show ahead of us had been playing to our
kind of business, $5s in the box office for
an average, but in this town something
he had 5000 as his share. He gave me one
flash of the roll and then made a break
for the ticket office in the depot. Give
me 10 tickets he called out in his excite
ment. Where TOP" asked the agent
East came the prompt reply, in a voice
that ehowed he meant it" Then Froh-
man added, with a touch of sadness in his
voice, I was never so homesick in my
Iifp1
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
ANOTHER GRAU FIASCo.
Grand Opera in st. Louis a Catch as
Catch Can Affair.

There is one element about a Grau
opera production in st. Louis that ap-
peals to ones sporting instinct, says the
ST. Louis Star. You start down town
knowing that if the Fates are propitious
you may hear rannhauser and Mime.
Gadski, but there is always that fasci-
mating chance that you may hear
Meyerbeer's Prophet and Mime. Cans
Fame, who lost her voice somewhere on
the trip. They prose through a tortur-
ing -presentment of an old fogy opera,
and Madame, without the fame, makes
motions with her lips and YOU go home
and wonder why grand opera is so tire
some
Such things happen only in Mr..
Grau is pleased to term the provinces.
If Mr.. Grau would dare to treat his
New York audiences as lie treated st.
Louis last week, he would be in the
past tense in one season. New York
would shun his show like st. Louis
unjustly Stunned Mr.. Southwell's.
This seasons Grau Opera Festival at
the Music Hall was of an artistic stripe,
with former Grau fiascos. Grau's name
in st. Louis IS synonymous with inSin-
cerity and broken promises He comes
with a blare of brazen trumpets and a
rumbling of mighty chariots that prom
Use a showing of mighty things, but
when the time of battle comes all the
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21

their backs upon it. Consequently it
was withdrawn, and every one thought
it was withdrawn forever. But 1T
seems not.
On Tuesday night THE Marriage
Game. was produced at Hammerstein's
Victoria before a large and. one might
say, a mixed audience But there wasn't
much of a mixture after all The peo-
pie seemed to be all of a kind, and a
curious kind it was-men in tweeds and
tan boots, with a sprinkling of dress
coats, and women in vivid waists. The
critics were out, of course It is their
business to be present on such an
occasion. 1 happened to sit near them
and / was interested in noticing their
various expressions. Norman Hapgood
of the Commercial was or a broad grin.
He seemed to be immensely amused by
it-not in the way the management
would like to have seen him amused.
but in another way. Mr.. Winter of the
Tribune regarded the performance with
an expression of calm despair. Mr..
ToWse of the Post could not conceal his
disgust. Alan Dale, of the Journal,
looked im-passionately at h stage and
hurried out between the acts to relieve
his feelings by a walk in the lobby.
Mr.. de Foe Of the World looked indig-
nants and Disguised. The queer audi
ence laughed a good e a at the jokes,
and a good deal more at the suggest
iyeneSS.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21


big guns have been temporarily disabled
and withdrawn from service
Still people pour their money into
Grau's Golfers Why they are so fools
ish is beyond KEN. Perhaps the glamour
of his name may draw and the famous
people whom he throws out here and
there as sops. The attitude of Grau
affects his people, They 10 not try to
Civ this city their best. The we-are-tEe
whole-thing and Observation-Disclosures atti7
tude prevails even in the chorus
1t is barely possible thatSMr. Grau is
a few dollars ahead of his st. Louis en-
gagement. JIe had several excellent
houses. One right Officer Vollmer- nan-
died 200 carria ges before the door. But
Grau, with adherence to mis- promises,
might have had houses as large as Mr..
Short during b three weeks of Ben
Hur. 1t nightmare paid Mr.. Grau to
be upright. His old Methods have
spoiled his opportunity during the
Worlds Fair season.
Sunaming upssIhe Grau opera festival,
what have we heard that was worth
$3.50?. We saw Madame Nordica on ex-
hibition in a box. We heard Edouard
de Reszke, Nine Eames, Nine. Gadski
and Nine Sen1brich in an opera in
which she was lost. The other singers
were commonplace. And for this st
Louisans paid $3.50 a seat.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-21
The Stars Who Will be Seen in { The Tanning of the Shrew -
Next thursday.

is in a gorgeous manner. the
last act costing $4,000 to place upon the
stage, which can be easily understood
when it is explained that it is an exact
counterpart of the d-rawingroom of
one of the richest men in Chicago. With
his consent, photographs were taken,
and skilled artists were given full lib
erty to make a careful study of the or
iginal, so the counterfeit might be as
near perfect as possible. and it is with
out doubt one of the most expensive
stage settings on the road. The COM
pany is said to be a capable one which
includes the eminent German dialect
comedian and singer, Chas- A. KarD
Gardner and the entire production will
be the same as when first presented in
Topeka last season and when the last
act was found to be startling and novel.
The most notable engagement of the
week viii be that of Charles B. Han
ford and Miss Helen GRAVITY in THE
Tanning of the Shrew," on Thursday
night at the Crawford.
1t is an agreeable change to turn
from the farces of the present day to
the immortal comedies of William
Shakespeare In the latter class 1.-The
Tanning of the Shrew'' is perhaps the
best. Its fun is fast and furious and
once seen 1t is not easily forgotten
1nere never were a pair of lovers whose
actions have created as much amuse-
men as Katherine and P~etruchio. Mr..
haniord should be admirably suit
ed to the role of "Petruchio." Miss
Helen GRAVITY. VIC is a ranges here
out whose fame has nevertheless reach
ed this city. will be seen as Rather
me- Included in the supporting COM
pany are Marie Drofrah, Emma Hayner,
William J. Shea, Irving Knight. Roland
gibson. z. A Nannary, Harold Fiske.
Faql Anderson, L W. Browning, John
C. Davis.
MT Hanford IS well known to Topeka
tneater goers. He was seen here during
the noEdays last year in Private John
ASn ano Two seasons g he starred
with r. D. Mclean and Odette Tyler
anu played an engagement of three DAYS
Rere in Shakespearian plays. ~. Han
xoru was originally a manager. He used
to take parts in the prod1ctions ne
managed but he is now a full hedged