The daily gazette., 1882-12-01
SHOT In THE FOREHEAD
TRAGIC ENDING OF A PUBLiC
PERFORMANCE.
FRAYNE's RIFLE FAILS HIM.
Annie VonBehren KILLED la Cincinnati
While Playing In .s u SlocuEn "--Much
Excitement In That City.

CINCINNATI, Nov. 30.--This afternccn,
at the Coliseum, u new little theatre, FraLk
Frayne aud company werc playing Isl
5locuiE." All The sitting aid standing room
was taken aud the audience became won
deriully eemonstraliye. The play had pro-
eeed. d to the eud vi the fourth act. Frayne
persOnated 81 Siocuna aud Miss Annie Won
5ehren took the role OF ruth Sioeua, Isl
Slocum's" wife. Just at this point, Tie
Hiltian required Si lSl0cum to shoot an apple
off his wiic's head, aud remarked,
1T must be with the back
ward shoot" The arrangements were
made, tie rifle cracked aud ruth iSiOcnm fell
10 tue floor, without utterIIg audible
sound. Frayne turned almost with the
lash VI his gun aud rushed toward the pros
trate girl, and, swouning, ieIl by her side,
with arm across her b0dy. 1he curtain
dropped, and the audience, who saw no
blood, heard no cry and imagined 1t was
u new turu in the play, were not aware of
the situation. The BlaLager came to the
front aud said 1t was oniy q case OF slight
accident; that soon all would be we'll, but
that the play would end here, with the
omission OF the filth act.
Behiud the scenes the girl was taken to
her room aud Frayne was carried TO his
Surgical aid was Called III, but in tfteen
minutes the girl was deaa. She never
utbrItu WOiu VI u AlDhu DCbWEtn tDe blklt
she was struck anu when life went out.
Her body still lies AT the theatre. Frayne's
vile, who used To do this act, is dead, and
Miss VonBehren lAs iilled The part ior two
seasons. The bail took eflect on the hair
line, couple ui inches above the ielL eye
and near the middle vi tile iorenead. Inc
rifle used was II breech- loader, Stevens make
of twenty-five caliDre. 1t hau beep in use
six years. Just AS Frayne pulled the trigger
t.,Ifr rl,,
The barrel down at the breach, give
way. The cartridge was blown parity or
wholly out, and the fame OF the powder
rom the breach burned Fraynes shirt
collar. The distance over whlen lie shot
vas 30 feet. On the girls head was hat
On which the apple WAC paced. The bottom
Of the apple was luur inches above the
mead. Frayne says ii was an entirely tafe
shot for auy ordinarily good rdcman. lie
lays the accident could hot have been possi-
sle under any other circumstances than tho
liviug way of the catch spring at the breech.
de does not explain how it happened that
ne failed to discover this weakness before
appearing with it on the stsge.
THE ACTORS GRIEF.
Frayne himself was Immediately arrested.
At the police station where he was lo,k ked
up, the question was put by the officer
What charge shall we enter against him r.
tie spoke up Oh, put II As bau as you
-ri~-~s s.assa.v 10 tO yuo EfSirs
5roken down with uncontrolable grief, and
desires to be Kept in the station house. All
| who have seen him pity him. Alter the
tragedy the scene behind The curtains ut the
ittle theatre baified descii piion. The pale
ness OF death was pictured on every
ace, but the grief on the stage
sas silent, Frayne himself, in the ten
lerest tones of which he was master,
oesought tho girl to speak, but she lay uii-
conscious to the laft, only now and then
,asping. The performers rushed TO their
rooms after the last scene OF ali and gave
vent to uncomfortable grief. 1t was a full
lour before the true story got out on the
| streets, and then il sprcau over the city as
IN the wings OF the wind. There is uni
sersal disposition to condemn the practice
Of using dangerous shooting OF this style on
| The stage. People say that though the
| marksman may be depended upon Tor ac-
curacy which many question, this case
shows that the gun may not always be re
liable.