New-York tribune., 1909-02-12
ACTOR KILLS HIMSELF
CHARLES WARNER n SUI
eide IN HOTEL.
Left Note Saying He Had Been
DriUen to the Act by Liars
and ThieUes.

Charles Warner. sixty-six years old. an Eng
lish actor who gained considerable prominence
several years ago in a play called Drink com
mitted suicide in his apartments in the Hotel
Seymour. No 45 West 45th street. yesterday by
hanging himself
He left note pinned TO the door on which he
had hanged himself. in which he declared that
he had been driven to his death by liars ana
thieves. and in which he mentioned the name of
criminal lawyer in the Tomos prison
It is believed that Warner was suffering from
mental alteration when he killed himself
Warner was well known along Broadway in
theatrical circles and his son. Harry Warner Is
one OF the leading actors in "The Battle no"
being produced at the Savoy Theatre IN S4th
street The elder Warner finished actor
and his sketch AT the Telephone. in which ne
appeared in vaudeville about a year ago. hold-
ing the stage for nearly twenty minutes on an
imaginary telephone. made a big hit de was
,vidover. and had lived at the Hotel Seymour
for about two years.
Shortly after II O'Clock yesterday mornlns
Warner sent a telephone message to the clerk
in the hotel from his apartments requesting that
a heavy ball of twine be sent to his rooms
The twine was sent to him. AT > O'CLOCK ias'
night an excited chambermaid dashed INTO the
hotel office and announced that man had
hanged himself in Mr. Warmers apartments
She told the manager or tle hotel 'I'O o9 9ii0
nusbed open the DOOR leading from the sitting
room to the bedroom the body of a man that had
been suspended from the door had fallen TO the
floor.
Coroner,s Physician Schultz, who lives in the
hotel was summoned and after viewing the
body gave 1t as his opinion that Warner hads
roen dead for at least four hours. Coroner Acr1-
teui was called from dinner which he was at
tending at the Hotel Knickerbocker, and pro-
nounced the case one of suicide. He gave the
relatives of the dead man permission to remove
the body TO an undertakers for burial
Warner first carefully pinned a note. written
in black ink to the outside Of the door on which
he hanged himself containing two checks. The
checks were drawn Brown Brothers bank
ers at No. 80 Wall street this city, where he
had an account one for 800 and the
other was for $27. The first was to pay his
funeral expenses and the second represented the
amount of his indebtedness to the hotel The
note read follows:
''Hounded to my death by thieves. liars and
blackmailers. the criminal lawyer. prin-
cipaI rogue who preferred TO save from
ruin They fooled me out of thousands and
thousands Now he is in prison.
God bless you ALI God bless you all at Lent.
"Oh. my dear ones! Oh. my beloved"
After writing this letter Warner carefully
closed the door between the sitting room aqd
his bedroom Then ne TOOK NAIlSe SIrap anu
made a moose at one end which he fastened to
the top of the door. He then pulled chair OF
which he stood toward the door, and after he
had secured the strap around his neck kicked
the chair from under him He strangled to
death but his neck not broken.
Warner was a member of the Lambs,
and il was said there last night that lie had
been morose and melancholy recently. Signor
G. Perugini, singer, who was one OF Warmers
intimate friends and who lived at the Hotel
Seymour, said last night that the suicides mind
was undoubtedly unbalanced.
Warner ran away from home just after being
graduated from college, to join company of
provincial actors His parents had hoped to
make him an architect In 1879 he produced
his ever memorable play of Drink" His char
acter of Coupeau in that play was pronounced
b,, critics one of the greatest creations seen on
+ba English stage in the last half of the nine
+eentb century, He played it for years in ali
the principal cities of England and throughout
the nrovinces Later he took Drink" TO Aus
tralfa for a season Of sixteen weeks. He played
II there for two years and nine months. After
that great success he brought his play to this
CITY. and opened at the Academy of Music.
where he filled an engagement OF four weeks.
subsequently going tour in all the principal
cities of the United States
More recently Mr.. Warner after going on the
,.auIeviIle stage. produced Drink" in tabloid
MT Warner appeared in the role of Jacques
with the all star company which played the
revival of The Two Orphans" at the New Am
sterda M Theatre some time ago. The company
Included. among Others. Kyrie Bellew. Grace
George Clara Morris. Margaret Ellington, Elita
Proctor Otis and James ONeil.