The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-01-26
KATE CLAXTONS ESCAPE.

Of the reporters. It is about as follows
"When I saw how the flames hac
caught almost every part Of the scenery
behind and around me, made up my
mind that it was my last hour on earth
Strange as it may seem, felt no sense
of fear, not even the nervousness that &
slight thing would provoke under ordi
nary circumstances. I seemed to know
that had no hope of escape, but there
flashed also through my mind the
SPLENDID lines:
"'Whethrr upon the sCaffod high,
r in the battles van
The nOhl st place for man to die
Is where he dies for man.
1t seemed that it was a small thing
for one to die if many would be saved.
So when l spoke to the people I felt that
my voice rang out as it never did before
in MY life, and that it was so clear and
calm it must have a controlling power.
I had, for one dear, brave woman close
down on the parquette answered back to
me cheerily, You are right, Miss Clax
ton,' and sat down and helped stay the
panic and saved many lives. am sure
that woman is alive. Oh, hope she is.
If she is | want to see her and know her,
for her heart must be brave and true.
While I was talking I took the precau-
ton to tear off the ragged muslin sleeves
from my dress, but quietly; they were
perfect finder Under my Louise dress
[ had on an extra heavy wooden petit
coat.
There never was a Drawer man on
.arth than Studley. He stood by me
;OOl and collected as the best man of the
Six Hundred, and kept the falling fire off
Ae. When the flames swept down upon
10 and flight was imperative, and no
God was to be done by staying, gath
red my wooden petticoat firmly in each
and, and fought the fire from me as l
u8hed through it. I stopped only once,
nd that was to seize poor Murdoch, and
'y to drag him off but he was pulled
way from me. Then fought my way
trough with that wooden ratticoat; it
as my salvation. | either heard Maude
harrison in her room and got her out, or
let her at the door of it, Then I re-
embered the underground passage to s
lie box Office, and went for it, for the
Irning stage began to fall on us. The {
orrOr Of the few minutes in that dark I
aCe-only wide enough for one to pass I
a time is indesCribabie. ! knew that L
e door at the end was usually locked, F
ID might be now; but the good Provi- b
nee that directs even the fall of the a
arrow made whim of mine the means 0
cur escape. In the morning of that e
eadful day, merely for fun, I had in
ted upon having the door opening
I'm the box Office to this passway I'M
'ked, l went through it to my dressing =.
I'm instead Of going round to the stage
Or. The key was reluctantly given to ~
T agent. Mr.. Etanley McKenna, with y.
ny injunCtiOns to lock the door be-
i'd him. He promised to do so, but 9
'pped the key into his pocket instead !"
putting it into the door on the inside, "a
lie should have done. He said that his
gers were cold, and when he put them a..
0 his pockets he vowed he wouldn't -
c them out for all the keys in Brook ~
. Those cold fingers, by Gods mercy, al
ed ell our lives, for after we had "
mbled through that passage and up
stairs the door yielded, and we tumb- '''
into the box office. The smoke was ~
beating. 90
Beyond the office was the crowd Oh
ding over each other l gathered Wv VI
dear old wooden skirt around me, 'i''
ched it in one hand so as to have my all
Os free, and gave tia twist and q tuck pr'
turned it almost to a girdle, and VIZ VIZ
ed from shoulder to shoulder Of the Vn'
ied and sitting crowd. | literally
Ied on their heads, or sprang from o7.
COign OF vantage to the other over a OPP
ng mass of surging human beings. It HI
led to me that in three leaps | was me
he street." PoS