Evening star., 1911-06-07
due TO WEAK HEART
Edward Harrigan's Death Fol.
lows Long illness.
POPULAR ACT0R-AUTH0R
Comedian Of Rare. Power, Famoua
in Irish Characters.
MELODY IN HIS COON SONGS
sprightly Mulligan Of "The Multi
gan Guards Passes Away 1T
Age Of Sixty-Five.
POPULAR .AcToR-AUTHoR
MELODY IN HIS COON SONGS

NEW 1ORh, June I.-EQWarU H0rrl-
gan. beloved Of New Yorks previous
generation Of theatersoers for the
| clean. healthy mirth he gave them in
his famous Irish and negro characters
| in his own plays. died of a heart affec-
tion yesterday at his home. No. 249
West 1920 street. He had been i'll
more than two years.
| Many thousands Of New Workers.
now grown into middle age or beyond,
will sigh as they recall the sprightly
Mulligan of THE Mulligan Guards
Ball. and the dashing Reilly of Reilly
and the Four Hundred"
For Med" Harrigan was, as perhaps
| no other has been, New York's own
playwright and comedian. His farcas
dealt with New York that is almost
gone now, save in the memories Of the
old-timers.
Harrigan presented race types in
his plays displayed them in their most
humorous aspects. introduced plenty
of whistleable songs by his father-in-
| law. David Braham. and rose to great
heights of popularity.
Native of New York.
Ned Harrigan was born October 26
1s4S. in Scanned street. In the old
seventh ward. son of a ship carpenter
He learned Irish songs and dialect
from his father and negro ballads and
talk from his mother, who was from
the south.
In his early teens he went on the
| stage OF the Bowery Theater doing a
volunteer. impromptu stump speech. He
ran away to sea, became a ships calker,
and in 1861 found himself in San Fran
cisco, where he Joined Joe Murphy, Lotta.
| Maggie Moore and other celebrities in
a minstrel show.
He afterward Joined forces with Sam
Hickey in songs and dances. anj with
| that partner returned to New York in
1870. A year aftcrward, IN Chicago, hc
took on his more famous partner, "Tony'
Hart.
Harrigan wrote and presented. in 1915.
| THE Mulligan Guards Ball." a take-otr
on the target companies Of youths
about town. This was followed by THE
ding etc.
Builds q Theater.
Harrigan and Hart first attained ponu-
larity In John Hart's Theater Comique,
on Broadway near Spring street. They
left there when fire destroyed that thea
ter. going further up Broadway to What
had been Days Fifth Avenue .Theater,
opposite Waverley place, and which also
was burned Then Harrigan built what
is now the Garrick. Oh West 35th street,
but he did not retain his popularity there
sna tGok Ds,ne to the aSorty
He produced ''Sluatter Sovereignty.
The Blackbird,'' .'Mcsorley's Infiation,' =
'Cordela's Aspirations THE Major"
Reilly and the 400 "Old Lavendar" and
| plo hot ctr, hn Y,i9,Iic
| chord.
In each of these plays there was some
one song-Words by Ned" Harr1gan n.
music by Dave" Brahanf-which set all
Of all was Maggie Murphy's Home. .
There are few New Workers who do not
recall the plaintive air and simple words:
| There's an organ in the par-lor
To give the house a tone,
A-and you're welcome evry e-evening
At Maggie Murphy's home"
Then there was this lifting waltz strain
in THE Major:
"They call me Maj. Gifeather:
I'm little bit under the weather"
Author Of Fifty Songs.
And again-this was long before the
days of .'rag''-Harrigan put lot of
melody In the coon song. THE Sunny
Side Of Thompson Street, Away Down
Town" Fifty songs. IL one, Ned" Har-
rigan wrote and popularized.
Harrigan and Hart dissolved partner
ship in 1885. In the last decade he had
| appeared only occasionally in revivals of
his old pieces.
Harrigan Is survived by a widow. who
was the daughter Of Dave" Braham,
and six children, DR.. Anthony Hart Har-
rigan. William Harrigan. an actor; Mrs.
Lewis Laughlan Of Philadelphia, and
Philip, Nolan and Grace Harrigan, the
last three being school children.
Funeral services will be held Friday
morning, and the burial will be in Wood
lawn cemetery.