The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-12-19
KATE CLAxTON's RsCAPE.
The Life or an Actress Saved by a
Cool Head and Thick WOOilen
-PettlCOat.

N~Wa sVuW usu AuaCA WVOhscu
-Petticoat.
New Brunswick, N j., Dec. il
Miss Claxton whose real name is Kate
Elizabeth Cone, and whose father, CI
Spencer W Cone, a well known New
York Journalist, lives in New Brunswick,
has ri zen her family much fuller &C.
count OF her experience in the Brook
lyn tragedy than she gave to any Of the
reporters. 1t is about as follows;stf3
When l saw how the flames had
caught almost every part of the scenery
behind and around me, ] made up my
mind that it was my last hour on earth
Suaage as it may seem. I felt no sense
OF fear. not even the nervousness that
slight thing would provoke under or
dinary circumstances. / seemed to know
that had no hope of escape, but there
flashed also through my mind the splen-
did lines: 4
- "Whether upon the suaffold high,
- Or in the battles van, = -15Taff /
.a The noblest place for man to die
Is where be dies for man."
II seemed that it was small thing Tor
one to, die II many might be saved. So
when / spoke to the people l felt that
my voice rang ou. as it never did before
in my life, aud that it was 80 clear and
calm il must have controlling power.
1t had for one dear, brave woman close
1 down on the parquet answered back to
me cAeerily. You are right, Miss Clax.
],ton," and sat down and helped stay the
panic and save many lives. am sure
that woman is alive Oh, I hope she
ia. If che is L, want to see her and
know her; for her heart must be brave
and true. While l was talking l took
the precaution to tear off the ragged
muslin sleeves from my dress, but qui.
city; they were perfect tinder; under my
( Loviss dress / had an extra heavy wool
len petticoat. ag @ @ ass
There never was Drawer man on
earth than Studley. He stood beside
me cool and collected as the best man
Eof the Six Hundred, and kept the falling
fire off me. When the flames swept
down upon US and fight was imperative
and no good was to be done by staying
l gathered my woollen petticoat firmly
, in each hand, and fought the fire from
me as dashed through it, / stopped
only once, and that was to- seize poor
Murdoch, and try to drag him off; bu,
he was pulled away from me. Then
fought my way through with that wool
len petticoat it was my salvation.
. either heard Maud Harrison in her room
and got her out, or met her at the door
of it. Then ! remembered the under
tground passage to the box office, and
went for if, for the burning stage begar
to fall on US The horror of the few
minutes in that dark place-only wide
enough for one to pass at time-is in
, describable. knew that the door al
the end was usually locked. and nigh,
be now; but the Good Providence thai
directs even the fall of the sparrow
made whim of mine the means of oul
! escape. In the morning of that dread
iul day, merely for fun, had insisted
upon having the door opening from the
box Office to this passageway unlocked
and l went through it to my dressing
room instead OF going round to the
stage door. The key was reluctantly
given to my agent, Mr. Stanley McKen
na, with many injunc,ions to lock the
door behind him. He promised to dc
so, but dropped the key into bis pocke,
instead OF putting it in the door on the
inside, as he should have done. He said
that his fingers were cold, and that when
|; he put them into his pockets he vowed
he wouldn't take them out for all the
keys in Brooklyn. Those cold fingers
by Gods mercy, saved all our lives, fol
after we had stumbled through that pas
, sage and up the stairs the door yielded
and we tumbled into the box Office. Tht
, smoke was sufiocating. lab
Beyond the Office were the crowt
\ Etreading over each other. / gathered
. that dear old woollen skirt around me
, clatched il in one hand so as to hav,
my limbs free. Gave it twist and ,
tuck that turnedit almost to girdle
and leaped from shoulder to shouldel
, Of the packed and sitting crowd. ] lit
orally walked on their heads, or rathel
, sprang from one coign of vantage tt
the other over living mass Of surgin;
!. human beings. It seemed to me that il
! three leaps 1 was in tue street.