The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-04-29
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Sol Smith I Rus sell I Died ester.
day inH ashingt from
Perpetual Il iccough
40 (By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON. Aprir Sol Smith
Russell, the actor, died at the Rtchmond
Hotel. in this g clock. Z ms d.
ternoon Of perpe hiccou !, rs
sell had beensill for some time from this
malady. but during the past few day s
the disease took aaserious turn,5and since i
early morning the end had been hourly
expected.
chose present at has bedside we're Mrs.
Russell, Allce Russell. Mr. ana
Mrs Frederick S. Berger and Edward Z.
Resented. Mr. Russell was fifty-four@
years old: The deceased will be buried
In Rock Creek Cemetery. near this city. 8
SKETCH OFNEHISz CAREER.
sg Sol Smith Russell was born June. 10
E1s48..5.s His last appearance on any stage
took place at the Grand Opera House,
Chicago, Saturday night, January s. 1906
when he closed his season on account
of i'll health He came directsfrorn Chlca-
go to Washing on. Sss8
g According to Mr.. Russell, in former
interview, the noted actor S stage career
began inss a Scellar#Swith the productloh3
of ..The Savage of the Rocks Of Borneo'sS
an adaptation of a play seen by nm pre- pre-
viously# at a theatre in st. LOUIS Inc
outcome of the venture was not Just:
what was expected. however as thesposa
selected to play the part Of the 5perse,5
cuted Indian maiden became 1nvolveo
with the boy who was TO be the white
maiden. and the performance came 70 70.
an abrupt end.
He made his first appearance on the
of
Defiance Theatre in CAIRO, Ill, IN f lSoz.a
Shortly after that the war broke OUT
and young Russell followed the army
as drummer boy. not enlisting, however,
because his parents withheld their con-
sent Upon his return to seek hlstrlonlc
laurels he was given a place at the De De
fiancesTheatre as a general Utility ma =,
singing between the acts and drumming
ii the orchestra, a t the muniflcent salary
of Sc per week, with permisslonato steep
on the stage lounge. After that the man mar.
ager5 Of the house, Tom Holland, TOOK
pity on him and gave him lodging IN MS
own house and also afforded him access
to his theatrical library
HIS FIRST PART.
Mr.. 5Russell's first part. was thai. OF Pit
a-Pat, a negro girl in The Hidden Hand, Is
singing patriotic songs between the acts
for the benefit Of the Union soldiers VINO
we're quartered in Cairo
He secured an engagement at Dea-s
giles Theatre, in st. Louis, appearing III
tho heavy melodramas so much IN vogue
al tina t time He went from St.ELo to
ch;ca 60 getting an engagement at Chad
wick's Theatre and being bounced the
first night He was not discouraged
however, but pushed on to milwaukee.
where a local mana GER having heard OF
him in ST. Louis. engaged him at sls Tor
farce work. He then joined the Peake
Family Bell Ringers, but notsoelng8 pala
for his services, closed for SIS week with
his; original theatre in St.sLouis; thence
to Memphis. Tenn, and Little Rock; ARK,
where he. secured an engagement as llrst
low comedian with a drama tic COMPANY
catering to- the army there. Inc ciose5 u
the war found him the second comedian
at the old theatre in Nashville, Tenn. Al
eighteen years of age he was me zssco y.
comedian at Ben de Bars Theatre IN q.
Louis, where he acquired muchstheatrl-
cal knowledge and experience.
JOINED THE BERGER3FAM
In 1866 Mr. Russell joined the Berger
ia mily and made a tour OF Western towns
with them as a concert COMPANY o"aio
the close of .the season of 1856 he became
a. member of the stock company at the
Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, IN
der the mana cement Of Col. William E.
Sim He made his first appearances IN
New York in ISL. at Lima. EdWinss Thea
ire, appearing a few weeks later at the
Howard Athenaeum, In Boston, In le,4
he appeared for twenty-six weeks at the
Olympic, Theatre. New Y ork.. and nineteen
weeks in Boston at5the Howard {Athe-2
naeum, his first really great success. He
then Joined Augustin Days company at
the Fifth-Avenue Theatre, in New York,
and then followed a season in the West,
Mr.. Russell returning to the DAILY fold
in 1850.
eFssl- "A e A. c,TA r
Mr.. Russell,s first attempt as dra-
matte star was. in a play called Edge
wood Folks. = which ran for thirty-eight
weeks with varying fortunes A the end
of five years, however, the play had firm
lyz established Mr.. RUSSELL s reputation as
Il drawing star. He persevered. however,
for better and higher things, and in ..F'e-8
lix NIcKusick ''..P and a farced called
..Bewitched = struggled to attain his de-
sires without any notable success. Fin
ally in "a Poor Relation he came nearer
to a realization of his hopes than ever
before. After that he tried 1.-THE Tale of
a Coat by Dion Boucicault. which was
given an elaborate production at Days
Theatre, but did not meet with the meas
ure of success which Mr. Russell expected,
so he returned to ga Poor Relation" for
season, being then furnished by Edward
E. kdder, its author, with Peaceful
Valley.''with which nearly every theatre
goer is familiar. hen came "a tBa chel-
ors Romance, which may be considered
his greatest success.
Subsequently Mr- Russell tried the
higher walks of comedy. appearing as
DR.. Pangloss in 1.-THE Heir-at-Law,n,, Bob
Acres in THE Rivals 2 etruchio lin
Shakespeares Tanning of the Shrew''..
and Mr.. Golightly in ''Lend Me Five
Shillngs. Lis last play written for
him which he produced was the Hon.
John Grigsby.','55ss
PRIVATE LIFE
s Off the stage Mr.. RUSSELL was gem.
ial, clever, dignifed gentleman, who al
ways created a favorable impression upon