Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 June 1893 — ON ANOTHER STAGE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ON ANOTHER STAGE.

America’s Greatest Actor Passe* Away. The Death of Edwin Booth After a Pw trected Illne*a at New York city. Edwin Booth, the tragedian, died a New York at 1:17 Wednesday morning At the time of his death he was unconscious, in which condition he remained since Sunday. When tbe end came Mr* Edwina Grossman, the tragedian’s daugh ter, had her hand clasped in that of hei father. Aronnd the bed stood Mr. Booth’! brother-in-law, Superintendent Magonigle, of the Players’ Club, Mr. Grossman. William Bispham, Charles E. Carry). The only other persons present in the chamber were Dr. St. Clair Smith and the nurse. Edwin Booth was born in Belaire, near Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 13, 1833, and was

the son of Jnnins Brutus Booth, the elder, an English actor who obtained his reputation, however, mainly in the United States; he was named Edwin Booth out of compliment of his father’s friend, Edwin Forrest, and Thomas Flynn, both great actors. Although the elder Booth at first objected to his son going on the stage he did finally consent, and the young man’s first appearance in any part occurred in 1849 at the Boston museum, when he appeared as Tressel in “Richard III.” He made a success in this small part, and from that time forward no question was raised as to his continuing on the stage. In 1851 he took the most important step in his dramatic career up to that period by playing “Richard III” in place of his father who had been taken suddenly ill. This performance gave him at once the reputation of being an actor of unusual promise. In the latter part of 1852 the cider Booth died while on his way from New Orleans to Cincinnati. Mr. Booth’s great career is well known to the country, and his wonderful powers have boon appreciated and generously rewarded by his thousandsof adraifers, who will regreUand sincerely mourn his death. Mr. Booth’s first serious Illness came on April 3,1889, when be wa9 stricken with incipient paralysis while playing in* “Othello,” in the Lyceum theater in Rochester. The last four years of his life have been passed in comparative retirement in New York, and his friends have noted with pain the steady and unchecked decline in his health during that period. At no time has there been any well-found-ed hope of his recovery.

EDWIN BOOTH.