The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-01-13

THE LIFE or AN ACTRESS SAVED BY AsC0oL
l. HEAD AND THICK wOoLEN PBrrIcoAr. -
NEW Brunswick. Y, j..

l. HEAD AND A THICK WOODEN PBrrIcoAr.
III, NEW Brunswick, n. j., Dec. II.
Miss Claxton, whose real name is Kat
Elizabeth Cone, and whose father, Col
Spencer W. Cone, q we'll known New-Yorl
journalist, lives 10 New Brunswick, ha
given her family a much fuhet account o
her experience in the Brooklyn tragedy
than she gave to any Of the reporters.
is about as follows: 4s..e. aur.-
"When | saw how the flames had caugh
almost every part Of the scenery behind ant
around me, made up my mind that it wa
my last hour on earth. Strange as it MAJ
seem, felt 20 sense Of fear, not even the
nervousness that slight thing would pro
woke under ordinary circumstances.
seemed to know that had no hope of es
cape, but there flashed also through my
mind the splendid lines: 'er. 49,. =
Is % whether upon the scaffold, high,
- .pL Or in the battles van, ha,.uss
The noblest place for man to die
...,.c.. Is where he dies for man." .....
IL seems that it was small thing fol
one to die II many might be saved. Sc
when | spoke to the people felt that my
voice rang out as it never did before in my
life, aod that it was SO clear and calm i,
must have q controlling power. 1t had, fol
one dear, brave woman close down on the
,parquette answered back to me cheerily
you are right, Miss Claxton, and sat down
and helped to stay the panic and save many
lives. | am sure that woman is alive. Oh
i hope she is. If shd is, want to see bel
and know her, for her heart must be brave
and true. While was talking took the
precaution to tear off the ragged muslin
sleeves from my dress. but quietly; they
were perfect finder. Under my Louise
dress bad on an extra heavy wooden petit
coat.
There neve: was a drawer man on earth
than Studley. He stood by me cool aud
collected As the best man OF the Six Humid
rcd. and kept the falling fire of me- When
the flames swept down upon us and flight
was imperative, and no good was to be
done by staying, gathered my wooden
petticoat firmly in each hand, and fought
the FIRE from me rs | dashed through IT..
l stopped only once, and that was to sieze
poor Murdoch, and try to drag him off; but
he was pulled away from me. Then
fought my way through with that wooden
petticoat it was my salvation. l either
heard Maude Harrison in her room and got
"
! remembered the underground passage to
the box office, and went for it, for tho burn
ing stage began to fall on US. The horror
of the few minutes in that dark place, only
wide enough for one person to pass at a
time, y is indescribabls. knew that that
the door at the end was usually locked.
and might be. now; but the good Provi-
dence that directs even the fall or a spar.
row made a whim Of mine the means ofou
escape. In the morning of that dreadful
day, merely for fun, l had insisted npon
having tho door opening from the box office
TO this passage way unlocked, and | went
through to my dressing room instead off 60
ing around to the stage door. The key
was reluctantly given to my agent, Mr..
Stanley McKenna, with many injunctions
10 lock the door behind him. He promised
. do 80, but dropped the key into his pock-
IT instead Of putting it in the door on the
inside as he should have done. He said
hat his fingers were cold, and when be
put them into his pockets he vowed be
wouldn't take them out for all the keys in
Brooklyn. These cold fingers by Gods
mercy, saved ell our lives, for after we had
stumbled through that passage and up tho
Itairs the door yielded, and We tnmbled
nto the box Office. The smoke was sutfo.
:atiug. ,,., .s. ....... ...fe.. ,e-.rs. .
% Beyond the Office were the crowd tread
ne over each other. gathered that dear
I'D wooden skirt around me, clutched it
With one hand 80 as to have my limbs free,
ave it. Q twist and q tuck that turned it
lmost to a girdle, and lesped from should
r Of tho packed and sitting crowd. lit
rally walked on their heads, or sprang
rom one coign Of vantage to the other
yer living mass of surging human be.
ngs. 1t seemed to me that in three leaps |
was in thu atreet.i