Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-08-30
MANSFIELD DEAD
One of the Greatest Actors of the Day Began as a Singer
 and Comedian
HIS EARLY EXPERIENCE

New London, August 30.-Richard
 Mansfield. the greatest exponent ot
 Shakespearean drama in this coun-
 try and one of the best known actors
 on the American stage, passed away
 this morning at 6:30 o'clock at his
 summer residence Seven Oaks. 7 Death was directly due to disease
 of the liver, aggravated by complies
 tions. The attending physician
 stated this morning that death was
 not entirely unexpected, although the fact was not made public. It was
 stated that he stood the journey we'll l from Saranac lakes and that he was up and around the house two or three
 days ago. Then turn for the
 worse set in and Mr Mansfield was
 confined to his room. A physician from Pittsburg was summoned but
 he found him too far gone. During l the actors last moments he was lying in a condition of coma and did not recognize the loved ones~at his bed- I side. Those present when he died
 were his wife, brother Felix, and his
 son.
 Richard Mansfield was born on the
 little island of Heligoland on May 24, 1857. His mother was Mime Mans
 field Rudersdorf, a famous prima donna, and 1t was from her that
 Mansfield inherited his love for the arts. The actor studied at several
 schools on the continent and then went to England to study art in the South Kensington, London.
 The young artist made a precarious living painting pictures and many times his only meal in those early
 days in London was a hot potato bought from street peddlar.
 Il used to hold the potato to warm
 my hands," said Mansfield, in relat- ing his experiences, and then eat 1t. !,
 The struggle for livelihood prov
 ed discouraging to Mansfield and he
 came to Boston, where for time he entered business life as a salesman in dry goods house. Commercial
 life was not congenial to the temper ament of the young man and he re- turned to England. He then turned his talents toward the stage. As a singer and comedian he joined a strolling company at a salary of s15 week. Even in those early days of his stage career he displayed the characteristics and fnannerisms which marked his work and stamped 1t as his own many years after. Mans field turned his whole artistic bent to the study of the stage and waited for an opportunity to show what he could do. Several years were spent playing small parts in tours of the English provinces and then Mansfield came to this country where his first appearance was made in Les Man teaux Noirs at the Standard theater. Later he played the part of Nick Vedder in Rip Van Wrinkle. Mans fields genius had so far failed to make itself manifest to his associates, but in 1883 his opportunity came when A. M. Palmer put on the Par isian Romance" J. H. Stoddard was cast for the part of Baron Chevrial in the play. Stoddard at the last min ute declined to play the part, with which he said he was not in fully sympathy. Mansfield, stepped for word and begged permission to play the part of the palsied absolute old French nobleman. Mansfield lifted what at first seemed but small ec- centric part to one of all absorbing interest. The public and the critics forgot the play to talk of Mansfeld's Baron Chevrial and from that day Mansfield became leading figure on the American stage.
 After several years playing in sev- eral different plays which he carried to degree of success by his powerful personality he became a star in 1887, when he appeared in Prince Karl.
 Mansfield returned to England where his Baron Cheyrial, Dr Jekyl and Mir Hyde and Prince Karl were declared masterpieces of character | painting. He produced Richard III | while in England and then returned to this country where he played un- interruptedly season after season. Mansfield produced Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac in America and scored a great success. The last effort of his genius was displayed in a remarkable in Tbsen's Peer Gynt.
 Richard Mansfield married Beatrice Cameron in 1892. She had been for several years his leading lady, but shortly after her marriage she retired from the stage. Mans fields young son was never permit ted to see his father act as it was the artists wish that his child's mind should not be impressed with stage life too early in life.
 The intense nervous strain under which Mir Mansfield worked caused a complete breakdown last spring while the actor was playing an engagement In Scranton. Pa. though he had been In poor health for some time. He re- covered sufficiently to enable him to make a voyage to England for his health. The English climate failed 10 benefit the actor and several weeks ago he returned to this country and went 10 Ampersand In the AdEron- iacks. Mr Mansfield longed to be at his summer home in New London, Conn. and several days ago he was taken there on his private car.
 Mir Mansfield had a home on Riv-