The New York herald., 1879-10-17
DEATH AT THE PLAY.

DEATH AT THE PLAY.
HOW A MIMIC TRAGEDY BECAME A REAL ONE
THE SLAUGHTER OF A SPECTATOR IN A THE
ATRE-CARELRssNEss OF PROPERTY MAN
GRAND JURY.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
BALTIMORE. Oct 16. 1879.
The tragedy at the Front Street Theatre Tues
day night. involving the death Of John NJ Nelson.
medical student at the University Of Maryland. has.
it is believed. parallel in tho history of dra-
matte entertainments in this country. Popular in
terest in the deplorable affair was heightened by the
peculiar circumstances surrounding the case and it
has proved leading topic of discussion throug ghout
the city. Mr.. Nelson's social standing caused to be
felt deep interest among the better classes OF the
community, and his terrible death while quietly
sitting in fancied security has elected the deepest
expressions OF sympathy. This Is coupled with
openly expressed indignation and denunciation
of the reckless management that could enable such
a distressing fatality to AS already
nounced in the HERALD. tho tragedy occurred few
minutes before midnight. but it hour later
before the dying man admitted to the City Hos
pital.
A STAGE MELEE.
at the time of the tragedy the curtain falling
the sensational finale Of Growing Jack. or Saved
from the Wreck. The last scene introduces, in q
thrilling tableau and amid much indiscriminate
firing. the flight and overthrow of the faithless
guardian, Devereux Powers. and brings with it the
victory and freedom of Rowing Jack. The closing
scene represents mountain pass in Italy. with a
band Of brgands hiding in the rocks. Rowing
Jack and his sailors, all armed with guns.
are pursuing the brigands and coming up
ter follows. The theatre well filed. and Mr..
Nelson sitting with Mr. Edgell, his brother-in-
law, the third bench from tho righthand side Of
private box in the front Mr. Edgell says that
loud explosion that almost blinded him followed
several smaller ones, and Nelson exclaimed
II am shotl'
WHO Is TO BLAME?
The ball, conica shaped one, passed clear through
When found 1t was shapeess. Various conjectures
have been advanced as to the cause of the tragedy
One is that some person inimical to tho manage
ment of the theatre purposely placed the ball
in the gun to cause an accident. thinking
is that the boys who cleaned tho guns after they
were taken to the theatre failed to examine them
carefully and left an old load in one of them. The
blame is attached to Mr.. Post. tho property man. in
not cleaning the guns personally he had been di
rected. Pending the inquest the police authorities
took no steps to prosecute criminally any Of the
theatrical people, Yesterday forenoon the investI-
cation begun but the testimony elected nothing
of Importance not contained in the above account.
OF the five "supers'' who were provided with guns
only three discharged them The inquest was then
adjourned until this afternoon at five O'Clock.
THE EVIDENCE.
To-day Coroner Walker visited the theatre. and in
company with the proprietors and others, made
close inspection OF the surroundings. After
siderable searching it ascertained that the bull
let had first struck . large tin reflector placed
downward, striking the unfortunate young man.
Those facts were made known to the jury upon tho
which the supernumeraries who did tho firing were
rc-examined, but no new facts were elected. Mr..
Post. the property man. who had charge of the guns
and whose duty it TO clean them,
recalled aud made important admis-
sion which went far to assist the jury i'll arriving
ut verdict When questioned as to whether
he certain that he had cleaned all the guns,
Post hesitated and finally said that while he felt
convinced that he cleaned them it was possible
that one of them might have been overlooked in tho
lot. The boys who did the firing testified that they
had received the guns from Post
After lengthy secret session, the jury rendered
tho following verdict
dentally at the Front Street Theatre about
eleven p. NJ. October IA, 1879, by ball from gun
in the hands of one of the theatre employees. and
that there carelessness in the preparation of
five guns by f. j. Post, who had charge of them, and
that he should be held for the action of the Grand
jury having by his carelessness caused the invol
untary manslaughter; and further. utterly con-
denim the of firearms under such circumstances.
and that it should be prohibited by law"
Coroner Walker ut once committed Post for the
action OF the Grand Jury on the charge Of man
slaughter.
The Maryland University lectures were suspended
until one o'clock to-day by order of DIR. l.. McLane
Tiffany dean. and the students assembled early and
held meeting to take steps regarding the death OF
their late associate. committee Of fifteen was ap-
pointed to draw up n series of appropriate resolu-
tions and submit them to the body of students to-
morrow morning. After the meeting the students.
accompanied by the faculty. marched in body to
the house of Mr.. Edgell. No. 162 Cross street. No
funeral services were performed there but
the arrival Of the company from the uni
versity the cortege, at halr-past nine. moved
W Ten
students from the university acted pallbearers.
They wcre:-John A. Robb, of Baltimore; J. Il.
Cowles, OF North Carolina; ii. b. Garrett, Of Mary
land; T. w. Clark. of Maryland; G. r. Jones, Of
Pennsylvania; Richard McShcrry. OF Pennsylvania;
s. G. Carter of Virginia; A. c. Watts. of Baltimore;
X. ID. Worment. Of Maryland. and Nick. Norris. Of
Maryland The romans were placed board the
steamer b. s. Ford, and Mr.. Edgell and his family
accompanied them to the former homo of the de-
ceased at Queenstown, Nd