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Mr. Edwin Booth's Condition on Wednesday Evening.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE EVENING POST:
SIR: The EVENING POST of April 29 charges Mr. Edwin Booth with intoxication the previous evening when playing Iago to Salvini's Othello. This charge is certainly a mistake. The facts are that Mr. Booth has of late been afflicted with occasional vertigo. On Wednesday evening, in the important scene in which Othello lifted Iago from the floor, with his own head averted so that he could not see the other's face, this condition suddenly occurred and Iago fell backward prostrate as soon as Othello released him.

Immediately after the incident, and before the play ended, I was with Mr. Booth, and can assure you from my own knowledge that he was entirely free from the influence of anything intoxicating, and in as full possession of his mental and physical powers as one could be after a temporary illness of that kind. Moreover, I am sufficiently informed on the testimony of others who were with him through the day, that he had been not only perfectly temperate and sober, as usual, all the time, but had abstained wholly from stimulants, and almost wholly from food the whole day.
                                                                        A.S.G.
NEW YORK. April 30.
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ism.

[[note]] Post [[/note]]

The stage of the Academy of Music last evening presented a painful and humiliating scene—the actor who took the part of Iago appearing in a state of intoxication. In the most exciting part of the play Iago fell among the foot-lights and was pulled out by Othello. An audible groan went through the house. Strange to say, a considerable number of the audience seemed to relish this kind of dramatic entertainment, for they applauded Iago vociferously, and called him out twice in spite of the hisses of some and the silent departure of others. The hired claque of a French theatre never did anything more untimely. It is to be hoped that such exhibitions as that of last night are not to be encouraged by the forbearance of the public. It should be added that the greatness of Salvini was never exhibited to better advantage than in the trying scenes of last evening.
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did not. I sent my "Christmas Eve" to the Club. When I went there this evening Champney called me aside and said "we hung it" I inquired "why shouldnt you?" He replied it had been there before. I told him I thought he was mistaken, that I kept a record of my pictures and where they were exhibited and asked him if his committee did not keep a record of the pictures sent there. He said they did and that this was there by another name "Winter" I answered it had never had any other name, and while I would not be positive, I felt very sure it had never been there, and I said even if it had I should have been very angry if you had not hung it, for I am not ready to admit a picture may not be seen twice and, besides I have seen pictures at the Club which have been there before. This annoyed me as I think Champney lacked tact in speaking to me about it. The next thing to rile me up was this. There was an awful portrait of President Barnard there by Tuttle. I sat down by Reid and he began pitching into it most violently. I spoke my mind about it and told him how several of us were invited to meet Tuttle several years ago at dinner by Quincy Ward &c and his subsequently coming to my room with a frightful picture. I looked behind me and there sat Tuttle hearing every word we said. - Booth came in looking nicely in his dress suit and was very cordial with me. Salvini came later and Booth introduced me to him although I could not say a word. Prof. Botta spoke for me however.

Sunday May 2" 1886. Went home by morning train. The apple blossoms are out but not at their height, Tom has the garden nearly all planted and we are having asparagus. The country is lovely now. John McEntee came up in the evening. He had been trout fishing out in Mink Hollow and sent us up a nice little mess. Sara had a letter from Lucy in which she told her she had written to Laura, and reported some things she said to her which struck me as very sensible and judicious. Sara has had a letter from Laura since Laura received Lucys letter in which she expresses regret for having written the letter to Sara a year ago. Her penitence however does not seem to me very earnest; the letter strikes me as artful and there is too much defense of herself besides some unkind and exaggerated statements concerning her Aunt Mary. I have advised Sara not to be in a hurry to answer it.

Monday 3". I took my father out for a drive. We went to Kingston and came home by the Alms House. He sat out on the back porch all afternoon and dined with us, and he really seems as well as he did a year ago. I worked in the garden a part of the afternoon planting flower seeds and the rest of the time sat with my father while Sara went to a "Home" meeting. I am almost out of money again and begin to feel those anxieties from which, happily, I have been free for a year past. I keep up hope however that I will either sell a picture or some of our land. I am so happy always when I have the money to pay as I go.  

Transcription Notes:
not done with written work not complete as of 5/7 Pls do not mark complete until everything has been transcribed . ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-09 18:07:17