Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-12-09
KILLED ON THE STAGE.
Shocking Occurrence Before an Audience In
aCincinnnfi Theatre.


The play of Isl Slocum" ended with a
real tragedy at the end of the fourth act
ut the matinee in the Coliseum Theatre,
Cincinnati. on Thanksgiving Day. Frank
Frayne's company was playing, with
FrayHe rs Isl Sloclm, and Miss Annie
Won Behren as Mrs. Lucy Slocum 1t
being THANKSGIVING Day, the people aud
IL apparently full sympathy with each
9th +. The audience app AIRED to be de-
il.htcd and appl:vuiod generously, a1d
the Z rformers were stimulated to the
top Of their bent. Everything went of
brilliantly till the end of the fourth act,
when the william Markham, who has cap
tured 81 Siocum, says, "I'll have You
shoot the apple off your wife's head, and
with the backward shot.
Miss Won Behrcn, who had been per-
forming in that roic since the death of
Frank Frayne's own wifi, some two
years ago. was taking the character of
Lucy. She stepped lightly to her post,
whore she stood with the appla on her
head, looking the very personiiication of
VII ~ tus;iulness AID confidence. ST
Slocum adjusted his mirror slowly. The
wife was thirty feet away His aim was
deliberate and slow and he was never
more steady of nerve. Bang went the
rifle The apple didn't fall, but the girl
dropped full lcrgth backward with a
dull, heavy thud ON the floor and the
apple rolled away toward the footlights.
Her fac was partly hidden behind a
vi ~ Of the scenes. With the fash of
u II h.a
had been shot, and turning toward the
PROSTATE girl, ran il a wild, plunging,
staggering sort Of way, till he fell on the
13,r beside her, with one arm resting on
her body. The curtain fell over all.
Immediately the manager came out
nd aarouncel that slight accident had
,ccurrcd aul ii was thought best not TO
giv2 the fifth act, for which reason the
play would now end. The audience had
Up t. this time suspected this was sur
nris introduced into the play, and that
i was mere fcigning. Some had APP
pl.aded. Many, however, suspected an
ac@i.synt, lut none seemed to have known
il. Up to this time not = moan or cry
had been uttered on the stage.
Mrs. Slocum" II without 4 moan
AID lay motionl,ss. Isl Slocum" lay
in Il swoon behind her The actors
VIZ diacrcetly silent As soon as the
curtain fell Miss Won Behren was care
ll,Iiv borac to her statcroom 4 surgaSn
ariiycd Immediately. Ii was of no use
h never moancd or spoke and scarcely
moved. In fifteen minutes after the
bullet struck her she WAS corpse.
frIync was also carried to Il staterOom.
As scon as h. recov, rcd sufficiently he
came aad knelt by the side of the almost
lifel,ss girl and pl AIDED with her to
peak. She heard nothing and gave no
sign Of consciousness That stage was a
chamber of death with all Its accompani-
mens. The actors rushed to their rooms
,ftoi the death scene and gave way to
overwhelming grief.
Frank Fraync was taken to the station
and locked up ON charge of murder.
When taken there he said to the officers:
- Make the charge as severe as You
can. Make ii the worst.
The bail entered Miss Won Behrcn's
for head two inches above the left eye
and half an inch to the left of the mo
dian line. The apple ON her head rested
or Il hat and the bottom of the apple
was four inches above the top of the
girls head. though with the makeup Of
her hair and hat it appeared much nearer.
The distance was thirty feet, the width
Of the littlc stage. The shotwas Frayne's
usual back shot, using the mirror. The
place where the ball struck the girls
Ion head was directly in Il plumb line
below The centre of the apple. The rifle
used was 32-calibrc breechloading
cartridge rifle. made for Frank Frayne
aud used by him six years iii this act.
Fraync says the spring catch near the
lrecch Of the barrel. which holds it down
after loading, broke or failed, and that
the ssroke Of the hammer on the cartridge
threw the breech up and depressed the
muzzle at the moment of firing so as to
throw the ball downward. He also says
that The apple placed as it was fairly
good sh would never miss it except by
some such accident as this.