The Savannah morning news., 1901-06-02
MAD MATINEE HEROES.
PAID THE PENALTY FOR THE PACE
THAT KILLS.
There Are Many Cases in stage His
tory Similar to That OF Barrymore
Now Raging in an Insane Asylum.

tory Similar to That of Barrymore
Now Raging in an Insane Asylum
From the New York World.
Maurice Barrymore, for years most con-
epicuous leading man on the American
stage, matinee idol, prince of good fell
s. brilliant wit, latest hight owl utter
bohemian and superb gentleman, hav-
ing gone the pace, now poys the penalty.
Not so long ago 1t was poor John
Mccullough and poor" Billy Seaman.
Others whose good fellowship won the
friendly but pathetic prefix were Fritz"
Emmett. Barley Campbell. Charlie Hoyt,
Steel Mackaye, "Old Hoss" Hoey, George
S. Knight, Tony Hart and Harry Kernel.
In each case the same story. The
good fellow, prosperity. the pace that
kills. the candle burned at both ends,
then, the nervous twitehing of the chin,
the quivering of the lips, the slurring
of words, the loss of memory, and last
thick utterance that could not be over
come. Next maudlin words from the
stage, the breakdown, the mad house.
then death reckoning each of them to
the wings.
All were matinee idols-Barrymore lead
er of them all. Women raved over his
charm, his lovable nature, his cameo
face, his velvety, his brown hair, his
brilliant eyes, with that marvellous ability
to flash, his splendid figure, with that
dash of devil-may-care about it.
They fiattered, admired, threw opinion
to the winds loved him.
And Barrymore?
Poor Barrymorel
Yet the romantic actor for one so much
admired was singularly unassuming. He
made up on the stage to be an Apollo
and Hercules combined, but in the by no
means dilettante knockabout suit which he
wore about town was he either the dandy
or hero. On occasions his dressing on
the stage was careless. On the opening
night Of "A Woman of No Importance
one axiom of Lord Ilesworth raised a
smile that was not the creation of the
author. THE art of tying a dress tie
properly is the first step toward diplo-
macy" remarked Mr.. Barrymore, as he
touched his own ready-made tie.
barrymore Loved Animals.
Barrrymore's kindly nature was always
in evidence. few years ago at late
hour on Saturday night he picked UP a
shivering little dog on Broadway, Hes
got the red mango" said the actor to
his companion, "but we can't leave him
here" A hotel proprietor offered to care
for him for the night The next morn
ing Barry appeared with a basket and
So 1t he carried the dog to the veterinary
hospital on West Twenty-fifth street.
"A bad case" said the surgeon, but 1
think well pull him through"
People think he'll shake the pup
when e gifts WELL" said one of the hos
pital attendants, "but"-here he lowered
his voice to a whisper-"eight weeks ago
Mr.. Barrymore brought a little kitten in
ERE what 'ad a broken leg. He took it
awoi too. wen it got well. He's curious
chap, and ed fight for a kitten has
quick as a friend. Very curious chap"
OF course, everyone knows that Barry
was rarely letter perfect in a part
when at loss for a word" he said,
81 always light cigarette"
Barry lit a great many cigarettes
He had a poets imagination of the fair
sex Recently at the Lambs, while
rhapsodizing about a new star, someone
interrupted with:
But, Barry, the old fiamesw
This Is the only hamew he said.
'"rhose were only matches"
Once a wine agent intruded upon a
party of which Barrymore was one. The
agent told Barrymore that he was man
of good taste and all that, and wound be
by saying:
when you want a bottle Of wine in
future will you not crafty me by ask
Eng for my wine?"
why, OF course" answered Barry
more, most gracfously. II shall be de-
lighted to ask for your wine. But heavens!
suppose they should have it?"
Friends of Barrymore recently enjoyed
a little witticism at his expense by
Augustus Thomas.
The celebrated playwright had been
mercilessly picking flaws in the actors
drama until the good-natured Barry
WINGED.
''Oh. come Gusv' he interrupted. don't
be quite so hard # it's not an Alabama.
Just remember that wrote 1t in
week
did you, Barry?" retorted Thomas
''Then you must have loafed."
Needed Great sorrow.
Steele Mackaye diagnosed Barrymore as
an actor who in order to become famous
needed only great SORROW" To Mack
aye he invariably replied that he and sor-
row were stiil strangers. once, however,
he went to Mackaye with a long face, a
melancholy brow, low and tremulous
tones, and, checking back a sob, said
Dear old Steele, when You made that
Testing prediction about me and sorrow
you had no idea how soon it would come
true, and you cannot be surprised that
now come 20 you for your heartfelt
sympathy. Steele! Steelei my friend, /
have broken my pet finger nair'
But verify he is suffering his great sor-
row now.
Poor scanlanr they began to say
nine years ago Just as they say Poor
Barrymore" to-day. Poor Billy Seaman!
How the women and little children loved
HIM To hear his name is TO think of
''Peek-a- Boot" My Nellie's Blue Eyes
and Gathering the Myrtle With Mary"
The children of decade were rocked
TO sleep to the music of his 'By-by,
Baby, By-by!"
But Seaman, dead at 20. went such
pace as Barrymore never dreamed Of.
He literally turned night into day. He
was the most enthusiastic and inveterate
gambler ever knew. In ten years he
lost at faro. rouge ct noir. poker and
every form OF hazard more than $4,000
His whole time off the stage was given
20 game Of chance. He rarely slept. He
would play a matinee and an evening
performance and would then rush away
and gamble until the next days perform
ance began Then came the inevitable
recourse to stimulants. This fastened his
downfall
few months after his arrival at
Bioomingdale his sister. Sadie, died. But
when Mrs Seaman told him of Sadle's
death he laughed gleefuily IN her face
But Seaman did not forget. and a few
days later he asked 10 be taken to
al