io8
 

THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF
 

FRANCIS P. WELCH, better known as
"Fayette" Welch, was born in Ireland, circa
1845. His parents were Thomas Welch and
Bridget Morgan Welch. But little is definitely
known of his early history; some old records
show that he was playing in a variety theatre,
called the Metropolitan Hall, on Pennsylvania
avenue, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets,
Washington, D. C, about 1864-65. He was
with several minstrel bands, among which were
Emerson's Minstrels, when that troupe was
playing at the New Alhambra Theatre, San
Francisco, early in January, 1873. He was
also playing with some show in San Francisco
in April, 1876, at the time when San Francisco
Lodge, No. 3, B. P. O. E., was instituted; he
at that time being one of the four members of
the order—dimit brothers—^who instituted that
lodge, under dispensation,' at Anthony Hall, on
Bush street, April 11,1876, Welch at that time acting as the Inner Guard. In Octo¬
ber of the same year he was one of the members of a, minstrel band (probably Hoo¬
ley's) playing* Chicago at that tiine, who helped to institute Chicago Lodge, No. 4,
B. P. O. E., under dispensation, when he served as the first Est. Loyal Knight,
and second Asst. Primo, in the regular set of officers of No. 4, at its institution,
for a short time; later withdrawing and holding his membership in his original
lodge, New York, No. i, thereof. He played dates in variety houses all through
the West and Was connected with the Haverly shows for some time. Welch was
a good comedian; one of his favorite specialties was to dance a jig, accompany¬
ing himself by playing a flute with his nose at the same time. This was a feature
with the Haverly shows many years ago. Welch met with a tragic death in
Boston. At an actors' boarding-house, kept by a Mrs. Mortimer, at No. 10 Dix
Place, Boston, Welch' got into an altercation with a variety performer by the
name of Wm. J. Flannery (whose stage name was Billy Gould). Welch opened
the door to meet his antagonist, and was immediately shot dead, on Sunday,
March 6, 1892, at 1140 a. m., aged forty-seven years> He was buried by the
Boston Lodge of Elks, in Mount Hope Cemetery, Boston, Mass. The burial was
under the direction of James McElroy, of the Boston Lodge of Elks, under advices
from New York Lodge, of which he was a member. No funeral services were
held and there were very few professionals at the grave. Shortly thereafter the
remains were disinterred and buried in the Elks' Rest, Evergreens Cemetery,
Brooklyn, N. Y. Mr. Welch was a member of the E. D. Morgan Post, No. 307,
the theatrical G. A. R. post of New York, and it was their wish to transfer the
dead actor's body to New York city for a military burial. Mr. James McElroy
was appointed administrator of his estate. Gould, his slayer, was a variety per¬
former who at the time was playing at Austin & Stone's Museum in Boston.
He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. Brother
Welch was a member of New York Elks (single organization), being initiated