The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-12-22

ed, and we were sitting on the porch whel
the subject of the assassination came III
! When we began talking about it Booth aros
and went and laid upon the grass by himself
was present when he died, and helped nj
sisters to ease his last moments The detec
tives kept close to him, but they allowed IN
sister, now Mrs. Campbell of Berkeley county
West Virgins, to cut lock of hair from bis
head after he died"
Did you hear anything he said as he la,
on the porch?"
He attempted to speak several times bu
could net utter many words. | remember he
held up his hands and looked at them, saying
as he did SO
"Useless, useless These were the las
words Booth ever spoke"
The Vienna Horror
BURNING OF A THEATRE 900 PERSONS ARR
THOUGHT TO HAVE PERIsHED
The Ring theatre, Vienna, was burned or
Thursday night last A few seconds, says
cable to the Herald, after the commencement O
the fire, Manager Jauner appeared at one o.
the windows of the first story leading to the
King. he shouted to the crowd, but what be
meant only few could understand He asked
| 0Onlv tho curta;,, - h,,.,;-ss pAoss -
don,t press on y a I,un,a,, ,,o;ce -
itself heard above the screaming ~ thonsands
and the misery OF hundreds The voice was
heard for few minutes, then it was suffocated
by the laundering noises produced by the fire
and the human crowd The fire had gained
rapid Roadway inside and had reached the gas
| fixtures
| The lights suddenly went out i'll all the
corridors OF the theatre, in the wardrobes and
restaurants. In the lobbies dark night reign
ed A lnrld light was only seen in the audi
forum, where the devouring flames carried
disaster, but still showed to some few the road
to safety But the staircases-those unhappy
staircases lin one moment they were filled
up and obstructed The crowd pressed on
trampled, fell down, and fresh masses of fugi-
tives went over the bodies of the unhappy
ones who had fallen There was no escape
there could be none, as one pressed against
the other. Some few, who had jumped IN n
the first moment, got through; now and then
also strong man made his way out. On the
Ring there were seen some faces. blackened
by the smoke and reeking with blood
FIFTEEN Fatal MtsurEs
They had fought for their lives ON a battle
mo.u "i'T Tp glory rlIIeen long minutes
p p:I -. luc niose piooay pattie, whlch de-
cue, tne iate OF King or crown, could scarcely
naso e.iian''eu ~ hitly ueatns us those III
Ion minu NC, AZ last sne hrst engines arrived
1 vi Inc ocnotten Oass over the King
Inc parquet and the boxes had meanwhile
been enlptied quickly enough. Climbing and
jumping over the seats, the crowd had found
an exit. But in the galleries death reaped
fearful harvest, especially on the left side and
on the third, where a door caught fire The
firemen who came in saw the most dire spec
tacle In lines, in heaps, dead men and wo-
men lay at the doors and entrances in such
thick knots that they could hardly be Olsen
tangled. More than once couple of corpses
were brought out, man and wife, who had en-
twined themselves in the cramp of death The
smoke had had pity on them and had executed
the sentence OF death before the flames could
a., ,fnoo,od .,,J A. were iouho
OF burning were On them. Happy those who
nad reached the corridors and other localities |
leading to the front. There were no ladders
at hrst. One single stepladder was to be
found, and few long minutes passed before it |
was got INTO order. Sheets had meanwhile |
Deen opened and the persons standing up !
stairs were encouraged to jump down.
ALEAp FOR LIFE
rlDie to see how one after the other made the /
leap through the air Then men followed I
ihen again women An Old gentleman in !
sisted mat Two Boys should Jump f1rst. One I
q them refused to go. He eaught hold with !
n ms hands " .ile wihaom "ef. n,s nhgers
re- nU .aa VI, aHa nc ie.i in.o sne seieel
t,a pnau1s $500 - Snla Wy 'asso ~ .ne
ta1s sioMu s.lanse lofnis appeareo. NaKed
rrnn, $50. 4, a.sssou peopiI. icy
q mniso an.'s; laohol anu powered wig.
ol'J ua.s ~; esen Wa, ~ lluc as snsa.
Ie ~ esuuen' Ios.unie VI Ieo
s. WIZ nau W s.hs sne pail o. lne SUI
an airv night robe The cafes in the neigh |
oolnooo were cnangea lnto dressing rooms
"nu ins onaauIis' sne police s'asion ihso
q nospi'"i anu d aea'h ciiaiiiper-
THE SOLDIERS
IL quichstep lne lhiahtiy approaches from
tne Alexander barracks, preceded by their
officers s"oro NJ nana. IN Wlae curves Inc
hulnan crown IS repuiseu Inc words OF COM
nianu.oi tne eincers are nearo alsI,hctly, the
so c.ii laniaIes VI ene nieilen Inc hgures
81 'ne Mno Dao ciilieea ol the TOO! Oh
.ne sneaeIe' Trying 10 project Tue nelgnpor.ng
iip were SHINING rom Inc burning ground
i lae slhoue:.es. me Apollo ON me lacaoe ap-
@ g iO " 6io,,J' A1.HS iSi
orapuiy ' mn names envelop .ne ouiialng anu
CIV - " w 'ne M suaip ines sniousn sne oouus
~ etnoAo Misiou. ln.silup.ion we nluslc ~
music of the Ring TheatreSits funeral march.
Ine Poe. WHOSE iiie ssoly was ~ nase pe ~
pclioi me- .nae hlsn. oh .he uoaids "a Wy
nlng lheaeIe mas written no more ,o ~. any
lan.ast,cal Story IMAM tne nis'ory ahe ene ehu
VI Tue oeautiiui structuIe-a Gn!lu oI specuia-
i've, money,"astlng unes, yins so.uay ~
asnes, aiteI naVin * oulieu numerous VI nyes
under IT'S oeo,zS. Ing poet never invenleu any
thlng so Ierrlole as the reahty through Wnich
we nave hVea to-oay
THE FIRE CURTAIN
IN the excitement Tue moIhlhgn1en nsu over
is9 .ne most lnipoIeant nletnod OF saIety;
lheY old not lower inc fon IRE curtain, ana
as tne curtain, as stateu before, got llitea up
NIUE ~ the ar current, iree passage 70 the
aud!torlum was opened 10 tne names hao
the iron curtain oeen lowered IL would nave
oeen mpossiDie 1or tne AUDITORIUM 10 De
caugnt ~ inc names ana the nre "ouia nave
oeen Limited :" lne seage anu she glassware
the greatest nossible protection the flames
might have ragged for two hours without reach
ing the auditorium. But from the present dis
aster it appears that all precautions are use
less if at the decisive moment the workmen
omit the very first and most pressing precau