The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-12-07
A SHOCKING AFFAIR!
Frank Frayne Misses the Apple,
and shoots Miss Won Berchn
through, the Head, Killing
Her Instantly.

CINCINNATI, November QUILL MS
afternoon at the Coliseum Theater, in
the fourth act of the play, 81 Slocum,
Frank Frayne, in shooting an apple
off the head of Ruth Slocum, person.
ated by Miss Annie Won Behren, miss
in the head She died in fifteen min
utes. Frayne was arrested immedi-
ately. The curtain fell and the play
stoppen. The audience supposed the
victim was only slightly hurt. Frayne
used n rifle of 81. calibre, and eXecu-
ting a backward shot. The catch snap
of the rifle was imperfect, AMI slipped
Just as the hammer fell and blew the
cartridges out backwards.
When the curtain went down, after
the fatal shot, excitement behind the
scenes was so great as to create alarm
lest panic might ensue among the
audience of 230O.
Frayne's cries and lamentations were
so violent that he was heard before the
curtain. Manager Fennessy was too
much excited to say anything, but he
sent a friend to the front to say that
the accident was slight, and that the
play would not proceed farther. The
audience then retired in order, though
one lady tainted.
Manager Fennessy took charge of
Frayne, and though the latter de-
manded to be locked up, he got Mr. ii.
Heuck TO go before Judge Higley, of
the Police Court, and give bond for his
release from arrest. The bond was
fixed at SIS 900. Frayne's mental con-
dition was such that one or two of his
friends kept close watch over him at
his hotel. The theater closed tonight
and probably will not be opened this
week.
A coroner viewed the body of Miss
Won Behren, and it was then removed
to the undertaker's, where it will lie
until word is received from her friends
in Brooklyn. 1t is said she was en-
gagged to be married shortly to Frayne.
The cause of the accident was the low
ering of the barrel by a fault in the
spring catch. Frayne's shirt was
burned by the powder, and a part of
the shell was driven backward.
The ball entered the forehead two
inches above the left eye and half an
inch to the left of the median line.
The apple on her head rested on hat,
and the bottom of the apple was four
| inches above the girls head, though
with the make up OF her hair and hat
it appeared much nearer. The shot
was Frayne's usual back shot, using
the mirror The place where the ball
struck the girls forehead was IN a
plumb line below the center of the
apple. The rifle used was 32-calibre
breech loader cartridge rifle, of the j..
Stevens pattern, made for Frank
Frayne, and used by him six years in
this act. He says the spring catch,
near the breech of the barrel which
holds it down, after loading broke or
failed, and that the stroke of the ham
mer on the cartridge threw the breech
up and depressed the muZzie at the
moment of firing so as to throw the
| ball downward. About six years ago,
at Woods Theater, in the same piece,
with his wife, who has since died,
acting the part of Ruth Slocum," he
shot one of the stage supes i'll the foot.
The rifle was an old fashioned Ken
lucky gun, and the ball, before strik-
| ing the mans foot, passed through
the apple and heavy butt of oak wood
placed behind it to stop it. He then
| explained how careful he was III eX-
amining his rifle on such occasions,
and how safe it was in his hauds; and
how he used to employ navy revolv
or and shoot apples off several peoples
| head till the authorities forbade 1t. He
also explained that out of sight of the
audience the breech of his gun was
held tight to the proscenium jamb by
clamp and screw, which he carried
for that purpose. 1t appears that he
omitted this precaution of late. Pop
ular feeling here is sympathetic with
the man, but bitter against his busi-
ness. Frayne says he will never shoot
again.
Annie Won Behren was the leading
lady of the Company, and was less
than twenty-five years of age. Her
native place was Brooklyn, and she
had been on the stage about three
years. The Coliseum Theater is closed
tonight, of course.