Su From the Jan 29 and 30, 1964 Column by Millie Robbins, in the San Francisco Chronicle, called Millie's Column; He put on a Passion Play at the Maguire's Opera House on Mission near Third, in March of 1879, using the name of Sami Morse, but was really Sammy Moss. Presumably born i England, went to Australia in 1850, for their gold rush, build a hotel and prospered. He was in San Francisco, about 1875, and he had money for he did not have to work. Some of his stories, were of derring-do in the Crimean War, decorated by the Sultan of Turkey, Hero in Haiti or Santo Doming, where there was annually holiday, in his name. The star of the play was James O'Neill, the father of Eugene O'Neill. Lucky Baldwin, was the backer of the play. It had 200 in the chorus along, more than 400 men, women and children were the play itself, also a flock of live sheep, when across the stage at one time. It was a hit, but the clergymen of various denomination called upon the city fathers, saying that the play was profane and sacrilegious and demand action. They got it for a law prohibiting the impersonation of any scriptural character on any local stage was passed and the show was closed after 18 performances. They tried one more performances, during easter week, but the police after the last curtain, arrested all the male actors, and took them to jail, Lucky Baldwin, put up the bail, for them. So Mr. Morse, decided to try the play in New York City, so he took his scenery and costumers to New York. But the theater the were stored in burned to the ground, he was not able to get any more backing for the play. So he try to do a Western melodrama, he had written, but it flopped. Later his body was found floating in the East River, with 36 cents in his pockets. Also checked the City Directories, for 1875, 76-77 and 77-78, only finding him in the last one, listed under the name of Samuel Morse, living at 516 Van Ness, as a capitalist. George > --- SU BUCHIGNANI <sujac@pipeline.com> wrote: > > Could someone please check any or all of the San > > Francisco City Directories > > 1873-1878 for San Francisco's other nutcase, Salmi > > Morse. Research is > > showing that he was more bizarre than our more > > well-known Emperor Norton. > > > > Thanks to all. > > > > p.s. His real name was either Samuel Moss or > Solomon > > Moses, depending upon > > which source you can believe. > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness > http://health.yahoo.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness http://health.yahoo.com
George can send messages, but if you try to write to him you get an error message from Yahoo that his email box is overflowing. Bill ps Maybe it has been cleared by now. George Rushton wrote: > > Su > > >From the Jan 29 and 30, 1964 Column by Millie Robbins, > in the San Francisco Chronicle, called Millie's > Column; > > He put on a Passion Play at the Maguire's Opera House > on Mission near Third, in March of 1879, using the > name of Sami Morse, but was really Sammy Moss. > Presumably born i England, went to Australia in 1850, > for their gold rush, build a hotel and prospered. He > was in San Francisco, about 1875, and he had money for > he did not have to work. > > Some of his stories, were of derring-do in the Crimean > War, decorated by the Sultan of Turkey, Hero in Haiti > or Santo Doming, where there was annually holiday, in > his name. > > The star of the play was James O'Neill, the father of > Eugene O'Neill. Lucky Baldwin, was the backer of the > play. It had 200 in the chorus along, more than 400 > men, women and children were the play itself, also a > flock of live sheep, when across the stage at one > time. > > It was a hit, but the clergymen of various > denomination called upon the city fathers, saying that > the play was profane and sacrilegious and demand > action. > > They got it for a law prohibiting the impersonation of > any scriptural character on any local stage was passed > and the show was closed after 18 performances. > > They tried one more performances, during easter week, > but the police after the last curtain, arrested all > the male actors, and took them to jail, Lucky Baldwin, > put up the bail, for them. > > So Mr. Morse, decided to try the play in New York > City, so he took his scenery and costumers to New > York. But the theater the were stored in burned to > the ground, he was not able to get any more backing > for the play. So he try to do a Western melodrama, he > had written, but it flopped. > > Later his body was found floating in the East River, > with 36 cents in his pockets. > > Also checked the City Directories, for 1875, 76-77 and > 77-78, only finding him in the last one, listed under > the name of Samuel Morse, living at 516 Van Ness, as a > capitalist. > > George > > > --- SU BUCHIGNANI <sujac@pipeline.com> wrote: > > > Could someone please check any or all of the San > > > Francisco City Directories > > > 1873-1878 for San Francisco's other nutcase, Salmi > > > Morse. Research is > > > showing that he was more bizarre than our more > > > well-known Emperor Norton. > > > > > > Thanks to all. > > > > > > p.s. His real name was either Samuel Moss or > > Solomon > > > Moses, depending upon > > > which source you can believe. > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness > > http://health.yahoo.com > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Health - your guide to health and wellness > http://health.yahoo.com -- America Hurrah http://americahurrah.com