The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-04-14
MIME. MODJESKA PASSES AWAY
Daughter OF Poor Parents Talented for
Theatre i'm Most Unusual
Degree.

| Madame Helena NJ odjesla, the Coun-
tess Bohemia Chlapowski whose event.
full and brilliant life it terminated, was
born in Cracow, Austrian Poland. on
Oct ~. 1914. Her father was a Po-
fish patriot named Bendu, a man of
great refinement of character and ed
ucation and a musician of ability. He
died while Helena was yet a child,
| leaving the family in moderate cir
cumstances
At an early age Helena gave every
evidence of Il singular intensity Of
feeling and when, at the age of seven
| she was taken by her mother to the
| theater for the first time. her excite
| ment over the mimic performance was
so evident that her mother decided
not to permit her to see another theat-
rical performance in many years.
The stage career of Modjeska began
in the small but historic town of
Bochinia. 1t was conceived in charity,
and in all her life on the stage she
exercised the noble impulse which
| caused her to adopt the players life.
She was still in her teens when she
went to Bochinia and there soon after
her arrival she married M. NOdri 10
| jewska. A son was born to the couple,
Ralph Modjeska, who fastened recent
! ly from Chicago at the news of his
m others illness Soon after his birth
the husband and father was killed in q
catastrophe at Bochinia.
| 1t was Immediately following this
disaster that the widow organized a
~ fyitr
ces throughout the district the pro-
ceeds to be given to the widows and
orphans of the men who were killed
The play 1.-THE White Camelia" was a
success from the start and the author
attracted by Modjeskn's remar,1a bic
acting, used his influence to start her
in theatrical work in a larger field.
| The success of Modjeska on the stage
| in Poland was Immediate. She was
! received with acclaim whenever she
appeared and gained a wide reputa-
ton.
Nine. Modjcska married in 1868
Charles Chlapowski the Count Bozen-
| ia, man of aristocratic birth and q
Journalist of wide reputation. Count
Bozenta offended the Russian govern
| inent with his writings in 1876 and so
unpleasant was it made for him that
in company with other gentlemen Of
| family~~he acme to the United States
and with them founded an Utopian
colony near Anaheim, in Southern Cal
| ifornia. The count took to mining in
| Silverado canyon. and there he built
the beautiful home called Arden"
where many years of the life of Nine.
| Modieska We're spent.
The colony failed and Nine. Mod
jeska, in need of funds, turned to the
American stage. She made applica-
ton to John Mccullough who was
manager of the California theatre in
San Francisco and was given a place
in his company in July. 1877. Her
first appearance on an American stage
was at the California. 1t was at this
time Thernameas sim plified to Mod
jeska" by Barton Hill.
Modjeska toured the United States
with great success later and In March
1850. she went to London and appear
ed at the Court theater under the man
agement of Wilson Barrett In the au-
dience We're the Prince and Princess
of Wales and royalty applauded with
the rest. The play was "Heartease''
and adaptation of Camille" and for
years she repeated It in England al
ways with the same measure of sue
cess.
Mime. Modjeska returned to the
United States in 1882 and since that
time her home has been in Southern
California, though she has toured the
country on several occasions Some
years ago throat trouble compelled
her to give up the stage forever Her
last appearance was in the character
role of Lady Macbeth AT benefit per-
Torrance in this city for the Italian
earthquake sufferers. about three
months ago.
| Prominent among her characterized
tons were Juliet, Cleopatra, Ophelia
Rosslind, Katharine. Beatrice, Portia
I'm ogene, Mary Stuart and Lady Mac
beth In all. she played more than
200 characters Ii was however as
Lady Macbeth" and Sweet Lady
CONSTANCE" that she won most of her
fame.