The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-07
A PR1MA DONNA ON BANDITS.
Miss Fieiding's Thrilling Account of an Ad
venture in Kentucky.

Louisville COMMERCIAL
II never was so frightened in my life," said
Miss May Fielding, the prima donna of the
Carleton Opera Company, yesterday. referring
county bandits at Morehead last Thursday,
when Mr.. w. It. Carleton, the baritone, came
near being shot
What did the bandits look like9" inquired a
Commercial reporter.
well, now, that's the funniest part of the
whole business, don't you knowl" said Miss
Fielding, taking long breath ''They were not
bandits I'm perfectly familiar with bandits
why, I've seen Mr.. Carleton play Fra Diavolo
ever many times, and have known at least a
dozen men who sang Devilshoof in The Bohemian
Girl. Why / would know bandit with my
eyes shut in the dark. Just before we got TO
Morehead the train people had been telling us
about tho Rowan county desperadoes, but we
did not expect to see any of them. When the
train stopped three great tall, thin men
came into the coach with long pistols on their
shoulders"
''Pistols on their shoulders echoed the re-
porter
Il presume they were PISTOLS explained Miss
Fielding with q look of intense surprise and in
guiry ''They had triggers and barrels just like
pistols"
Rifles guess" explained the reporter
"They might have been rif1es-that's So y
said Miss Fielding, with a smile of delight.
Perhaps they were rifles I'm not familiar
Win al! tAibS Uut tuSSc young plStOlS Win
which they shoot at three sheet poster cuts in
the target galleries.
Anyhow she continued. merrily, I thought
the men were trappers, you know, going out to
hunt So asked one of them if he found many
rabbits.
I" Rabbits he said, with a frown like rail-
road tunnel. Rabbits, woman! and he seemed
to get madden at every second Great God,
rabbits don't go; I'm huntn' for men,
Great goodness said, heightened to death
we can't spare any but or two chorus sing
ers. You can take your choice, sir You see.
was afraid he would change his mind and go to
hunting women. ! started to go back to my
seat when just then another one of the men
leaped to his feat in the aisle, and, pointing his
gun toward me. shouted
'' Stop therep
"Of course l stopped. never was so scared
in my life. said to the man:
on, III stop, sir:you needn't be afraid of me;
didn't mean anything, sir
- i amt talking to YOU he said. and then
saw he was looking over my shoulder, and /
turned and saw Mr.. Carleton coming in the
door from the smokingcar 1t seems that Mr.
Carleton had a bottle of buttermilk IN his hip
pocket and was trying to pull it out / couldn't
see what harm there was in bottle of bntter-
milk, but Capt. Sam Gains, of Frankfort, told me
that bottle filled with buttermilk was enough
TO arouse Rowan county men to tremendous
pitch OF desperation. Somehow they regarded
it as dead waste of bottle. While the men were
occupied with Mr.. Carleton, | asked one of the
brakemen who they were, and he said
they were the Rowan county bandits
But l don't believe a word of it. They
didn't have any ribbons in their hats and there
was not a glimpse of silk tights anywhere. They
didn't have even guitar, and they didn't look
like they had been shaved for month. Why,
ii Mr.. Carleton looked like those men when he
sang Fra Diavolo, wouldn't 90 on with him.
After it was all over, went up to one of them
and asked him if he was a real bandit, and if he