The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-08-10
FAMOUS ACTOR AND COMPOSER
WADES IN CREEK AT CAT- =
SKILL AND BROWNS -. -
Just From Hospital
And Thought to be On the Road to
Recovery, Veteran Comedian Of
The Team OF Cole and Johnsota
And Author Of Many Song Hits
And Successful Career. -
Amsterdam News.)

Catskill, N. Y, August 3.-Robert
Cole, known throughout the United
States and Europe as Bob" Cole, the
far-famed comedian Of the team Of
Cole and Johnson, committed suicide
here yesterday by wading into the
Catskill Creek, pretending to be fool
ing and sinking in the water before
any one could come to his rescue.
1t was only a fortnight ago that
| Mr.. Cole was released from the his
pMal, and, as in years past, he came
| to the English House, where his eld-
erly mother has been summering.
jF1e reached here Saturday night In. a.
highly nervous state.
Monday and Tuesday he was in
the best Of spirit and played several
Of his own selections for his fellow
guests. ...-. -.
Yesterday while walking. with
friends he reached CatskiH Creek and
remarking that the water looked in
Viting he waded-in fully dressed
| and swan for a few minutes, and
then without uttering a word, al
lowed his body to sink to the bot
tom. He was drowned before his
| friends realized that he was not fool
| ing. F|.=
Cole was 43 years old and unmar-
ried and resided at 102 w. 136th
street, New York, where the body
will be taken for interment after
the inquest this afternoon. ! HIS
mother Is prostrated. ,
Cole Born In Atlanta. - -
Cole was born in Atlanta He
married early and several years ago
his wife divorced him. The couple
had no children. Cole began his ca
reer as a bellboy in an Atlanta hotel,
drifting from that place to the vaude-
vile stage by virtue OF his musical
ability. After several years off small
parts he turned up In New York with
a partner named Johnson in "A Trip
to CoontoWn," which made something
tation for the funniest skit OF his
life: A tramp, he got into small
| chicken coop and was covered with
vermin. Emerging he sang the fun
niest chicken song ever wrftten.r,a
The team Of Cole and Johnson
soon took rank with the Williams
and Walker combination. Later
productions Of theirs were "The+
Shoohy Regiment and "The Red
| Moon" In the latter the colored
comedy stage reached perhaps the
highest pinnacle Of artistic comedy
rather than Negro comedy Cole
had made new partnership with
a new Johnson, j. Rosamond, with
| whom he had been associated ever
since under the old team name.
This combination Of Cole and
Johnson turned out many new soisS
hits. Some Of these were ''Under
the Bamboo Tree" and Congo Love
Song" written for Marie Cahill;
'"The Maiden With the Dreamy
Eyes, for Anna Held, and "Oh,
| Didn't He Ramble!" for George
Primrose. Other songs were writ
ten-for- Lillian -Russel, for Mabelle
Gilman, Edna Wallace Hopper and
Elsie Janis.
After Cole left the "Red Noon
he and J. Rosamond Johnson went
into vaudeville, Cole singing their
songs with his partner at the piano.
They appeared at intervals until a
year ago, when Cole had nervous
| breakdown, and went to the Man
haitian Asylum on Wards Island.
From there he was taken to pri-
] vate asylum, whence he went to the
Catskills last week.
For several years Cole and John
son maintained a studio at the Hotel
Marshall, 127 w. SID street, where
Cole lived 1877 w sd street, where
while in New York.
Undertaken J. G. Thomas will have
charge Of the funeral arrangements
and interment will be in Woodlawn