The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1914-04-25
DEATH OF BERTHA N. CLAY

1t was doubtless something of a
shock to many of Bertha M. Clay's
multitudinous readers to learn a few
weeks ago that the author of "Thorns
and Orange Blossoms" I'm Loves
Crucible," Her Martyrdom."
Welded and Parted" AT War
With Herself" and dozens of similar
stories in which virtue triumphs and
poverty goes hand in hand with no
bility, was in real life Thomas w.
Hanshew. Nor was the personality
of Bertha M. Clay the only disguise
behind which Mr.. Hanshew masked
his ~tireless literary activities. Dying
at the age of 81, he had already writ
ten more than 200 books, although
few of these had appeared over his
own name. Another of his pseu-
donyms was Charlotte Monica
Braeme. Beginning life as an actor,
he was in turn novelist, playwright,
business man and writer of moving
picture scenarios. In the Kansas
City Star we read:
."Hanshew accumulated several
fortunes through his writings, but
these were lost in unfortunate in
vestments. At the time of his death
he was under contract with a large
publishing house in London to write
four novels a year and two short
stories each month. But the strain
of this was too much. He died of
overwork."
His greatest success in recent years
was the creation of a new detective
character, Cleek, who is now well
known on the moving picture circuits.
The Cleek stories are published over
Mr.. Hanshew's own name. We read
in the New York Evening Post that
"'Cleek of Scotland Yard a book
published only a week before his
death, introduces a novel feature
in modern fction-it is illustrated
by photographs from the motion pic
ture play"
Although an American by birth,
Mr.. Hanshew spent nearly half of
his life in England, and it was in
Annesley that he died. Says the
Boston Transcript:
"Mr. Hanshew was born in Brook
Ign 81 years ago. At the age of ten
he wrote a play which was per-
formed by the children of his school,;
at 16 he went on the stage and played
juvenile parts for several years in
Ellen Terry's company, and there
after he appeared with Clara Morris
and Adelaide Nelson in important
roles. He did not, however, remain
long on the stage, and in the late
seventies allied himself with the pub
fishing house of Street and Smith,
for whom he wrote a large number
Of popular novels. One of the best
known of these was The Welded
Widow He was also associated
with Norman l.. Munro on The Fam
lily Story Paper in which he frequent
ly had three or four stories appear
ing simultaneously. At n time,
after he and Mr.. Munro had a diff
ference, Mr.. Hanshew continued to
send in stories under the name of
Charlotte May Kingsley which were
published in complete ignorance of
their real authorship. Mr.. Hanshew
must have been a rapid and prolific
writer, for he was the author of
more than 200 published stories. In
1882 Mr.. Hanshew married Mary E.
Burnett, a Southern girl. England
had always had a great attraction
for him lever since a six weeks visit
to London with his father and in
the later eighties he took up resi-
dence there. In London, Mr.. Han
shew associated himself with Ward,
Lock e. Co., the publishers, for whom
he wrote a number of novels, as well
as short stories, one-act plays, and,
latterly, moving picture scenarios.
From the beginning he had no diff
Guilty in marketing his work, and his
stories brought him a very comfort
able income. With his wife and
three daughters he travelled a great
deal on the Continent of Europe.
Practically all the places mentioned
in the 'Cleek' stories were described
from the authors personal exper'
ience."
Tie Tropco~spk ~ooc On fo unofc