Chung Ling Soo (1861-1918)

Chung Ling Soo

ILLUSIONIST (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA)

BORN 2 Apr 1861, New York City, New York - DIED 24 Mar 1918, London: Passmore Edwards Cottage Hospital, Acton
BIRTH NAME Robinson, William Ellsworth
CAUSE OF DEATH killed during bullet catching act
GRAVE LOCATION Richmond, Greater London: East Sheen Cemetery, Sheen Road (Section B, grave 219/220/221)

William Robinson initially performed in the USA as 'Robinson, the Man of Mystery' but he was little successful. He moved to England and in 1900, inspired by the success of the Chinese magician Ching Ling Foo, he started performing disguished as a Chinese man, using the name Chung Ling Soo. He became very popular. In 1904 Ching Ling Foo came to London to prove that Robinson wasn't Chinese. A public feud followed.

He married his assistant Olive Path in 1906. She performed with him under the name Suee Seen. Not long afterwards, in 1907, he met 21 year old Janet Louise Mary Blatchford and he had a daughter with her. For the sake of their act Olive agreed to continue their professional cooperation. The act became a success on the continent, in Australia and in New Zealand. Between their performances he visited Blatchford at her home in Barnes, London, and they had two more children before 1911.

On 23 Mar 1918 he performed his famous bullet catching act at the Wood-Green-Empire in London. The bullet was to fall into a secret chamber in the pistol but because the gun wasn't perfectly clean the bullet was fired and hit him in the chest. He said 'Oh my God. Something's happened. Lower the curtain'. These were the only words in English that he had spoken on the stage in nineteen years. He died the next day in a hospital in Acton, London.

Images
The grave of Chung Ling Soo (W.E. Robinson) at East Sheen Cemetery, London. Picture by Androom (27 Jun 2009)	The grave of Chung Ling Soo (W.E. Robinson) at East Sheen Cemetery, London. Picture by Androom (27 Jun 2009)