National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-10-23
BACKWARD SHOTS AND FIGHTS WITH BEASTS
THRILLING STORY OF RAYMOND VlsQuEz
FOUNDATION INCIDENTS FaR 81 sIlGUH.
Rifles and Their:Uses-short and Long
Rsnge-Training OF Animals-Lfttle
Frankie-The English Mastin, Jack
Ideas for New Plays.

hanRe-Ira1n1nR Oh Au1nhks-Littie
Frankie-The English MastiH, Jack
Ideas for New Plays.
The world is now so full Of workers-good work.
ers, too, in their respective spheres-thst some
thing useful and agreeable Is TO be CLEANED from
all Of them; but 1t is from the specialists that the
greatest pleasure derived In conversation. With
sume It Is one thing, and with some another-with
Mr.Frank Frayne, the actor, It is rifs-shooting
and hunting. He is q gentleman of quite ex-
tended culture, but, on the speciality mentioned,
he is perfectly at home. Yesterday afternoon,
during a short drive with him, he told Us many
interesting things in his life and adventures which
will handsomely bear reproduction. In telling
US something Of his early life, Mr.. Frayne said:
He was born in Danville, Doyle county, KY. A
tragedy there, which cost him the life of q
brother, induced him TO follow the bent Of his
natural inclinations for the life Of q rover, and
going to Texas he Joined, at Brownsville, Ben
McCullough's Texas Rangers. Subsequently he
joined at Galveston Confederate company. An
intimate friend of his, by the name OF Brown, and
fellow-soldier, shot the captain Of the company;
and though he vas in no way mixed up with the
affair, he chung to the fortunes Of his FRIEND and
went with Brown to Apache Pass, and afterwards,
returning to Kentucky, he served in that State as
General Forests guide and was captured at
burned. On his release, soon after, he went to
Cairo, and played an engagement In the Defiance
theatre there. Before the war, however, Mr..
Frayne had a varied theatrical experience, sus-
tanning the role of Horatio with Barry Sullivan
atIthe National theatre, Cincinnati, Mercutio
with Jane Coombs, and he supported Charlotte
Champion and Mary Gladstone in many Of their
well-remembered assumptions: but after the war
he drited into the variety business, first playing
q round of Sbaksperian characters on the frontier
OF Kansas and Missouri.
And, as Mr.. Frayne skipped along, we learned
that he is an author as we'll actor, having
written the plays of "Out in the Snow, ;" "Keno,"
1.-THE Black Hills" "Oroloso" and others, all Of
which have been successfully produced on the
variety stage.
But you have natural power over animals?
Yes. 1t was discovered prominently while at
Diegle's theatre, St. Louis. The play was, "The
Llop of Nubia," by J. ]. McCloskey, and one
of the scenes for Q fight with lions, and their
master being unable to appear, assumed the
role and came out Of the cage unframed; and
after that was engaged specially for that bust
ness, and seon won the title OF
THE LION KING.
There were many other wild animals, besides
camels, &c, introduced In this play, and they
all soon learned to obey me. And 1 am now think
an actual deer.hunting scene and the hounds in
full chase. Already have the deer in training,
and the dogs can easily be taught their business.
Scenes can be SO arranged by endless rollers as
to keep up the excitement for full two or three
minutes at q time. Another play want is one
the wild beasts. ri have a trained Numidian
lion on the stage to fight with, and other scenes
will enable me to perform feats in shooting.
THE BACKWARD SHOT.
By the way, about that backward shot. How
discovered how It could be done by the mcrest
accident. was in Topeka, Kansas, about the
were making their raid at Rising Sun. To be
distinguished as q crack shot among the rough
people OF that country was no small honor.
counter, and there happened to be q mirror in
front Of me. A noted shot present, and who
claimed that All my good shots were scratch ones;
make better shot backwards than he could In
the regular way, and SIS was wagered. He fired
nifty yards distant. 1 sighted my rife by the aid
OF the mirror, and made closer shot than he had.
They all thought was in league with the devil,
the secret Of the business to myself and repeated
# often with the greatest effect.
And don't you think it dangerous as performed
on the stage?
