Toledo, O., December 29-- Bob Slavin, the comedian, died suddenly in this city this morning. He was one of the most popular minstrels in this country, and was at one time one of the proprietors of the McNish, Slavin, and Johnston's minstrels. For two years he has had nothing but hard luck, and the cause of his sad death was principally a broken heart.
Brooklyn (New York) Eagle, December 29, 1892.
Toledo, December 30-- Bob Slavin, the famous minstrel, died very suddenly at the Merchant's hotel. He was found dead in bed. He was with the Crawford Brothers' minstrels, who appeared here Monday night. Slavin left the company here and has been on a drinking bout ever since.
Trenton (New Jersey) Times, December 30, 1892.
SLAVIN-- Bob Slavin, the well-known minstrel, died in Toledo, Ohio, December 29. Slavin was born in Baltimore November 23, 1853, and was consequently 39 years of age. In early life he made his reputation as a banjoist, and later was a successful end-man and specialist with most of the prominent minstrel troops in the country. In 1885 he formed a company with McNish & Johnson, and later Slavin and Johnson formed a company of their own. Slavin's widow, who was Miss Agnes Lawrence, lives at 2223 Pennsylvania avenue, Baltimore. His mother, Mrs. Mary Slavin, lives at 519 Lee street, in the same city, with her married daughter, Mrs. Bridget Flannery. An only brother is James Slavin, who is in the employ of Lippincott and Miller.
Irish American Weekly (New York, New York), January 7, 1893.
From a story in the September 26, 1889, Olean (New York) Democrat, comparing show business salaries to those of other people:
Bob Slavin will draw from Primrose & West $300 a week for forty weeks, or $12,000. As much as any mayor in the United States and with less than one-tenth the work.