Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-27
WAS A VICTIM
OF CALUMNY
GEORGIA CAYvAN, ACTRESS,
KILLED BY ISLANDER
Living a Life Above Reproach, She
Was Dragged Into a Nasty Divorce
Scandal, Though Innoeent--Lost
Her Reason and Life
Special to The Herald.


CHICAGO, Nov. 26.-Accordng to the
tribune, In the death of Miss Georgia
Cayvan, formerly the leading woman of
the Lyceum theater stock company, at
q sanitarium at Flushing, l.. l., where
she has been a hopeless patient during
the past six years, terminated a
tragedy which shows how far the
| tongue of one woman may go in evil
work to ruin the life and destroy the
reason of another. For twenty years
| the idol of the public, which honored
her as much for the purity of her life
and the stainlessness of her name, as
for the quality of her art, Miss Cay
van was driven insane and Is now dead
because of a cruel and unjustified at
tack upon both
since the time when she was named
in the proceedings that separated Oil
yer Sumner Teall-known to all politi-
clans in New York as "Ollie"-from his
wife, formerly Miss Florence Bissell of
orange, n. j., the actress has been
a physical and mental wreck. The case
was one of New York's most sensation
al divorce trials. The testimony offered
| by the counsel for Mrs. Teall against
Miss Cayvan was entirely unfounded. A
discharged colored servant of Mr..
| Teall's was the main witness for the
complainant, and the stories which he
told were proved to be mass of lies.
| When Miss Cayvan heard of the
charges she placed herself upon record
as the first woman to demand eXonera-
tion from such charges in the court
where she told her story-a thing never
before permitted a woman in her posi-
tfon. Before this the newspapers had
come to her aid. The Professional
Shakespeare club, Sorosis, the West
End club, the Woman's Republican
club, all of New York, defended her
with as deep sincerity and earnest
ness as though the individual members
had been accused. Many of New York s
most prominent women publicly de-
clared their belief in her innocence.
But the mischief had been done
Though she was completely and pub
licly vindicated-Mrs. Tealps own law
yer apologizing in court for having per-
mitted her name to be dragged into
the case-Miss Cayvan's life was
wrecked, her nervous system shattered,
her hope and courage broken.
In the days of her highest success
she had attached more Importance to
her good name than to any other pos
session. She had held herself aloof
from associations that in any possible
manner could link her name with scan
dalous charges. That she should be
singled out as the object Of venomous
jealousy after years of irreproachable
life in the heart of the gay metropolis
was one of those singular blows of fate
for which there seems no justification.
At the end of the trial she said: 81
want 1t all forgotten as soon as pos
sible, forgotten by the public. I myself
can never forget it."
Eager to rise above her troubles. she
accepted a New England managers s
offer to back her, formed company of
her own and started a starring tour of
the states. Half way across the con-
tinent her hacker, suffering from heavy
losses, deserted her and left her to get
home as best she could. She returned
to New York, paid the companys debts
out of what she had saved and was
ordered by her physician to go abroad
for her health. On her return from this
trip she played ten nights in her last
play, which bore the significant title,
"A Woman's Silence" and then left the
stage forever.
For awile after that she lived quietly
at her home, 351 West One Hundred
and Twenty-second street, with her sis
ter, but her friends soon noticed that
something more than mere physical
breakdown was the trouble. Brooding
over the misfortune which she had not
merited, her reason gave way, and in
1900 she was taken to Flushing, where
for the past six years she has been
hopelessly insane and so near actual
want that a few years ago a benefit
performance was arranged in her be-
half.
Georgia Cayvan was born in Bath,
Me-. in 1858. From the time she was IA
years old she supported her sister and
mother, her father having died when
she was a child. At the time the Teall
scandal overwhelmed her she had saved
enough money to be protected from the
needs of old age. This her terrible ex-
perience and subsequent failure took
from her. She was graduate of the
Boston School of Oratory and for long
time was well and favorably known as
reader. When the "Pinafore" wave
was sweeping over the country she ap-
peared as Hebe in the production of the
Boston Ideal Opera company. About
this time Steele Mackaye was recon-
structing the drama of the country. or
trying at least to set it upon a sound
and artistic basis. The Madison Square
theater had been built to show what a
model playhouse was like, and "Hazel
Kirke" was waiting to demonstrate
how long a model play would run upon
the stage properly. A model sack COM
pany was a necessary element to the
success of the project, and Mr.. Mackaye
set about gathering together actors and
actresses capable of being trained ac-
cording to his ideas. One of the MEM
bers OF the company he selected was
Miss Cayvan, and she made her pro-
fessional debut as Dolly Dutton in
"Hazel Kirke."
The thorough training in her art
which she received at the Madison
Square theater developed he talent
which, united with conscientious hard
work, gave her the position which she
so long filled as one of the country's
best known actresses, for though she
never rose to the highest sphere Of
acting her work was always pleasing
and refined.
Having finished a long engagement
at the Madison Square theater she
Joined the California Theater stock
company in San Francisco later return
ing to the Madison Square theater, after
which she played for time with Dion
Boucicault From 1887 till 1894 she was
the leading woman in Daniel Froh-