The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-04-20
A THRILLING SCENE.
Stirring Incident of War Days of Viii

tOiA10oS1y 1lCSu d. SCouo WHICH DlduCu0U
the face OF many a strong man, caused
grown'women to scream and faint, and
produced a.general panic in an audi
ence of goodly proportions in one of the
principal theaters in the United States.
Yet such is the sober fact, and Mrs. Wal
ters to-day recalls the affair and tells
the story of that awful night in man
ner which can not fail to thoroughly
captivate the listener-nay, almost
bring to him the realization of an
event which must have impressed upon
all those who saw it a memory which
the years can never efface.
1t was during the stormy period of the
''late unpleasantness" that Mrs. Wal
ters found herself in the then radiant
city of New Orleans. The year was
that OF 1863-one of the most eventful
of the civil war-when the minds of
men and women particularly the men
and women who happened to be in the
South at the time) were at a tension
which nothing but a state of affairs
such as was then existent can produce
The affair in which Mrs. Walters was
the principal actor is one worthy OF
historic note, but which, like others of
its kind, will probably never reach
other annal than that of newspaper
record The manner in which the lady
told the story to a reporter yesterday
in the parlor of the St. James Hotel,
can not be reproduced in cold type.
She told it dramatically, and threw her
whole soul into the recital. The best
that can be done is to lot her tell the
tale herself, minus the expression, atti-
tude, incubation and other personal
emphasis and establishment which
came quite naturally to her as the story
grew upon her.
1T was in 1861" she said, sthat our
company, under the management OF
Ben De Bar. who will be remembered
BY st. Louisians as a dear old man,
was closing the season in New Orleans.
We were playing a fine spectacular
piece called 1.-The Seven Sisters" AT
that time General Ben Butler was occu-
plying the city, and was in command OF
the army there. In the play there was
number of young ladies, of whom I
was the chief, who, in the garb of Zou-
aves executed a pretty drill or march.
The costumes they wore were composed
OF red, white and red stripes-rather
gaudy, to be sure, but still very pretty.
We were playing at the St. Charles Thea
ter, and the first few nights drew splen-
did, crowds Everybody in the city
came to see US. In the play, you know,
the young ladies executed their little
drill and then stood to one side, while
went to the front and sang the song Raj
ly Round the Flag, Boys, Rally Once
Again. etc. The song was received
with semi-approbation, for you must
understand that the audiences were
mixed and there were a great many
rebels in the crowd. Well, every thing
passed off peaceably for the first two
nights, but on the morning of the third
day Tom Davy, who was then the act
ing manager of the theater, came to me
and told me a story that made me feel
funny. He said that the fame of nv
song had reached General Butler and
that orders had been issued from head
quarters that I would have to sing the
National air and that the young ladies
must wear blue sash-to complete the
National colors, you know, red, white
and blue-or that the theater would be
closed up. 1t was all the same to- me
what song I Rally Round the
Flag or 'Star-spangled Banner so I
agreed, rather than lose the receipts,
to sing the latter song. The news of
the order had been noised abroad, and
on that night the house was packed
from pit to dome.
1--WE got through with the play un-
interrupted until the time came for my
song. The girls did their little march
and fell back, and the flag of the Union
was brought to me. I took and flung
it around me and sang the first stanza
of The Star-spangled Banner I felt
instinctively that an explosion was
coming. AS sure as I am now talking
to you, you could have heard a pin
drop when I began that song. This
painful silence endured until the first
stanza was finished, and then about half
the audience, l suppose, began to hiss.
Oh! it was awful! Suddenly the hiss
ing was drowned i'm burst of the wild
est applause ever heard.
''Then there was q lull-the silence
Of the tomb fell upon the vast audience
and man in one of the orchestra
seats rose from where he sat. In his
right hand he held a pistol, which he
tourished above his head. Then, re-
CARELESS of the audience, the actors, the
ladies who were present-every thing
he cried out:
$50 help me God, I'll shoot down
like dog the first fellow who Kisses
that song again!"
'In the ominous silence which fol-
lowed this burst of irresistible passion
could hear the .click!' click! 'click!'
click! of hundreds of revolvers which
were cooked in an instant The Union
men in the crowd covered the Confed-
crates, all of whom were armed, and
t'.e play, song, actors and all were for
gotten in the intensity of the'excitement.
The audience realized that something
terrible was about to take place. Ladies
screamed. and yelled, and tainted Men
rose from their seats with flaming eyes
and swore all kinds of oaths. Several
times heard my own name mentioned,
and did not know but what I would be
shot myself. / tell you, my boy, that