Not in the least. The only possible danger is
from the rife hanging fire, and to guard against
loading and the use Of FF Kentucky rife pow
der. The barrel is slowly brought down to q line
WITH the apple snd nsG as as Ts there can BE no
is involved In shooting q iye-cent piece from be-
tween the thumb and finger. perfect line shot
pie from my hand by Mrs. Frayne is really more
difficult than tho backward shot,
Mr.. Frayne told US many interestins and
citing stories Of hunting, and Of hair-breadth es
cspes from bears, lynxes, wild cats and buffaloes
and he incidentally mentioned that for short
T presrred the Old Kent2cSy or ed Missouri
muzzle-loader; but for long range the Remington
rife was the favorite, especially on the Plains,
because Of its simple construction and the ease
with which It is kept in repair; besides, he thought
It quicker than the Shapes. The Prusslan
buifaio' ae!bad Killed an anteiope Al q range 81
eleven hundred yards.
He had taken great pains with his little boy
loading and firing, and, though only coming SIX,
he was already sure marksman, land, said he,
hst Is Inst 1sc e. s w az English %a
his tenacity when he once gripes an object. On
the stage he knows his business perfectly and
and he has actually been known to shed tears over
some slight failure On the plains, and in actual
fights with game, he is very cruel but in play he
is gentle as o lamb.
And do you like wild life?
Yes, indeed; were it not for my wife and child
"a be on the plains To- morrow; BY the way, I've
adventurous life. The most OF them are born in
March, 1 find. Don't know as the fact has any
These brave men are also very superstitIous For
instance, If they meet dead raven in their path
they'll turn back and resume their Journey next
day. When out hunting, they will not shoot
snakes for fear Of bad luck. They are more con-
trolled BY such TRIES than anything else.
How do you take care Of your nerVesr
Well, I'm exceedingly careful about drinking,
and only occasionally drink little lager beer.
That does not seem % hurt me, but have to
others, but tobacco win shatter my nerves very
quick. Once I executed the difiicult feat Of
est sdd 81 Gesn
apples of Of five different mems heads, and If
knew that was TO repeat the shot would Ger.
cigars. 1 don't believe q man ever does any
thing; Of any description. better on account Of
Have You ever thought OF going to EnrlandP
Yes; and surely shall IL 1 can retain my pres
ept manager, Colonel Grover, whose experience
world, covering two years Of active work We
shall undoubtedly go, and Of course hope then
70 be able to retire on good fortune, and have
the balance Of my time for hunting and fishing.
i RAKoND vAsQUEz.
The play 81 Slocum, continued Mr.. Frayne
Is founded upon the life Of the well-known Gall
fornian. Ramona Vasqucz, the Remirez of the
play. He was an outlaw, and something less than
year ago suffered death on the scaffold for his
crimes, having been fairly convicted Of sixteen
different murders. He was . very handsome man,
trying circumstances. He has q brother now in
California, who is justice Of the peace. Vasquez
was driving out one Gay with Q young and besuti-
her, and then shot her dead with pistol. Blood
was found in the buggy and a bullethole through
It's cover, anu ne was hppronenuou anu tried 1or
the crime and found guilty. This made an outlaw
Of him, and he gathered q band about hlm-all
young Mexicsns-as bloodthirsty as himself.
They were thoroughly armed and organized, and
by burning towns, sacking them and robbIng
churches and travellers and getting ran
som money, the robbers all became rich,
and having got wealthy, they dropped of
one by one, so they numbered only sixteen at the
time his capture. As aspecimen OF his cruelty he
took detective ofieer whom he had captured and
cut out his tongue, saying such men should always
be SILENT and he cut of his eyelids, saying q de-
tectives eyes should never be closed, but for all
this he sometimes did generous and manly things.
He was q splendid shot and q great horseman,
and was always dressed in the richest stuifs and
most fancy coiors he could get. He had entered
q town TO sack II, and going into the hotel shot
the Landlord, his wife and daughter, but by that
time the hotel was covered by the rides Of vigil
lance committee and In the end he was captured.
For some strange reason, after he was lodged In
jail, certain women manifested the greatest SYM
pathy for him. They had the floor Of his cell
carpeted with fne brussels, and they kept him
supplied with the choicest wines. liquors and
cigars. When led out to the scaffold he calmly
bid them all good bye, and without removing the
cigar from his mouth was hung. He was per.
hsps the most desperate villain Of modern times.