AN OLD ACTOR'S SUICIDE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2170, 5 June 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN OLD ACTOR'S SUICIDE.

Ix a small hall bedroom, on the third floor of No. 816 East Fourteenth-street, yesterday, lay the dead body of William Carleton, actor and playwright, who had committed suicide. He had occupied the room only a few months, and when he lived in it he was broken in health and nearly destitute. His trunk was in pawn with his landlady, Mrs Therry, for rent, and he owed Mra Charles of No. 525 East Fourteenth-street for his meals. For several days he had suffered so much from gastritis that he could only take milk punches, and he lived on a small allowance of that kind of nourishment since Sunday. Believing that his illness was incurable, and despondent on account of want, he locked himself in his room on Tuesday night, closed the window and suffocated himself by turning on the gas. His misfortunes were said to be due to long-continued habits of drunkenness. In hi* room at the time of his suicide were only a few articles of clothing, some manuscripts of plays which he had written, and a few worthless trinkets which he had not been able to pawn. On a bureau was a woman's skull which he had kept in his possession for many years. A paper pasted on it bore these lines : — Within this ghastly skull once lived and throbbed A human brain with human passions fraught. Here is envy, doubt, and scorn, and lore and hate. Within this shrine there came the birth of thought, The hopes, the tears, the pangs we feel dwelt here. This was the bouse of that we call the soul. Frail house ! Bereft of all thy garniture, E'en now an idiot can thy fate control. These empty sockets once held orb* that shamed The diamond lustra of the peerless stars. The music of the tongue wagged within this skull, Held ears in bondnge by its magic spell, And left * thousand hearts with twice * thousand scars. Where now is all the glory of that beauteous head, When tresses waved the wind to kiss them shun? Alas ! its loveliness is destroyed and dead, But this remains to tell what it has been. William Carleton. Carlton was fifty-eight years of age and was born in Dublin, Ireland, being named after his uncle, who was a novelist. He came to this city about thirty years ago and obtained an engagement at the old Comique Theatre as a variety actor. Becoming well-known as an Irish comedian he received a large salary, which he spent freely. In hit best days as an actor he was called ' The Great Carleton.' One of his songs, called 'The Whistling Thief,' became popular, and encouraged him to write songs for other actors. At length he bffgan to write plays and was so successful that he gave up acting and devoted himself altogether to writing. His best known work is 'Fritz in Ireland,' written for J. K. Emmet. — New York Tribune,

"Whenever I see you, Herr Muller, I cannot help thinkinr of the thirty marks I lent you a year ago. "Strange how people differ! I forget *hem regularly evay time I meet you."— Fliegende Blatter. It's mcc to be a Millionaire.— Mr Vanderbilt has given orders to a British naval architect for designs for a new steam yacht, which is not to cost 300.000 dol. It is just 33 years since the father of the present millionaire went over from New York in pleasure 'vessel named the North Star. The North Star took about 11 days on the voyage ; but was said to be fast enough to do 18 knots an hour in fair M'eather. This speed, attained with paddles in the days before the application of the compound engine, was marvellous; and it is doubtful whether the new vessel will attain it with the •crow propeller* I