National Republican., 1882-12-04
FRAYNE Ar L1HERrY.
Reasons For Ills RcIcnse-h similar Acci-
dent Recalled.

Ah''NAA'u'
CINCINNATI, Dec. 3-Francis I. Frayno
was before the police court Saturday morning
on charge of manslaughtcr for shooting An
mic Won Behren at the Coliseum Thcatcr ut
the Thanksgiving matinee. He appeared
quite calm at the beginning, but as the tcsti-
mOny proceeded he was restless aud at times
deeply affected. The prosecution offered the
testimony of Sargcant Bcnninger who saw tho
shooting and who arrested Fraync, and of Mr..
Bean, member of the ecompany,who explained
the Causc of the accident. He said the thread
of the spring catch was worn or torn OF and
the screw was blown out of the gun. The
catch losing its hold permitted the gun-barrel
to drop, and that sent the bullet below its aim.
Mr. Frayne's breast and neck were blackcned
by the powder escaping from the brCcch
of the gun. The prosecution rested and
said the charge of manslaughter would
he sustained by the statute, which
forbids any one TO point loaded gun at or
toward another person. The counsel for
Fraync claimed that the statute did not apply
as the gun was not pointed at the deceased
woman, but at an apple six inches above her
head. He suggested also that Fraync had
already suffered the worst that could happen
to any one, and that no punishment which the
law might intiict could give greater weight to
the lesson of this accident. Justice Higley
leaned to the opinion that the statute was not
ulSODCNeu III lnlS case because inc gun was
aimed ut an object and not at person. He
said the testimony clearly showed that there
was not the slightest criminal intent, and that
the prisoner should be discharged. This an
nouncemcnt was greeted with emphatic ap-
plausc The remains of Miss Won Behrcn
were taken from here at s o'clock this morn
ing by the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, for
the home of Miss Won Behren's parents in
Brooklyn, N. y. They will arrive there at
about o'clock tomorrow night. Frayne and
the entire company have gone with the re-
mains, and will attend the funeral in a body.
FRAYNE EXoNERATED.
New YORK, Dec. 3.-NTrs. Won Behren, of
No. $50 Stockton street, Brooklyn, L. D.,
mother of the girl accidently shot by the actor,
Frayne in Cincinnati, said yesterday that the
funeral will be at the Baptist Church, Bedford
avenue, near Willoughby, and the dead girl
will be buried in Cypress Hills Cemetery.
Mrs. Won Bohren exonerates Frayne, who, she
says, loved Anna dearly.
A SIMILAR ACCIDENT RECALLED.
PAwTUCKET, r. l., Dec. 3.--Thc recent kill
ing of Miss Won Behrcn by Frank Frayne the
rifle-shooting actor, at Cincinnati, recalls an
accident of precisely similar character in this
town April 8, 1873. On that night variety
troupe from Brookly, N. Y, were playing at
the opera house here. Among them were the
Franklins," so-called skillful marksman and
his wife. Their real names were Fowler. Dur
ing the performance Mrs. Franklin" " was TO
shoot an apple from the head of "Mlle Vol
ante" member of the company. The shooter
stood with her back to her human target, and
taking aim by the aid of mirror, fired, the
ball entering "Mlle. Volante's" brain. She
fingered for two days and then died. "Mlle.
| NOlante's" real name was Nelly NIOlloy, and
she was n New York girl, who had only been
on the stage six weeks. 1t was thought at that
time that the accident would have the effect
of stopping such hazardous exhibitions on the
| stage.