Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-11-07
JOHN WILKES BOOTH
REcoLLEcTIoNs OF HIM BY AN
EARLY ACQUAINTANCE.
GUARDED JOHN BROWN
His Dramatic Genius and Personal
6eauty-A Social Favorite In Rich
mond Before the Civil War-More
Brilliant Even Than His Brother.
Edwin.

In the current number of the Era
Edward NJ. Alfriend, of Richmond, Va,
gives interesting "reminiscences of
John Wilkes Booth, in which he men.
lions some accidents not generally
familiar to the present generation of
readers. Mr.. Alfriend writes:
The difference in England between
Charles kean and Junius Brutus
Booth drove the latter to America i'm.
mediately after his marriage in 1921.
He landed in Norfolk, Va, June 80 OF
that year, and six days later in Rich
mond, made his first appearance on
any American stage in Richard
LII. at the Marshall theater, cor
ner of Seventh and Broad streets.
Richmond always a great friend of
the dramatic profession and of the
drama, received him with open arms
and gave him the recognition that in
sured his dramatic career in this coun-
try.
Junus Brutus Booth was the son of
successful London lawyer of repub-
licar principles, who in his youth had
sailed for America to volunteer in
Washington's army, but was captured
and returned tc England. In politics
Junius Brutus was an English radical,
deeply sympathizing with all popular
aspirations for advancement, revolu-
tionary in many of his ideas, and there
is little doubt that his son, John
Wilkes, derived much of his own rest
less political spirit and mental radical
ism from the father and grandfather.
John Wilkes, indeed, of all Mr. Booths
sous, were born in Maryland and edu-
caLed in st. Mary's College in that
state.
When the John Brown raid occurred,
in 1853, John Wilkes Booth was a
member of the theatrical company
then playing at the Richmond theater
He was playing under the name of
John Wilkes. On the night that the
First Virginia Regiment was ordered
to Harpers Ferry and thence to
Charlestown he left the theater, pro-
red a uniform and musket, joined
the Richmond Grays, the company Of
which ! was a member, and accom-
panied it to Harper's Ferry and
Char,estown, and did duty as private
soldier until John Brown was ex-
ecuted, and then came back to Rich
mond with the command and returned
TO the theater. The managers dis
charged him for going to Harper's
Ferry and Charlestown, and on this
becoming known large contingent of
| the first Virginia regiment marched
to the theater and demanded that he
be reinstated, which the managers
did.
White at Charlestown the Richmond
grays occupied as their quarters an old
tin factory, and here John Wilkes
Booth slept every night, when he was
not doing duty as sentinel, with Writ
Harrison, on straw pallet which was
laidnextto my own. Nearly every night
before taps Booth would entertain us
with dramatic recitations from diff
ferent plays. He was very fond of
recting, which he did in such fiery,
intense, vigorous, brilliant way as to
forecast that great genius he subse-
quently showed on the stage.
Edwin Booth once said to me: John
Wilkes had the genius of my father
and was far more gifted that l." Many
old actors who saw him in his last
years before his terrible and insane
deed at Washington have told me that
they never saw so great performance
as he gave of Richard I'LL" and other
great parts. In Richmond, as | have
said, ne played under the name of John
Wilkes, and never used his own name
until his brother Edwin came to the
city to play Hamlet" He then play
ed Horatio to his brothers Hamlet,
and his name was given In the bills
as John Wilkes Booth. At the close of
the play, when the usual call came for
Edwin Booth, the curtain was run
pj and he came down the
stage leading John Wilkes by the
hand, pointed to him, and said: Il
think he has done well Don't you?"
The response from the audience was
cries of "Yes," "Yesi" and thunders
of applause.
When John Wilkes Booth was in the
Richmond stock company he was very
young. In his early twenties he
weighed about IT'S pounds, was little
taller than his brother Edwin, pos
sessed his marvelously intellectual and
beautiful eyes, with great symmetry
of feature, an especially fine forehead
and curly black hair. He was as
handsome as Greek god. It is say
ing a great deal, but he was a much
handsomer man than his brother Ed
win. He possessed a voice very like
his brothers, melodious, sweet, full
and strong, and was like him a con-
summate elocutionlst. In Richmond
while connected with the theatre he
was great social favorite knowing
all the best men and many OF the fin
est women. This faculty of social
success was hereditary, having been
possessed by his father and also by his
brother Edwin. With men John
Wilkes was most dignifed in de-
meanor. bearing himself with insou-
Giant ease and grace. and was bril-
liant talker With women he was
man ~ frrocto+tkf1 f.aot..4tox -